Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-03-22
From Northern Letter Writer

ana the adJlitanL general. The town con
slsts OF five houses, tavern, and court
house, all on one street, and that was
boarded up at one end to keep the cows
out. On the right hand side as we went in
was the principal residence, owned bv Mr.
Mclean, anu to this house General Grant
was conducted to meet General Lee
AT the fence, the whole party dismounted
and walking up narrow grass plat to tho
house noticed General Lees horse nibbIino
there IN charge of an orderly, who woS
holding his own as well.
General Grant entered the house Will,
one or two OF his staff, and the rest Of ns
sat down on the piazza and waited. Mr.
Mclean was out there too. but was so roncb
excited that be did not know wbnro ~
pump was, OF if he had any. or IL not
couldn't tell us where there was a snrinCr
In moment Colonel BabcocB came oTt
smiling, whirled his hat around his beod
once, and beckOned Generals Ord AMI
Sheridan to come in. They walked the
floor silently as people do who have the
first peep at baby, and after while Gen.
Lee came out and signalled to his orderly
to bride his horse
While this was being done he stood on
the lowest step of the piazza, 1--WE had all
risen respectfully as he passed down and
looking over into the valley towards his
army, s1note his hands together several
times In an absent sort of way, utterly un-
conscious OF the people about him. and
seeming to see nothing till his horse was
led in front of him. As he stood there he
appeared to be about sixty years of age, =
| tall, soidier!y figulG of a man, with a ful
gray beard and new suit of grey clothes.
u high, grey felt hat with q cord, long bus,
kin gauntlets, high riding boots, and
beautiful sword. He was all that our fancy
had painted him, and he had the sympathy
of all of us as he rode away
| just as he gathered up his bride Gene
raj Grant went down the steps, and passing
in front of his horse. touched his hat TO
General Lee, who made similar salute.
and left the yard and returned to his own
lines with his orderly and single staff officer
who had accompanied him to the interview
and was said to have been Colonel Mar
shall, his Chief of Staff, quiet looking
man in spectacles, looking more like one Of
thought than of action. General Grant
presented something of II contrast to Gen
Lee IN the way of uniform, not only in
color, but in style and general effect. He
had sugar-loaf hat almost peculiar to him
self, a frock-coat unbuttoned and splashed
with mud, a dark vest, dark blue pantaloons
tucked into top boots, muddy also and no
sword.
His countenance was not relaxed at all,
and not a muscle i'll his face told tales on
his thoughts. If he was very much pleased
by the surrender of Lee, nothing in his air
or manner indicated it. The joyful occa-
sion didn't seem to awaken in him q re-
sponsive echo, and he went and mounted
his horse and rode away silently, to send
off a dispatch which should electrify the
North, and set all the church bells ringing
on this happy Sunday evening
Northern Paper.
Suffering at the South-NVretched MDd Pit
liable Condition of the People i'm the Rebel
States.
The following paragraphs are from pri-
vate letter of an officer of the United States
army--a Northern man-now on duty in
South Carolina, to a relative in New York,
published in the Times. There is album
dant reason for believing that the picture
it gives of Southern suffering and humilia-
ton, terrible as it is, is not overdrawn. 1t
seems incredible that men should exist who
are willing, for political purposes, to add
still further to wretchednGss SO extreme:
-, SOUTH CAROLINA, March, 1867.
= / don't hear mucl, about Mr. Pea
body's bequest, what do hear generally is
praise and Il certain measure of gratitude.
The truth is, that these people are so tor
tured with debt and poverty that they hard
ly mind anything which has not a direct re-
lation to getting daily bread and necessary
raiment l do hope to God that we never
shall approach the horrible crime and cru
city OF contscation OF any similar measure
Of mere vengeance. Looking at this desc
lated and pauperized community of widows
and orphans in the face, feel like impre-
eating curses on the head of any man who
strives to add to their misery. The amend
ment is right; it Furnishes the very men
who ought to be punished; it is simple and
not unmerciful justice. approve of Sher-
mans military bill because it enforces the
am endment. But this whispering about
confscation seems to me like the whisper
ing of murderers. A large portion of this
people is close on the verge of starvation;
and if you take away their land, or if you
render their landed tenures SO insecure as
to interfere with the planting of crops,
there will be horrible misery; the South
will be Poland, an Ireland, an India, q
hell to itself, and horrible disgrace to
US.
There is a family within a mile of this
place living in brush house." a shanty
of fresh pine branches. 1t consists of a
mother, who had son killed, q daughter
of twenty, who had husband killed, an
other daughter of thirteen, and q grand
child of three. The oldest daughter told
me that she had been all over the village to-
get work, and had failed. A few words of
pity brought the tears rolling down the
eldest girls sallow cheeks ooh" she
said, 81 have been through power in the
last two years" She told me that she
wasn't used to going barefoot in winter,
and it made her sick, which j consider very
probable, as we have had three inches of
snow.
Let us hope that there will be no confis-
cation to complete the ruin and misery of
this misled and pitiable population. Let
their old political mills clack they will
wear out and stop some day.
The million of dollars proposed 80 be
given by Congress is urged only to relieve
the temporary wants of the people Of the
South. Gen. Conway, of New York, who,
had an interview with Gen. Howard on this
subject, reports that the wants of the South
ern poor are very great, and that many in
that section will starve to death if left IN
aided DUNG the coming three months
He also ascertained that Governor Jenkins,
of Georgia, has telegraphed to the Govern