actively set about removing all effects of the recent defeats it
had sustained. He was busily engaged in reorganizing and inspecting
the regiments, and enforcing the most rigid discipline. The result
was that in a month's time, on the 22d of November, his division by
itself routed four thousand of Sheridan's formidable cavalry. The
week before Christmas Grimes' Division went into winter quarters
on Swift Creek, about three miles from Petersburg, and for a few
weeks enjoyed a comparative rest, which was greatly needed. On the
15th of February, General Grimes, with his division, left winter
quarters and encamped near Southerland's Station, about twelve miles
from Petersburg, protecting Lee's right wing, where they remained
until the middle of March, when they occupied the trenches in front
of Petersburg, relieving Bushrod Johnson's Division. The line of
fortifications occupied by Grimes' Division extended from near the
famous "Crater" on the left to a dam beyond Battery No. 45 on the
right, a distance of at least three and a half miles. To defend
this extended line General Grimes had only about two thousand two
hundred men, and one-third of them constantly on picket duty. Men
may well wonder then why Grant's greatly superior numbers did not
sooner break through this attenuated line. No one who himself did
not experience a soldier's life in the trenches around Petersburg
can appreciate the dangers and hardships then endured by the men
of Grimes' Division. The trenches were usually knee-deep in mud,
the men always on the alert and ready for action, one-third always
on picket duty in the rifle-pits, one-third kept awake at the
breastworks every night, and one-third only off duty at a time, and
they sleeping on their arms and with accoutrements on, as best they
could, amid the continuous firing along the picket line. All night
long the pickets kept up an incessant firing, the sound resembling
at a distance the popping of fire-crackers, and the flash of the
rifles illumining the darkness like fire-flies on a summer's night,
while now and then a mortar shell would gracefully glide through
the air and explode with a deafening roar. And yet those brave men
endured all this, day after day and night after night, without a
murmur, and on the 25th of March made one of the most desperate
attacks of the war. On that day General Lee made his last and final
effort to break through the coils of Grant's encircling army. It was
a desperate undertaking, and came well-nigh being successful. At one
point in front of Petersburg, near Hare's Hill, the breastworks of
the two armies were only about one hundred yards apart, and General
Lee determined to make a sudden sortie at this place and capture the
enemy's line. A day or two before the attack was to be made Generals
Gordon and Grimes visited this point, and carefully inspected
the fortifications and acquainted themselves with the nature of
the ground. Just before day-dawn the sharpshooters of Grimes'
Division--about three hundred men--with unloaded muskets and in
profound silence, leaped over our breastworks, dashed across the
open space in front, surprising and capturing the enemy's pickets
before they could give the alarm, and had mounted their breastworks
and were upon the enemy before they could realize their situation. A
brigadier-general and five hundred men were sent back as prisoners,
and the remainder of the division followed the sharpshooters and
occupied the enemy's works. Other troops, among whom were Ransom's
and Lewis' North Carolina Brigades, had at the same time captured
other portions of the enemy's works, and a brilliant victory seemed
within our grasp, but it was only the meteor's flash that illumines
for a moment and leaves the night darker than before. The expected
reenforcements, Pickett's Division, did not come to their support,
and the enemy soon collected a force ten times as large as ours and
poured so destructive a fire upon our men that they were withdrawn
after a most stubborn fight of two hours. General Lee himself
overlooked the scene of conflict from a hill near the old Blandford
Cemetery, and well do I remember the sad expression of his face as
we passed him in returning to our quarters. In this short engagement
Grimes' Division lost four hundred and seventy-eight officers and
men. This was the first battle in which General Grimes was engaged
after receiving his commission as major-general, and he acted with
more than his usual gallantry, if such a thing be possible. He was
the only Confederate on horseback--riding a captured horse--and thus
rendering himself a conspicuous target for the enemy's fire, but,
notwithstanding his great danger, he rode up and down the lines,
urging on and encouraging his men, who, enthused with admiration of
his dauntless courage, cheered him most lustily.
