The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-04-12
/ and substituting received your letter

- !
the most part the exact language, of General
Lees own account of The surrender. twill
appear from this that a great deal that has
been said about 81 a5f
"oRAHT's MAGNAN1Mrgn nssi
In proposing terms of surrender, and Lees
warm thanks for the liberal tel ms accord
ed" originated simply in the Imagination of
the writers. The truth is, Grant proposed
the only terms which Lee would have ac-
cepted and he knew too well the mettle Of
that great captain and the heroic remnant OF
the army which had SO often defeated him
not to rejoice at an opportunity Of covering
himself with glory by accepting almost any
terms of surrender.
/ have gathered number of ...,-..
INCIDENTS OF TIE SURRENDER )
which interested me and may be of interest
to your readers. Soon alter General Lee
left the MCLEAN House, owned by the same
gentleman at whose house, near Bull Run,
Beauregard had his headquarters during the
battle of July is, 1861, Sheridan staiked 10
and said, rudely, :" / mean to- have this
chair taking up one Of the. chairs in
which the Generals had signed the terms Of
capitulation, and exhibiting at the same time
a $3.50 gold-piece. Major MCLEAN replied,
That chair is not for sale. General. If you
choose to take II you have the physical
power to do so." t' mean to hayeft, J" was
the curt rejoinder; and the ."Great Barn.
Burner gave another proof Of, his skill in
petit larceny. The table and other chairs
were in Ike manner carried off by Federal
officers as souvenirs. y '' Z.
AS soon as the flag Of truce was hoisted on
Gordon's lines the offensive General Custar
{" Miss Fanny" came riding furiouSly lin to
General Gordon, demanding in, his own
name unconditional surrender.n, Gordon
drew himself up to bis full height, and with
crushing dignity replied: " l can have no
negotiations with you, sir; and II the settle:
ment of this matter rested between us there
could be no negotiations but by the s,oord."l :
As showing the spirit OF the men who par.
ticipated in the brilliant action that morning
it may be mentioned that many Of them
crowded around the bearer of one of the
| flags of truce-a wfdely!known and loved
| chaplain, who, since the capture of his regi.
ment at SpotsylVapia Courthouse, had served
with great gallantry on General Gordon's
i staff--and eagerly asked if the enemy had
sent in to surrender their force on that
road, thinking that in 6anking US Grant had
pushed q part of his force too far. They
had no dream that they were to be surTen-
dered. But gradually the truth broke upon
. them, and great was their tchagrin when
these high-mettled yictors in the last battle
of the Army Of Northern, Virginia learned
that they must "yield to overwhelming
numbers and resources s'-that after all theft
marches. battles, victories, Iardships, and
sufferrings, the cause they loved better thar
life itself must succumb to brute force
Many bosoms heaved with emotion, and
Il "Somethlng on the soldiers cheeks -
/ Washed OF the stain of powder" ...
After the flag of truce was raised ..-
Il FEDERAL SCOUT WAS SHOT
through mistake by bis own men. when try
ing to stop the firing, and NewYork major
under the influence of liquor, met his deatl
by gaIoping up to a Confederate battery ant
demanding its surrender. ..,.- .. ,,,. 49,.
The women and children of Appomatto!
Courthouse had all left their homes durin!
the battle of the morning, and upon their re
turn had to pass through Custar's cavalry
Miss Fanny" himself was very rude t.
them, and permitted his men to kiss them q
they passed. .- ,,-.r,f..,,. .st., <l7sr .r..e
| Per contra it affords me pleasure to sa,
that many of the Federal officers and mel
4 were very courteous and 7considerate.! Th
4
F terms of General Chamberlayne (since Gov
ernor of Maine). who was delicately, con
, sideratc Of the feelings of the people, gentle
f manly in his bearing, and generous toward
: the yanquished.
! When the arms were being stacked 81"
Il A GALLANT CoLoR-BEARER,
as he delivered up the tattered remnant 9
: his flag, burst into tears and said to the Fedt
5 raj soldiers who received it; Boys, this i
: not the first time you have seen, that flag. j.
have borne it in tue very forefront of th
) battle on many victorious field, and ] ha
rather die than surrender it now" "Bray
ilfellow," said General Chamberlayne, VIII
beard the remark, "1 admire your nobl
spirit, and only regret that I have not til
! authority to bid you keep your fiagand carr
it home as precious heirloom"
II. THE CALM DIGNITY OF GENERAL LEE
amid these trying scenes, the deep emotion
2 with which the men heard bis noble fare
we'll address, and crowded around to shak
| his band-boT they were thrilled by hi
simple words, "Mep, we have tough
;. through the war together. have done m
:, best for you. My heart is too full to sa
! more" Gordon's noble farewell speech
] the tender parting of comrades who ha
5 been bound so closely together by common
hardships, sufferings, dangers, und victories
n and now, by this sad blighting of cherished
9 hopes, were all yividly recalledias / gazed o
: the very spots where they occurred, but ar
5 too familiar to be detailed now.
ii I was amused to learn that the Federi
J. soldiers and tourists not only carried of al
:: of the "historic apple-tree," but who'll
apple-orchard as well, and was reminded o
f hearing Of gallant Richmond soldier VIII
sold to northern visitors after his retur
] home
: wAeoS.LoAps OF THE !" APPoMATTex APPLE
TREE" 49,, ... -.,..,n....
which he regularly gathered from a Henrlc
orchard.
i noted with pleasure that the noble VIC
Z men of Appomattox have gathered the Con
frdcrate dead into peatly-kept cemetery OF
4 the road to AppomattoN station, not ia
from the grove in which Grant established
his headquarters.
7 cannot close this sketch without quoting
the language Of that splendid soldier ant
mconouerable patriot General j. A. Earl.
i in his noble oration on General Lee: /" Fl
;. nally. from mere exhaustion, less than etgh
housond men, with arms in their hands, o
the noblest army that had ever fought in al
: the tide OF time were surrendered at Apo
mattox to an army OF one hundred and .tft!
thousand men the sword Of Robert Z. Lee
without blernish upon it. was sheathed for
, ever. and the flag to which he had addet
: such lustre was furled, to be henceforth em
balmed in the afectionate remembrance Q
those who had remained faithful during al
our trials, and win do SO to the end" ;.
q have never been "relic hunter"
prize the blanket under which slept th!
4 night of the first battle of Mapassas) but