The Sun.
London, England, 1865-04-29 00:00:00

The Meeting of Grant and Lee, and the
Generals of both Armies,

The correspondent of the New York Times thus
describes the first meeting of the two commanders-
in-chief, on the 9th of April :
At about 2 o'clock p.m. the two generals met at
the house of Mr. Wilmer M'Lean. General Lee
was attended by General Marshall, his adjutant-
general ; General Grant, by Colonel Parker, one of
his chief aides-de-camp. The two generals met
and greeted each other with dignified courtesy, and
proceeded at once to the business before them.
General Lee immediately alluded to the conditions
of the surrender, characterised them as exceedingly
lenient, and said he would gladly leave all the details
to General Grant's own discretion. General Grant
stated• the terms of the parole ; that the arms should
be stacked, the artillery parked, and the supplies
and munitions turned over to him, the officers re-
taining their side arms, horses, and personal effects.
General Lee promptly assented to the conditions,
and the agreement of surrender was engrossed and
signed by Lee at 2.30 o'clock.
General Lee asked General Grant for an interpre-
tation of the phrase " personal effects," and said
that many of his cavalrymen owned their own
horses. General Grant said he construed it to mean
that the horses must be turned over to the United
States Government. General Lee admitted the
correctness and justice of the interpretation,
when General Grant said he would instruct his
officers to allow men who owned horses to retain
them, as they would need them for the purpose of
tilling their farms. General Lee expressed a great
sense of gratification for such a generous considera-
tion, and said it would have a very good effect. He
subsequently expressed a hope that each soldier
might be furnished with a certificate of his parole, as
evidence to prevent him from being forced into the
army until rekularly exchanged. General. Grant
assented td the suggestion, and the printing presses
were soon put to work to print the documents
required.

In regard to the strength of his army, General
Lee said he had no idea of the number of men that
he should be able to deliver up. There had been so
many engagements, and quch heavy losses from de-
sertion and other causes within the past few days,
and the retreat so rapid, that no regular morning
reports had been made since leaving Petersburg.
General Lee informed General Grant that his men
were short of provisions, whereupon General Grant
ordered twenty-five thousand rations to be distri-
buted to them. Thus substantially ended the inter-
view. Both generals were the very impersonation
of dignity and courtesy in their bearing. Lee is in
fine health, and though apparently impressed with
the vital effect and importance of the act he was
performing, he was cheerful and pleasant in his de-
meanour, The house where the stipulations were
signed was a fair brick structure, with neat grounds,
and quite neatly furnished. The room in which
the interview took place was a comfortable par-
lour, about eighteen by twenty feet, and adorned
by the usual furnishing common to the average of
Virginia houses.
Both generals were attired in full uniform. Lee
wore a very fine sword. Grant had no sidearms,
having left camp the day previous, with the inten-
tion of being gone but a few hours, but, on the con-
trary, being gone all night. When the two generals
first met they were attended only by the staff offi-
cers already mentioned ; but, during the interview,
several of our officers entered and were introduced
to Gen. Lee, who received them cordially and made
no objection to their presence. They were Major-
Generals Ord and Sheridan, Brevet Major-General
Ingalls, Brigadier-Generals Williams, Rawlins, and
Barnard, Lieut.-Colonels Parker, Dent, Badeau,
Bowers, Porter, Babcock, and Capt. Lincon. T.
P. Shaffner, Esq., was the only civilian present.
Gen. Grant had anticipated the surrender for
several days, and had resolved beforehand not to
require the same formalities which are required in a
surrender between the forces of two foreign nations
or belligerent powers ; that they were our own
people, and to exact no conditions for the mere pur-
pose of humiliation.
After the interview, Gen. Lee retired to his own
camp, about half a mile distant, where his leading
officers were assembled awaiting his return.
lie announced the result and the terms, where-
upon they expressed great satisfaction at the leni-
ency of the conditions. They then appro6,ched him
in order of rank, shook hands, expressed satisfaction
at his course and their regret at parting, all shed-
ding tears on the occasion.
The fact of surrender and the liberal terms were
then announced to the troops, and when General
Lee appeared among them he was loudly cheered.
The proceedings of the next day are thus de-
scribed by the correspondent of the .New York
Herald—

The appointment of officers to carry out the
terms of surrender were made by both parties dur-
ing the night, and a conference between Generals
Grant and Lee was held on the brow of the hill,
one-fourth of a mile north of the Court-house, atlo
o'clock a.m. General Grant and staff had hardly
arrived when General Lee, accompanied by an or-
derly, galloped up the hill and rode to the side of
the Lieutenant-General. General Grant's staff,
General Ord and staff, General Griffin and staff,
General Gibbon and staff, General Sheridan and
staff, were all on the ground, grouped in a semi-
circular position.

As Lee rode up the hillside on a gallop, General
Grant stepped his horse forward two or three rods
to meet him. Lee rode squarely up, saluted in
military form, and wheeled his horse side by side
to the left of General Grant. The two chieftains
then entered into a conversation that lasted nearly
two hours, until the officers appointed on both sides
to carry out the terms of surrender had reported
for duty. The two leaders sat quietly in their
saddles discussing the past, present, and future in
free and easy off-hand conversational style.
During the conference General Lee stated that if
General Grant had acceded to his proposal for a
personal interview some weeks ago peace would
have undoubtedly resulted therefrom. The opinion
was universal among rebel officers that Johnston
would surrender to Sherman without a battle on
hearing that the array of Northern -Virginia had
done so to General Grant.
Shortly before 11 o'clock the interview between
the generals was ended by Lee saluting and riding
slowly down the slope, across the hollow, and into
his camp on the hill beyond. General Grant turned
the head of his thorough-bred Cincinnatus towards
the Court-home, followed by his staff and a large
retinue of general officers.

Within half an hour thereafter the officers desig-
nated by General Lee to carry out the stipulations
of surrender arrived,
.attd were accompanied by a
number of noted rebel officers. Thelarge verandah
and yard in front were soon filled with groups of
Union and rebel officers in earnest conversation.
Half the regulars on either side found some old ac-
quaintance or West Point classmate among the others,
and in many instances the greetings were warm and
unaffected. The men who but the day before were
seeking each other's destruction now chatted quietly
together, recalled the incidents of the past, and gave
in their open countenances evidences of honest re-
spect. Almost the first questions from rebel offi-
cers were,—‘ Well, what are you going to do
with us ?"

The belief seemed wide-spread among intelligent
officers that the United States Government had
pledged itself to grant no amnesties for the offence
of treason, and that they must " all hang together
or hang separately." On learning that Gen. Grant
had taken advantage of their necessities and despe-
rate situation, but had voluntarily extended to them
the same magnanimous terms offered two days•be-
fore and refused by General Lee, they expressed
themselves exceedingly gratified. Discussion of the
matter among themselves seemed to greatly
strengthen this feeling. All admitted that their
army had no further power of resistance; and that
it was compelled to surrender on our terms. They
appeared surprised to find no exhibition of vindic-
tiveness on our part.
At first some may be inclined to think Gen. Grant
not sufficiently exacting. But no one who wit-
nessed the behaviour of the rebel officers, and listened
to their conversation on the subject, could long
doubt the wisdom of his policy.