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made by swaying bodies and uplifted hands swinging or throwing caps and hats aloft, rolled along the dense masses drawn up by the roadside nearer and nearer until we were swept in with the rest, willy, nilly, as by a tempest.
It is an ovation to
Gen. Meade, who now appears in sight returning on horseback, galloping along the lines, cap in hand, his gray hair streaming in the wind, and his beaming countenance telling the whole story.
It was entirely superfluous for the major riding just behind to announce that ‘
Lee has surrendered,’ for the army understood its General, and straightway went beside itself.
Such a throwing up of caps, such hugging and hand-shaking, such cheering, shouting and singing, such laughing, alternating with crying!
In short, a general effervescing in all the boyish demonstrations of which old soldiers are peculiarly capable, and which could in any way give expression to the irrepressible emotions of the hour, was indulged in till nature cried out in protest.
It was a rare occasion, the great day of a life-time, and one whose impressions will end only with life.
We saw nothing of the Rebel army during the truce pending the surrender, as a halt had been ordered less than three miles to their rear, but several squads of their men, who had previously been taken prisoners, marched past us. A natural curiosity to see how the vanquished veterans took the new order of things prompted some interchange of remarks, but we heard nothing insulting, nothing even of an exultant character.
‘Well, boys, it's all over at last;’ ‘You can go home now,’ and other such expressions, evinced the kind feeling of the victors, while in return they received from the vanquished, ‘Bully for you, boys!’
‘We are glad it's over, any way,’ and other remarks of like character, showing
