GEORGIA CIVIL WAR HISTORY Going Home - After the War ***************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm *********************** This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: J. Harry Sutherland jhs33@frontiernet.net GOING HOME ---- MAYBE By: J. Harry Sutherland These men were pardoned at Appomattox Court House, Va. The word courthouse simply means the county seat. The actual surrender took place at the McLean home. General Lee surrendered his Army to General Grant April 9, 1865. General Grant told Lee, that his men could take a loyalty oath and they would be able to take their horses, mules and rifles with them. Gen. Lee told Gen. Grant his men had nothing to eat. Gen. Grant asked him how many and Lee replied 25,000. Gen Grant told him to take them to a warehouse and feed them. Many were fed and many were not. General Grant also issued a warning to the Union soldiers to refrain from making any remarks detrimental to the soldiers leaving. Because Lee's men had no horses or mules, walking was the only choice. Rail systems were in a chaotic condition. This trudge homeward bound is the essence of my story. These men were not familiar with Virginia or for that matter any locales in the North. They simply walked toward the south best they could. Most traveled only at night. The news of the surrender had not gotten to all units and they feared they would approach a Union patrol that had not heard of the surrender. The men tried to stay off main roads and hide during the day. Many had not had a meal in days, so they would ask locals for food and tell them the war was over. The civilians were not receptive to Confederate soldiers at all, so it was difficult to find lodging or food. Some of the men would pull a few kernels of corn and parch them over a campfire. These men sustained on practically nothing. Those that were not fed were either wounded, fatigued to the point of death. Yet they wanted to get back south. With the loss of the war, home tugged at them daily. A great number realized the war was lost early on and felt they needed to get home as soon as possible. Confederate soldiers left their wives, their mothers, sweethearts, daughters, fathers, sons, family, and friends. This war was seen as a losing cause and ending in defeat. These Confederates fought for hearth, home, and families. They were needed at home. The burning, looting, and devastation had a serious effect on those left behind. Land grabbers forced families out if they couldn't pay huge tax bills. As the men traveled south they were horrified by the destruction to cities and farms. Since there were no mail deliveries, these men did not know if their wives, sweethearts or family were alive. The more destruction they saw made them question going to their original homes. They had walked through putrid smells, decaying bodies, and many who lay unburied in grotesque positions on the ground. Psychologically they were not fit to return to their familiar surroundings. They feared reprisals, loss of family, and the destruction they saw. In their campsites they discussed going somewhere else except home to just get lost or to start all over. Many did just that. A great number went west to find a new home or a farm to work. These young soldiers were not professionals at any sort of work, but remembered farming. I know a great deal about these men, my great- grandfather was one of them. He walked home from Virginia to South Carolina. He returned home and so much had changed and the ridicule by locals made life difficult. The local population had not been in the trenches and knew nothing of the horror inflicted on these men both physically and psychologically. Hunger, hurting, and fatigue was their yoke to bear. Unless you were there you couldn't believe it. The southerners couldn't understand why the Confederates lost the war or didn't want to. My great-grandfather moved his family to the North Georgia Mountains to rid this war from his system. He bought a farm next to his brother and became a minister in the local church as well as farming. To give an example of the hurt, he never returned to South Carolina once. He died with his metals on and never in his 84 years did he forget this senseless war. Many southerners did not own slaves nor did they have the vaguest idea why this war happened. After walking in your comrade's bones on the battlefield it is difficult to restart a life. They did not find a Valhalla. I fear this is happening again. (Portions from my book-Where Art Thou Moses?) NOTE: Moses T. Sutherland moved to Gilmer Co. Ga. after the Civil War and is buried in Mt. Pisgah Baptist Cemetery near Ellijay, Ga. Moses left SC in 1868+ - and spent the majority of his life in Gilmer Co. Ga. J. Harry Sutherland - Columnist - author- writer Originally from Calhoun, Ga. jhs33@frontiernet.net