But the end was rapidly drawing near. On Saturday night, April 1st,
about ten o'clock, the enemy opened a heavy artillery and mortar
fire, and by a sudden dash captured a portion of the picket line
held by Grimes' Division. General Grimes at once informed General
J. B. Gordon, who commanded the corps, of the situation, and that,
if the enemy charged his weak line, he would not be able to resist
them. But there were no reenforcements to be sent, for Lee's lines
had been broken at other points, and although our picket line
was soon reestablished, yet shortly before daylight the Federal
forces in large numbers attacked and captured that portion of our
line known as Rune's Salient, held by Battle's Alabama Brigade.
The enemy at once extended their line some distance up and down
our breastworks before they could be checked. In a few minutes,
however, General Grimes, on foot, rushed down the line, calling on
his old brigade to follow him, and began rallying the troops who
were retiring before the advancing enemy. Seizing a musket from
a soldier, General Grimes himself opened fire on the enemy, and
by his cool courage soon restored confidence to his men, and the
enemy's further advance was promptly checked. Fighting continued
until late in the day, and our troops not only successfully
resisted any further advance of the enemy, but drove them back
from traverse to traverse until the space in our breastworks
occupied by them was not two hundred yards long. The fighting
that day was desperate and bloody, being at such close quarters,
and Grimes' Division--especially Grimes' old brigade--suffered
heavily. If all of Lee's army could have held back the enemy that
day as successfully as did Grimes' Division, Petersburg would not
that night have been evacuated. But orders were received for our
withdrawal, and shortly after dark the main body of the division
retired from the trenches, marched through Petersburg and crossed
the Appomattox river. A force of about two hundred and fifty men was
left at the breastworks to cover the retreat of the main body, and
this little band remained there, keeping up a brisk fire until after
midnight, and then quietly followed the route taken by the division,
being the last troops to leave Petersburg; and well do I remember
crossing the Appomattox river on the old Pocahontas Bridge while the
railroad bridge near by was burning brightly and making a light by
which the enemy's artillery was directed at us.
Time would fail me and your patience would be exhausted, were I to
attempt a detailed recital of the part taken by General Grimes on
that memorable retreat from Petersburg to Appomattox. Always placed
at the post of danger, his division rendered conspicuous service.
Now stubbornly resisting the advance of superior numbers flushed
with victory, now turning like a wounded lion upon his pursuers and
charging desperately and putting to flight a too confident foe, and
now toiling along over muddy roads, famished with hunger, exhausted
with constant marching day and night, almost stupefied with the
want of sleep, those men proved themselves to be heroes indeed--the
equals of any the world has ever seen!
On Thursday, the 6th of April, the enemy pressed us most
pertinaciously, and that afternoon, at Sailor's Creek, overwhelmed
our exhausted troops; and at this place General Grimes made a
most wonderful escape. And yet, notwithstanding their rout that
afternoon, on the next day those men were as ready for battle
as ever before, and made a most brilliant charge, with the old
Confederate yell, recapturing the line from which General Mahone's
Division had just been driven. General Lee himself was near, and
saw this charge, and at once sent for General Grimes, and in person
thanked him for this service rendered by him and his division.
And now we come to the last sad scenes at Appomattox Court House,
where General Grimes planned and led the last charge made by the
Army of Northern Virginia. General Lee had been trying to carry
his army to Lynchburg, but the enemy had in overwhelming numbers
thrown themselves in his front to head him off. Thereupon Grimes'
Division, which always occupied the post of greatest danger, was
hurried from the rear, where it had been covering the retreat, and
placed in the advance. Shortly before daylight on that memorable
Sunday, the 9th of April, 1865, our troops arrived at the village
of Appomattox Court House, when it was ascertained that the enemy
in strong numbers were in our immediate front. On the night before
the last council of war had been held at General Lee's headquarters,
which was attended by Generals Lee, Longstreet, Gordon, Pendleton,
and Fitzhugh Lee, and the plan agreed upon was that Gordon's Corps
and Fitzhugh Lee's cavalry were to attack the enemy next morning and
attempt to cut a way out, and the other troops and wagon-train were
to follow. It was then thought that only Sheridan's cavalry were in
our front, and that they could be forced back. Soon after General
Grimes arrived at Appomattox, Generals Gordon and Fitzhugh Lee
joined him and held a conference as to what should be done. Gordon
insisted that the enemy's troops were cavalry and that Fitzhugh Lee
should attack, while the latter contended that they were infantry
and that Gordon should attack. They discussed this so long, and
so much valuable time was being lost, that General Grimes became
impatient and said that it was somebody's duty to make the attack,
and that at once, and that he would undertake it; whereupon General
Gordon told him to do so, and placed under his command, in addition
to his own division, the other two divisions of the corps, Evans'
and Walker's--Bushrod Johnson's Division and Wise's Brigade having
been placed under his command two or three days previously. General
Grimes at once rode forward, made all the necessary arrangements,
placed the troops in proper positions, and gave the signal to
advance, which was done in gallant style, our troops charging the
enemy and driving them back nearly a mile. General Grimes then
sent a message to General Gordon, announcing his success and that
the road to Lynchburg was now open for the escape of the wagons.
