The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-04-16
Military DiplOmaCy-The Correspond
eHce Between Grant and Lee.

The brief, concise and decisive cor
dependence between Lieutenant Gen
eral Grant and General Lee is no less
admirable in its tone and style than III
I IS glorious in the news which it conveys
No unkind or insulting word can be !
found in the dispatches of either gen i
eral. The letters are completely chars
.cteristic of the men. On the one sideS
Grant is simple, frank and soldierly; ont
I the other side Lee is not less soldierly /
although he appears to be rather less
straightforward. The two generals uni
4 lerstood each other perfectly Graf s.
knew Lees character and his predica
! ment Lee knew that Grant meant iusts
what he said, and that, unless his terms
( we're accepted, he would at once "moye
! upon the enemy's works" This mutu-s
Z al understanding quickly resulted ipS
3 The surrender OF Lees army.
: Grant began the correspondence ont
The 7th inst with a noble letter, clear
5ng himself of the responsi bility of any
SfuFiher effasion OF blood by sumnonineE
3 Lee to surrender. Lee replied on theH
same day, stating that he was mot en-
asirely' OF Grants opinion as to the;
1hopelessness of farthe, resistance but'
4Dut that he was quite as anxious tos
avoid useless slaughter, and therefore,
Z asked what terms Grant had 10 offer
The same day our pursuit OF the rebels
s vas continued, and Lees army receiveds
another whipping. ON the Sth, Graz
Replied TO Lee, insisting upon but onea
condition of peace-Viz: "that the mems
surrendered sha be disqualified foss
taking up arms tgainst the. governments
Of the United States until properly ex 4
Changed" To 1his Lee answered that's
ne had not yet proposed to surrender
! his army; that he did mot think tbeS
emergency had arisen to call for thes
surrender" but that.he wanted peace.
and was ready to meet Grant and talk
upon the subject of peace in general
sway as far as it affected the forces un-
der his command. This was a neat bit
Iof diplomacy on the part of Lee. ButS
lstill the unrelenting pursuit was kept2
Iup, and still our soldiers continued too
whip the rebels s
Writing and fighting at the same
time, General Grant showed that heE
Ntic l1Olc tndu Al u4dlCu ltE Lee Gl1QeTK
at fighting or writing. Justas he would +
have stopped any attemp on Lees part 6
10 escape through his military lines, so%
ne stopped this attempt to escape from
the point of the corresponGencet through s.
a diplomatic flank movement On the 9th s
he wrote toLee thatas he had no author
ty to treat upon the subject OF peace, &
the meeting proposed could lead TO e
10 good" but that the way to hasten s.
he peace which the North desired was s.
or the South to lay down their arms
thus brought back to the main cues &
ion, Lee again asked for terms Grant
arranged for an interviews
18th the rebel General The interview e
ook place. Grant offered to parole all =
ee's army, and give the officers their a
dearnis and private property Lee at 4
nee accepted this proposition, the 81
ghting ceased, and the war was prac- 2
caily ended So, in two DAYS time. & ]
nd Dy means of nine short lettera. the e
readfll contest which has disturbed n