Greenville Observer printing office, and published the whole official correspondence which had occurred between Generals Grant and Lee, then their confidence. and belief in the safety and success of their cause subsided, and they unwillingly accepted the truth that the great armies of the rebellion were fast disbanding, and that the last days of their attempted Southern Confederacy had indeed come.

While the army was resting at Greenville, General Grierson's cavalry arrived, and brought news fully confirming and placing beyond possibility of doubt the success of the national arms at all points, which insured the speedy return of peace to the land. On the 23rd day of April the troops moved forward now through a more open and much finer country than heretofore, and arrived at Montgomery on the 25th of the same month, having performed the whole journey from Blakely in thirteen days. The Ninety-fifth was the second regiment in the advance, and as the army marched through the city, with banners unfurled and music playing the national airs, the citizens gathered along the streets, to gaze at the first Federal infantry troops that had ever penetrated so far in that direction. General Wilson had made his celebrated cavalry raid through this section of the country a few weeks previous, had swept through the important rebel posts of Selma and Mont

gomery, and onward to Columbus and Macon, Georgia, destroying all works, buildings and supplies used in the interests of the rebellion, cutting important railroad communications and making his whole triumphant march a line of continuous devastation. In the important cities of Selma, Montgomery, Columbus and Macon, and at many intervening points, he and his men left numerous evidences of the hurtful manner in which they had dealt with rebellion in that portion of the Confederacy. They performed their work thoroughly and speedily, and truthful history will treat this grand cavalry movement as one of the boldest, most successful and most important undertakings of the war.

General Smith's forces, therefore, on arriving at Montgomery, met with no opposition. Everything had been well attended to by Wilson beforehand. He had stricken the people with terror, and cowed them into submission; they had already experienced sufficient effects of war in endeavoring to resist his advance, and no effort was now made to prevent the 16th Army Corps from occupying the city, and, with it, all of Northern Alabama. The various regiments went into camps assigned near the city, all tired and sore-footed, and thankful to have reached once more a permanent resting-place. Soon after arriving here, large numbers

of paroled prisoners of war from Lee's and Johnston's armies began passing through Montgomery, seeking their respective homes. Day after day a continuous stream of Southern officers and enlisted men, who, during the past four years had been fighting for, and endeavoring to maintain, a causeless rebellion, were now coming back, defeated, crest-fallen, satisfied with war, glad that it was ended, and apparently no longer of rebellious spirit. Among them were such noted individuals as Beauregard, Bragg, Pillow, Admiral Semmes, and others, not now leading back large and well-organized armies, nor accompanying them from victorious battle-fields to the enjoyment of an accomplished rebellion, but returning disappointed and unattended to their homes, where, during the remainder of their lives, they are to experience that ignominy and shame which will ever attach to them as original and persistent traitors to their country.

Soon after the capitulation of Lee and Johnston in the East, came the intelligence that Dick Taylor had surrendered his Department to General Canby, which closed out the Confederacy from the Atlantic ocean to the Mississippi river. Then, finally, Kirby Smith, commanding trans-Mississippi rebeldom, following the example set by the Eastern rebel leaders, and deeming it useless to longer protract the struggle, delivered up

his important command to the Federal authorities, and armed rebellion no longer existed within the boundaries of the United States.

The great work of crushing the rebellion was now complete; the tedious campaigns of the Union armies were accomplished, and the oft-repeated command, ‘Prepare for an active campaign in the field," was to be announced no more to the troops. The only duties remaining to be performed by the 16th Corps, were the collection of the Confederate property, of which a large quantity was scattered through Northern Alabama, and the maintenance of good order in society, which, from the absence of either civil or military authority in many portions of the State, was in deplorable condition.

The encampment of the Ninety-fifth while at Montgomery was located about three miles north of the city, on the road leading to Macon, Georgia. Here a beautiful camp was chosen in the woods, and as there was a prospect of remaining at this place for some time, much pains were taken to make it clean and comfortable. A chapel was built under the trees near the center of the encampment, where Divine services were held regularly every Sabbath, and frequently during the week, by James H. More, as chaplain of the regiment, who always took great interest in the spir

itual welfare of the men, and by his Christian zeal and perseverance, exerted a beneficial influence over all with whom he was associated. After becoming well rested from the lengthy march recently performed, the regiment resumed battalion drills and dress-parades. The men could not see the need of farther drilling, since the war was over and there was to be no more campaigning; yet their duties in camp were light, and a continuance of good health in the command demanded the revival of such exercises. After a few days, however, battalion drills were discontinued, while dress-parade was kept up and held regularly each evening.

From constant practice since arriving at Montgomery, the regiment had attained a great degree of proficiency in this exercise, and the men executed the various commands in the manual of arms, with such precision and concert of action, that it elicited the praise of distinguished military officers of the regular army.

On one occasion Major General A. J. Smith, the Corps Commander, was present, and witnessed the Ninety-fifth on dress-parade. The men did their best in the presence of the veteran whose eye was upon them, and after the parade was over, he remarked that he had never seen the Cadets at West Point excel this military performance of the Ninety-fifth.