Then, to his great surprise, he received orders to retire, which he
declined to do, thinking that General Gordon did not understand the
commanding position held by him. Gordon continued to send orders
to withdraw, which General Grimes continued to disregard, still
thinking that General Gordon was in ignorance of his position, until
finally an order to retire came from General Lee himself, and then
sullenly and slowly our men began to retrace their steps over the
ground from which they had so successfully driven the enemy. This
withdrawal was conducted in an orderly manner, although in the
immediate front of a greatly superior force. At one time the enemy
with loud cheers made a sudden rush as if to overwhelm our little
band, but the brigade of General W. R. Cox (which was bringing up
the rear) faced about, and with the steadiness of veterans on parade
poured such a sudden and deadly volley into the astonished Federals
that they hastily retired in confusion, and our troops were then
allowed to withdraw without further molestation. This was the last
volley fired at Appomattox and the last ever fired by the grand old
Army of Northern Virginia! General Grimes having thus successfully
withdrawn his men to their original position, rode up to General
Gordon and inquired where he should form line of battle, to which
he replied, "Anywhere you choose." Struck by so strange an answer,
General Grimes asked an explanation, when he was informed that
General Lee was then negotiating a surrender. At this astounding
intelligence, General Grimes expressed himself very forcibly and
indignantly upbraided General Gordon for not giving him notice of
such intention, so that he could have escaped with his troops and
joined General Joe Johnston's army, then near Raleigh. So horrible
to General Grimes was the idea of surrendering that he turned
his horse and started towards his command with the intention of
informing his men of the approaching surrender and telling all, who
might desire to do so, that they might escape with him. But General
Gordon quickly overtook him, and placing his hand on his shoulder,
asked him if he were going to desert the army and tarnish his honor
as a soldier, and added that it would be a reflection upon General
Lee and an indelible disgrace to him (Grimes), if he, an officer
of high rank, should escape while a flag of truce was pending. Of
course such an appeal had its immediate effect, for General Grimes'
great courage was only equalled by his high sense of honor. But
never can I forget his manner and the expression of his face while
awaiting the final announcement of the surrender. He resembled a
caged lion eager to break loose and scatter his tormentors. But the
end had come, the Army of Northern Virginia had surrendered, the
star of the young Confederacy had forever set, its tattered and
blood-stained banners were forever furled, and its brave defenders,
with "the consciousness of duty well performed," returned to their
desolated homes and devastated fields. There a new duty awaited
them. They realized that "peace hath her victories no less renowned
than war," and at once went to work to build up the waste places.
They had perilled their lives on an hundred carnage-covered fields
because of their love for their native land, and they were now ready
to work for her material prosperity. They thought of their beloved
South, devastated as she was, as Byron exclaimed of Greece,
"Even in thy desert, what is like to thee?
Thy very weeds are beautiful, thy waste
More rich than other climes' fertility;
Thy wreck a glory, and thy ruin graced
With an immaculate charm which cannot be defaced."
Animated by these feelings, General Grimes, at the close of the
war, returned to his farm and diligently applied himself to its
cultivation, leading the quiet life of a country gentleman, his
greatest pleasure being the society of his family and friends.
Brave in war, he was gentle in peace; the bold soldier became the
courteous gentleman, whose home was the seat of a refined and
open-handed hospitality. With his ample means, he was ever ready to
relieve the wants of the needy, and with his warm and generous heart
he ever sympathized with the sufferings of the afflicted.
