The daily gazette., 1877-06-21
LEES SURRENDER.
THE SCENE UNDER THE APPLE TREE
THE ACCOUNT OF AN EYE-wIT-

THE SCENE UNDER THE APPLE TREE
THE ACCOUNT OF AN EYE-wIT-
NESS. 10 s 5-'i- l"'i -. ''Ii'''
To the Editor OF the Times:
The Weekly Times of the 10Th inst,
contains short Article copied from
the New York World, entitled "Lee's
Surrender" Having been an eye-wit-
ness of the few incidents mentioned, I
can testify that the statement of tV.
D."in the World are substantially cor
rect Very few persons we've in the
Immediate nejg borhood at the time;
some of GeneraliL ee's military house
hold, members of General Gordan's
staff and q few of tue engineer corps
to which l was attached are all / can
now lecau. The remnant of the once
victorious Army of Northern Virginia,
at this time reduced, by struggling and
desertion, to about eleven thousand
men of arms, having been drawn up in
line and stacked arms, were quietly
awaiting Developments at some dis
lance.
General Lee wore, for the first time
in public, was told. the splendid uni
form aud magoiicent sword purchased
10 Eng laod and presented to him by
the State of Virginia. Like funeral
lrappings they served only to enhance
The general gloom. He had been seat
ed for long time, with crossed arms
bowed head, i'm movable as stone, on
a broken rail, under an old apple tree,
whose scanty foliage and feeble bloom
were in keeping with the general de-
'apidati0u of the homestead in its rear,
which learned was the birthplace of
Sweeney, the famous banjo player.
riie staff stood somewhat behind him,
aud the engineers were seated or lying
on the ground directly in front. No
J one spoke word or made move, and
The painful silence was only broken by
the rapid approach of Federal officer
with his aid ouihorseback. rIIf
the first sound of his approach Lee
sCood erect aud waited his arrival -
The officer disnounted at some di.-
tauce, and leaving his horse in charge
OF the aid, advanced toward Lee with
head uncovered, and stopping every
few PAGES, bowed repeatedly low TO
the ground. Having arrived within
speaK'ng distance salutes were .ex-
rDaugeG, few words, inaudable to the
nearest hystander. were spoken on
eiiber side, and tUen Lee, mounted his
iorae which was in readiness near by
ode off accompanied by the two Of
ficers, in the direction of Appomattox
Court House.
During The interval OF suspense which
occu2ed beSole the arrival of the
Feoeral General l made hasfy sketch
OF the scene. which. Tam sorry 10 say,
with the exception of the chief actor;
Lee, presented not single point of
Interest TO the artist. A more forlorn
or less picturesque situation could
hardly shave beeen selected as the
scene of any remarkable event-a
wretched Virginia farm of the low t
class, long before given up to ruin
and decay, whose nakedness even
nature had neg 2lected to clothe, with
graceful drapery. Later in the day l
returned to the same pot to GfiHd the
priocipal points of the scene literally OBJ
H,eraied. Trees, rails and buildings
were gone, and few devoted treasure
seekers We're grubbingI out the roots
of the former. secured only few
apple blossoms and twigs and splin4-
Ter OF lail, which, together with the
sketch, ] eOcIose for your inspection
Yours tiulv, ]. W. HALIAM.
1t. OF Engineers. A, my N. Va. T.
lA,LAoEIF6A, June 19.1S77. 5,