New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-02-11
The Surrender at Appemat.ex.

Av ~ m!nisteT =. D: w aeOurne to resident
Of Virginia. Mr.. Washburne saws:
Ihave duly received your letter from New
YORK, dated the twenty-third ultimo. At
the epoch you speak Of, great events were
60 crowded together that it is impossible
tor me, ct this length of time 10 recall the
details OF many of them. But we'll recol-
iect the arrival of the deputati0n Of the
three citizens from the municipal govern
mont OF the city of Lynchburg at Appomat-
tox Courthouse, and the object Of their
VISIT to General Gibbon, then in command
OF the Union forces. l shall never forget
tne Pleasant interview l had with those gen.
tlemen, and the interest took in their mar
ration of events and of the state Of
things at Lynchburg. After hearing their
statements l know I was in full sympathy
with the purposes they had in view, and 80
expressed myself But was there simply
as private individual and had no
authority to advise or scarcely to suggest.
Perhaps my opinions may have had some
weight, but l would not claim even that,
and !! fear that the generous citizens of
really belonged to others. I can only at
test my feelings of qualification at the sue
cess which attended the efforts Of the
Lynchburg delegation on that occasion,
and the pleasure We felt at the timc at their
having successfully accomplished their mis-
sion. Knowing General Grant IS | did,
and knowing him to be as just and mag.
unanimous as he was brave, had no hesita-
ton in saying to the delegation land to
others) that ihad no doubt were he pres
emit he would at once accede to their re-
quest.
Your letter and your allusions to General
Gordon revive many recOllections Of those
eventful days. l arrived at Appomattox
Courthouse on Tuesday, the eleventh of
April. 1865. General Grant, after receiving
the surrender Of General Lee, on Sunday,
the ninth, had left the next day with his
staff officers on his way for Washington. I
met him the next evening at Prospect sta
ton. Desiring to see the two armies, the
pany Of cavalry az an escort to Appomat-
tox. Though the surrender had been made
on Sunday, yet the details as to the parole
and many other matters had to be agreed
upon, and the laying down of arms was to
take place at future day and as soon as
the prelim;naries could be arranged.
Three commissioners were appointed on
either side for that purpose, General Cor
don, General Pen3leten, l think, and an
other gentlemen whose name do not now
recall, on the side of the Confederates, and
General Gibbon. Genera! Merritt, and .
third, perhaps General Mackenzie. on the
side of the Union forces. When I arrived
at the Courthouse, negotiations and pour
parlsrs were going on between the commits
sioners at General Gibbons headquarters,
at the house of . Mr.. MCLEAN, and then
saw many of the general officers on both
sides. From what one saw there 1t could
hardly have been conceived that these men
had been in arms against each other through
terror Of the breach, the fury of the charge
and the fatigue of the march seemed to
have been forgotten, and these brave men
came together more as friends than enemies.
In all their talk there was never q sug.
gestion or q word from either side
that could havs wounded the tenderest
susceptibility. Many Of these officers on
both sides had served together in the old
army, and it was touching and interesting
which had survived these long years Of sut-
fering and carnage. Gen. Cadmus Wilcox
told with emotion how his old clasemate,
Gitbon. accused him of having nothing but
Confederate money, and taking from his
pocket new and crisp fifty dollar green
back, thrust it upon him. There was one
sentiment among all of these men, which
seemed to crop out in spite OF themselves,
and that was, that after all the bloody
struggle of the past, they were still all
Americans. The only punishment cav In.
flicred was that upon some large jugs OF
brandy which had found their way to the
Union headu uarters, and under the peculiar
circumstances that WAS not taken and
deemed as a "cruel and unusual punish
ment" within the meaning Of the coastitu-
ton.
Imet on that occasion two gentlemen in
the Confederate service with whom had
served in Congress, Hon. Alexander K. Bote-
Ter, of Virginia, and Hon. Lucius Z. Z.
or N;s,;sa;nOi lamar w2a a mam.
Der of the Committee on Commerce in the
Thirty-sixth Congress, of which was chair
man, and though we differed on political
matters as widely as two men could well
differ, our personal relations had always
been pleasant and agreeable. Though |
had not much money with me, proposed to
divide with him, but he declined, saying he
could see bis way clear to get to Baltl.
more, and when once where Winter
Davis was he should be all right.
I knew what that meant, for the in
timacy and friendship that existed between
those two brilliant and gifted men, 50 ut
terly opposed to each other on all the po'
litical questions of the day, was well known
| in Washington circles. They were united
by the ties which bind together scholars,
persons of similar tastes, and men OF genius
| and eloquence, and which even the storms
| of war could not sunder. Had these men
| lived in France during the great revolution
Lamar would have rivaled Mirabesu in the
| tribune of the National Assembly, and Win
ter Davis would have been the peer OF Nlr-
| gniaud, the echoes Of whose graceful but
| Indignant elouuence resOunded through al
France long after his head had rolled into
| the basket of the guillotlne and his blood
ran in the cutters OF the Pace de la RevO
| luton.
After remaining two days at Appomat
| tox. l was ready to start with my escort or
NV return toward Burksville and Rich
mond. General Gordon, having heard o
| the sickness of his family at Petersburg
was extremely anxious to get away as sool
as his mission in connection with the sur
render should be ended, and he sent wore
| to General Gibbon to inquire If he thought
would have anv objection to his goln@
| with nv escort. sent as an answer that
should be pleased to have him or any O
| his friends for company on tie long horse
back Journey before me. l had heard e
much of Gordon and knew go much Of hi:
wonderful career az soldier, that l wa!
happy to have him go along with me. Gen
| eral Cadmus Wilcox, an old regular arm!
officer, and well known in militar.
| and naval circles before the war
and General Alexander, yount
| graduate of West Point, from Georgia
| ALEC Joined us. With these generally came
many of their staff officers, and, therefore
by the time We got started we had quite
large party. Our first days march brough
ma 70 Farmyille pretty late in the evening
T took NV command" directly to the head
quarters of the Union General in command
| General Curtin, an accomplished young OF
ficer from Pennsylvania. He received III
| with the most cordial hospitality, and i'm
mediatelv devoted himself to providing