On the 14th day of August, 1880, while returning home from the town
of Washington, N. C., this hero of an hundred battles was shot from
the roadside by a concealed assassin and almost instantly killed.
I cannot here trust myself to speak of the circumstances connected
with his foul assassination--which will ever excite the fiercest
indignation in every manly heart--but be it said to the everlasting
disgrace of the administration of justice in North Carolina, his
assassin escaped punishment!
In reviewing the military record of General Grimes, it seems almost
incredible that any one, without the slightest previous military
experience or training, should have attained his high rank or
rendered such efficient services. Not only did he win the love and
admiration of his soldiers, but the confidence and esteem of his
superior officers. While a strict disciplinarian, he was remarkably
careful of the comfort of his troops, and they never endured any
hardships or dangers in which he did not willingly share. Indeed I
have often known him to peril his own life in order to protect his
men.
In recommending his promotion for Brigadier-General, Generals
Ramseur and Daniel were very complimentary, saying that, "In
battle Colonel Grimes is conspicuous for skill and gallantry. As a
disciplinarian, Colonel Grimes has few superiors. He is ever zealous
in the performance of military duty, and in providing for and taking
care of his men."
Major-General Rodes endorsed this recommendation as follows: "I take
pleasure in endorsing Colonel Grimes' claims to promotion. He has
served in this division since its formation at Yorktown, and shown
himself under all circumstances to be a good and reliable officer.
He is a thorough gentleman, brave to a fault, invaluable in an
action, and his habits are worthy of imitation."
In March, 1863, General D. H. Hill urged his promotion, saying:
"Colonel Bryan Grimes entered the service as Major of the Fourth
North Carolina Regiment, and for more than a year had the admirable
training of the lamented General G. B. Anderson, who was Colonel of
that regiment. Colonel Grimes led the Fourth with most distinguished
gallantry at Seven Pines, and in all the subsequent battles of the
year 1862 except Sharpsburg (when he was ill). He has been in many
pitched battles, and has behaved most gallantly in them all. I think
that he has seen more service than any Colonel from North Carolina.
His gallantry, ripe experience, admirable training, intelligence and
moral worth constitute strong claims for promotion."
With such testimonials from such Generals as Ramseur, Daniel, Rodes,
and D. H. Hill, the friends of General Grimes may well feel proud
of his reputation as a soldier, and nothing that I might say could
add to it. No high-sounding words of praise are needed to perpetuate
his memory. His heroic deeds and illustrious achievements are
themselves sufficient, and will so brightly illumine the pages of
North Carolina's history that words of eulogy would be dimmed by
their brilliancy. And yet I cannot close without paying a slight
tribute to one whom I loved while living, and whose memory I now so
fondly cherish. It was my privilege, though a beardless boy, to have
enjoyed the friendship of General Grimes and to have been with him
on occasions that indeed "tried men's souls," and to-day it affords
me peculiar pleasure and pride to declare that in devotion to every
duty, in faithfulness to every trust, in sincerity of purpose,
in dauntless courage, in unselfish patriotism--in everything that
constitutes a noble, generous, true man--North Carolina has never
honored a son superior to BRYAN GRIMES.
* * * * *
General Grimes was one of those men of iron nerve whom the God of
battle raises up wherever a noble cause is to be defended. He was
a strong man, loved truth, hated shams, and learned war to defend
his country. His life is well told by his courier, H. A. London,
Esq., in his address delivered May 10, 1886, and will be read with
especial interest, not only by his old soldiers, but by all who seek
to set before the minds of youth exemplars of valor. It is sad that
he, who bore a charmed life in the war, was reserved by fate for the
hand of an assassin. His account of the surrender at Appomattox is
the simple, unvarnished statement of an eye-witness and participant
of those stirring scenes, who told the truth as he saw it and
believed it, and whose strong character you can feel through his
words.
SURRENDER AT APPOMATTOX.
BY BRYAN GRIMES.
