American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-05-10
APPOMATTOx.
The True Story of Con. Lees Sur.
render.

The situation at Appomattox on
the 9th of April, 1865, when Gen.
Lee sent II flag of truce to ask an
interview with Gen. Grant, was
simply this There were 1900 jad-
ed, furnished Confederates, with
arms in their hands, nearly sur
rounded by eighty Thousand Fed
eral soldiers, already in position,
with reinforcements constantly ar
irving. Gordon fell back thrdAgh
the village and moved to meet an
attack of Sheridan on the flank.
while Gen. Chamberlayne led the
advance corps of the Army of the
James into the courthouse. A bat
terry of the Richmond HowitZers,
which had been engaged at Big
Bethel III 1861, stationed in yard OF
Mr.. Peers, Gu the extreme north
east corner of the village, fired the
last gun of the day, and withdrew
as the blue waves were encircliug it.
The Federal picket line was adj
vancel beyond the village, and that
little band of hel Oic spirits seemed
about to be inundated, when sud
denly the white flag was displayed,
and the firing ceased. There have
been published SO many sensational
reports of the meeting between the
two commanders that | am glad to
be able to relate them by giving
General Lees own account of what
occurred, AS he gave it to some
friends at his house in Lexington,
but a few days before his last ill
ness. He said that he had for duty
that morning not eight thousand
men, and when he learned from
Gordon that there was a heavy in
fantry force in his front, lie deter
mined to see Gen. Grant and ascer-
tain the terms upon which he cOnl.l
end the contest. But before going
to meet him he left orders with
Longsireet and Gordon to hold their
commands in readiness, determined,
as he was to cut his way through,
or perish in the attempt, if such
terms were not granted as he
thought his army entitled to de
mand. He met General Grant be-
tween the picket lines. in the open
field, about two hundred yards be-
"YOu met under an apple tree,
did you not, General?" asked gem
tleman present. d" No, sir!' was the
reply; 1--WE did not meet under an
apple tree, and l saw no tree near.
1t was in an open field, near the
road" This explodes the historic
apple tree" about which so much
has been said. A gentleman who
was within a few feet of the two
generals when they met, pointed
ont to me the exact spot. The APP
pie tree which was cut to pieces,
and even the roots of which were
dug up and carried off by relic hunt
ers, was fully quarter ola mile from
the place of meeting, and the only
historic interest that could be at
tached to it was that General Lee
rested under its shade few minutes
while waiting for the return of his
flag of truce. The only tree any
where near the place of meeting was
standing about twenty yards from
the spot.
General Lee said that when he
met General Grant they exchanged
polite salutations, and he stated to
him at once that he desired a con
| ference in reference to the subject
matter of their correspondence.
General Grant returned you your
sword, did he not, General!" one OF
the company asked. The old hero
Strengthening himself up, replied i'll
most emphatic tones: " No, sir, he
did not. He had no opportunity OF
doing so. l was determined that
the side arms Of officers should be
exempt by the terms of surrender,
and of course 1 did not offer him
mine. All that was said about
swords was that General Grant
apolOgized to me for not wearing
his own sword, saying, that it had
gone off in his baggage, and he had
been unable to get it in time" This
spOils great deal of rhetoric about
Grants magnaninity i'll returnin g
Lees sword" and renders asabsurd
as it is false the attempt OF Northern
artists to put the scene Oh canvas
or into statuary. Even Grants
cOnnivance at this so-called his
toric scene" will not save 1t when
the world knows that r. f. Lee
said nothing of the sort ever Oc-
cured.
Gen. Lee stated in his conversation
that he was accompanied when he
met Grant only by Colonel Charles
Marshall, of his personal staff. who
went with one OF General Grants
staff to find suitable room to hold
the conference that they were first
shown to a vacant house, and de-
clining to use that, were conducted
by Major Mclean to his house and
shown into his parlor. Gen. Grant
was accompanied by several of his
staff officers, and several of his
generals, among them Sheridan and
Ord, who entered the room and par
ticIpated in the general cOnversa-
ton that occurred. The two gen
erals went aside and sat a table to
confer together. when General Lee
opened the conversation by saying :
.General, l deem it due 10 proper
candor and frankness to say at the
very beginning of this interview
that 1 am not willing even to dis
cuss any terms of surrender incon-
sistent with the honor of my army,
which l am determined to maintain
to the last" Grant replied:
have no idea of proposing dishon-
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