April 8th--The brigade move out at day break leaving the 35th to act as the rear guard and impede the enemy. All morning long the 35th destroys bridges and everything else they could to stop the enemy from advancing. The 35th divides into two squadrons with Capt. Myers commanding one squadron in the lead and Capt. French commanding the other, bringing up the rear. During the morning, Lt. Col. White goes to Capt. French's bivouac and issues his orders for the day: Capt. French will remain in place until all had moved forward, then become the extreme rear guard for the army.
Capt. French moves out on to the road that the brigade had taken earlier. His column descended a slope to cross a stream be ascending the rising ground on the other side. Sending the squadron on, Capt. French stops to await the sight of the approaching Federal army. With him are Lt. Charlie James and Corp. Terrell. The wait was short a long line of Federals appear and Federal skirmisher of the Second Corps emerge from the woods. As Capt. French watches the Federals approach, a Federal trooper dashes from the woods with a white flag of truce, calling out "flag of truce". Capt. French calls out to him to bring it over and the trooper informs him that Gen. Seth Williams of Gen. Grant's staff wants to deliver a dispatch to Gen. Lee. Capt. French tells him to stop the advance and to bring the dispatch.
The caution shown by Gen. Williams in making contact with the Confederate army was due to his flag of truce bearers being fired upon. Gen. Williams had tried to make contact with Capt. Myers before, but each time they had been fired on and three had been shot. Capt. Myers had not seen the flag until the flag bearer was falling in a burst of fire.
Gen. Williams of Gen. Grant's staff approaches Capt. French and in and angry tone states,"Captain, you have fired on my flag of truce and three men have been shot trying to deliver it." Capt. French denies that it was their party who had fired on the flag. Gen. Williams hands the message to Capt. French saying it is a message from Gen. Grant to Gen. Lee. Capt. French promises to deliver the letter to his division commander, Gen. Rosser. With the formality out of the way, Gen. Williams pulls out a flask and gives the two officers a drink. In the meantime while Capt. French's party is talking to Gen. Williams, they are surrounded by the Union lines. they borrow Gen. Williams' flag of truce to start on their mission with Corp. Terrell carrying the flag. Capt. French catches up to Capt. Myers, who sends him on to Lt. Col. White, who in turn orders him to Gen. Rosser. By 10 A.M. the letter is delivered.
This letter was the second letter to Gen. Lee relative to the surrender arrangements. The 35th Battalion had the honor of passing on through their lines an important link in the advancement of peace.
That night the weary 35th Battalion take their saddles of the horses for the first time in days and get some rest.