Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1873-05-01
SELECTED READING.
THE SURRENDER At APrAMATlox.

April. y, lSI0.-"lne SlIudtIoH al
Appomattex on the 9th Of April, 1865,
when Gen. Lee sent flag Of truce to
ask an interview with General Grant,
| was simply this: There were only y
| 500 faded, famished Confederates with
arms in their hands, nearly surrounded
by eighty thousand Federal soldiers,
already in position, with reinforcements
constantly arriving. Gordon fell back
through the village and moved to meet
an attack of Sheridan on the flank,
while General Chamberlayne led the
advances corps of the Army OF the
James into the Court House. A battery
of the Richmond Howitzers, which had
been engaged at Big Bethel in 1861,
stationed in the yard of Mr.. Peers, on
the extreme northeast corner OF the
village, fred the last gun of the day, and
withdrew Is the blue waves were en-
circling it. The Federal picket line
was advanced beyond the village, and
that little band Of heroic spirits seemed
about to be inundated, when suddenly
the white flag was displayed, and the
firing ceased. There have been pub
lished SO many sensational reports OF
the meeting between the tive com
manders that l am glad to be able to
refute them by giving
GEN. LEES own ACCOUNT OF WHAT
OCCURRED,
as he gave it to some friends at his
house, in Lexington, but few days be-
fore his last illness. He said that he
had for duty that morning not eight
thousand men, and that when he learn
ed from Gordon that there was heavy
infantry force in his front, he decided to
to see General Grant and ascertain the
terms upon which he could end tbs
contest. But before going to meet
him he left orders with Longstreet and
Gordon to hold their command In
readiness, determined, as he was, to cut
his way through, or perish in the at
tempt, if such terms were not granted
as he thought his army entitled to de
mand. He met General Grant between
the picket lines, in the open field, about
two hundred yards below Appomattox
Court House. "'2
"You met under an apple tree, did
YOU not, General? asked a gentleman
present. eNo, sir!" was the reply !;
1--WE did not meet under an apple tree,
and / saw no tree near. 1t was IN an
open-field not far from the main road. y
This explodes the "historic apple tree.
about which so much has been said. A
gentleman who was within few feet Of
the two generals when they met pointed
out to me the exact spot. The apple
tree which was cut to pieces, and even
the roots of which were dug up and
carried off by relic hunters, was fully q
quarter of mile from the place OF
meeting, and the only historic interest
that could be attached to it was that
General Lee rested under its shade a
few minutes while waiting for the re-
turn of his flag of truce. The only
tree anywhere near the place Of meeting
was small locust thorn, which Is still
standing about twenty yards from the
spot -
THE INTERVIEW BETWEEN LEE AND GRANT.
General Lee said that when he met
General Grant they exchanged polite
salutations; and he stated to him at once
that he desired conference IN refer
ence to the subject matter OF
their correspondence. General Grant
returned you your sword, did he not,
Gencrali' one of the company asked.
The old hero, Strengthening himself up,
replied in most emphatic tones "No,'
sir! he did not. He had no opportunity
Of doing SO. l was determined that
the sidearms Of officers should be ex
empt by the terms of surrender, and OF
course / 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" General Lee stateain this con.
yersation 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 in which to
hold the conference that they were first
shown to a vacant house, declining to
u,e that they were conducted by Major
Mcclellan to his house and shown into the
narlor. General Grant was accompanied
~ several Of his staff officers, and
several ofhis generals (anaong them
Sheridan and Ord entered the room
and participated in the slight i, general
conversation that occurred. The two
generals went aside and sat at table to