Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-07-06
The ssory Of Lees Surrender as Told
by One who was There.
IGen. Gorge II. sharpe's Decoration Day Address at
Mount Kisco, N.Y.


by One who was There.
tden. @ gorge II. sharpes Decoration Day Address At
Mount Kisco, N.Y.
I renember-and u was recalled to me
tonight in conversation, when the name of
Gen. Grant came up in the course OF con-
versation-the wonderful scene that tram
splred in that little place in Virginia on the
9th of April, 1865. It was late in the afler-
noon when 1t became known that Gen. Lee
had sent for Gen. Grant to surrender to him.
1t was between 2 and o'clock when we
met in the little room in the house where
the surrender of Lees army took place. l
know there is a belief that the surrender
took place under an apple tree, where
Grant and. Lee met and exchanged few
words. The surrender took place in the
left hand room of that old-fashioned doub-
le house. The house had large piazza
which ran along the full length fit. 1t
was one Of those ordinary Virginia houses
with passsgeway running through the
centre of 1t. In that little room where the
meeting took place sat two young men
one a great grandson of Chief Justice Mar
shall of the supreme court, reducing to
writing the terms of the surrender on be-
half of Robert Il. Lee; the other, a man
with dusky countenance-a great-nephew
of that celebrated chief, Red Jacket-acting
under Gen. Grant. They two were reduc-
ing to writing the terms of the surrender of
the army Of Northern Virginia to the army
Of the Potomac. Gathered around tho room
were several officers of whom was one.
Il
the most remarkable man of his day and
generation. The larger and older Of the
Two was the most striking in his appear
ance. His hair was white as the driven
snow. There was not speck upon his
coat; not spot upon those gauntlets that
he wore, which we're as bright and fair as a
lady's glove. That was Robert Il. Lee. The
other was Ulysses S. Grant, whose appear
ance cOntrasted strangely with that Of Lee
his boots were nearly covered with mud
one button OF his coat--thst is, the button
hole was not where it should have been-it
had clearly gone astray; and he wore no
sword; while Lee was fully and faultless-
ly equipped. The conversation was not
rapid by any means. Everybody felt the
overpowering influence of The scene. Ev-
cry one present felt they were Witnessing
the proceedings between The two chief ac-
tors in one of the most remarkable transac-
tions of this nineteenth century. The
words that passed between Grant aud Lee
were few. Gen. Grant-endeavoring to
apologize for not being fully equipped
and noticing the faultless appearance of
Lee-whie the secretaries were busy, said
gkfr I
riding all night" And Lee, with that cold
ness of manner, and all the pride-almost
haughtiness- which, after all, became him
wonderfully we'll, never made any reply,
but in a cold, formal manner bowed ! And
Gen. Grant, in the endeavor TO tako away
the great awkwardness of the scene, said /:
az don't always wear a sword, because
sword is very inconvenieut thing" That
was a remarkable thing for him 10 say,
CO Hsidering that he was in The presence Of
one who was about to surrender his sword.
Lee only bowed again. Another, trying to
relieve the awkwardness of the occasion,
inquired "GeD. Lee, what became Of that
white horse you rode in Mexico? He might
not be dead yet he was not so old?" Gen.
Lee bowed coldly, and replied: 81 left
him at The bite house on Pamunkey riv-
er, and have not seen him since" There
was one moment when there was whis-
pered conversation betN cen Grant and Lee
which nobody in the room heard.
The surrender took the form of cores
pondence the letters were all signed in
due form, 10y The chief actors, in the pres
ence of each other. Finally, when the
terms of surrender had all been arranged,
and The surrender made; Lee arose, cold
and proud, and bowed to every person in
the room on our side. remember each
one Of US thought he had been specially
bowed TO. And then he went out and pass
down the little square in front of t1e house,
aud bestrode that gray horse that carried
him all over Virginia; aud when he had
gone away, we learned what that whisper
ed conversation had been about. Gen.
Grant called his officers about him, and
said; "You go 10 The .4th, and you to the
5th," and so on, naming the corps, "and
ask every man who has three rations to
turn over two Of them. Go to the commits
saries and go to the quartermasters," etc.;
"Gen. Lees army is on the point of starva-
lionW And $4,000 rations were carried to
the army of Northern Virginia.