On the night of Saturday, April 1, 1865, my division occupied a
portion of the defenses around the city of Petersburg, my left
resting on Otey's Battery, near the memorable crater, my right
extending to the dam on a creek beyond Battery Forty-five. Ramseur's
old Brigade of North Carolinians, commanded by Colonel W. R. Cox
(holding appointment as temporary Brigadier) was on the right;
Archer's Brigade of Virginia Junior Reserves, and Grimes' old
brigade of North Carolinians, commanded by Colonel D. G. Cowand of
the Thirty-second North Carolina, Battle's Brigade of Alabamians,
commanded by Colonel Hobson, of the Fifth Alabama, Cook's Brigade of
Georgians, commanded by Colonel Nash, extended to the left in the
order above named, numbering for duty about two thousand two hundred
muskets, covering at least three and a half miles of the trenches
around Petersburg. One-third of my men were constantly on picket
duty in our front, one-third kept awake at the breastworks during
the night, with one-third only off duty at a time, and they were
required always to sleep with their accoutrements on and upon their
arms, ready to repel an attack at a moment's warning.
About 10 o'clock on the night of April 1, 1865, the cannonading
from the artillery and mortars in my front became unusually severe,
and about 11 o'clock the Federals charged, capturing my picket
line, which consisted of pits dug in the earth for protection from
sharpshooters, and occupied by my soldiers, varying in distance
from one hundred and fifty to three hundred yards in front of our
main breastworks. I took measures immediately to reestablish this
line, which was successfully accomplished, and our pits reoccupied.
About daylight of the second the enemy again drove in our pickets
and charged Rune's salient at the point where Battle's Brigade was
posted, carrying the works for a few hundred yards on each side
of that point, doubling and throwing Cook's Brigade back a short
distance. I hurried the commands of Colonels Cowand and Archer to
the point of attack as rapidly as possible, charging the enemy, who
were in possession of and protected by our traverses and bomb-proofs
(which were erected to prevent our line being enfiladed, and also
as a place of refuge from their perpendicular mortar fire), and
continued gradually to gain traverse after traverse of our captured
works.
I then secured four pieces of artillery, which were placed in our
second line of works, and were invaluable in checking the advance
of the enemy, thus confining them by grape and canister to this
particular point at the salient, preventing their advancing to
attack our lines in flank or rear; Cook and Battle holding them
in check on the left, and Cowand and Archer on the right of the
captured works, their only point of egress being exposed to the fire
of the artillery.
I regret my inability to recall the names and thus give honorable
mention to those gallant artillerists who rendered me such effective
service.
During the forenoon a brigade, under command of Colonel ----,
reported to me for duty, and was placed near the artillery in this
second line of earthworks (which had been constructed to fall back
upon in case of disaster to our first line). My dispositions were
soon made to attack the enemy simultaneously at all points--Cowand
and Archer on the right, Cook and Battle on the left, who were to
drive them from the protection of their traverses. Colonel ----
commanded in front with a heavy line of skirmishers, connecting
his left with Cook and his right with Cowand. My four pieces of
artillery poured grape and canister into the enemy, and I gave the
signal for the infantry to advance, when a general charge was made,
but through a direct violation of orders on the part of Colonel
----, this attack only partially succeeded, capturing that portion
of the line alone upon which the skirmishers advanced, Colonel
---- having changed the direction of attack, and charged the point
assigned to the skirmishers on the right, thereby leaving a space
of three hundred yards unassailed. There is no doubt in my mind
that if Colonel ---- had attacked with vigor at that time, we could
have driven the enemy entirely from our works. After the lapse of
an hour, during which time the enemy were heavily reenforced, I
ordered another attack from the second line in which Colonel ----
participated, but by again diverting the brigade in the direction
of Cowand's Brigade, instead of towards the salient, the enemy were
dislodged from only a small portion of the lines.
Subsequently sixty men of Johnson's North Carolina Brigade, under
command of Captain Plato Durham, recaptured Fort Mahone, which for
an hour had been so covered by our fire as to forbid its occupants
showing themselves. In taking this fort a large number of prisoners
were captured; so many, in fact, that when I first saw them skulking
behind the earthworks for protection against the fire of their own
men, I feared it was a ruse on the part of the enemy to surprise us.
They had secreted themselves for safety in this work, and we, in our
charge, had taken the only outlet.
After this no general attack was made, though we continued slowly
but gradually to drive them from traverse to traverse.