Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1878-08-02
Lees Surrender.
THE TRUE STORY OF THE EVENT AS
TOLD BY GENERAL GRANT.

THE TRUE STORY OF THE EVENT AS
TOLD BY GENERAL GRANT.
Hamburg (Germasay) Cor. Neao Yolx Herald.
We were conversing one evening about
Lees surrender. The General told the
story Of the remarkable event. 1.-THE
| night before Lee surrendered" he said,
81 had a wrei ched headache-headache
to which [ have been subject-nervous
prostration, intense personal suffering.
But, suffer OF not, 1 had to keep moving.
| saw clearly, especially after Sheridan
had cut off the escape to Danville, that
Lee must surrender or break and run into
the mountains break in all directions and
leave US dozen guerrilla bands to fight.
My campaign Was not Richmond, not the
defeat of Lee in actual fight, but to re-
move him and his army out of the contest,
and if possible to have him use his in
fuence in inducing the surrender of john
ston and the other isolated armies.
You see the war was an enormous strain
upon the country. Rich as we were I do
not now see how we could have endured
it another year, even from financial point
Of view. SO with these views | wrote Lee,
| and opened the correspondence with which
the world is familiar Lee does not APP
! pear well in that correspondence-not
| nearly SO well as he did in our subsequent
interviews, where his whole bearing was
that OF q patriotic and gallant soldier, con-
| cerned alone for the welfare of his army
and his state. received word that Lee
| would meet me at a point within our lines
near Sheridan's headquarters. [ had to
ride quite q distance through a muddy
| country.
I remember now that [ was concerned
| about my personal appearance. l had an
old suit Gil, without my sword, and with
| out amy distinguishing mark OF rank, ex-
cept the shoulder-s.raps of a lieutenant on
WOODEN blouse. l was splashed with mud
i'll my long ride. I Was afraid Lee might
| think L meant to show him studied dis
I courtesy by SO coming-at least [ thought
| 50. But l had no other clothes within
reach, as Lees letter found me away from
my base OF supplies. I kept on riding I'M
| til | met Sheridan. The general, who
was one of the heroes of the campaign,
and whose pursuit of Lee was perfect i'll
its generalship and energy, told me where
to find Lee. I remember that Sheridan
| vas impatient when [ met him-anxious
and suspicious about the whole business,
feared there might be plan of escape,
that he had Lee at his feet, and wanted
TO end the bu mess by going i'll and forcing
an absolute surrender by capture. In fact
he had his troops ready for such all as
sault when Lees white flag came within
his lines.
| l went up to the house where Lee Was
waiting. l found him in a fine, new
splendid uniform, which only recalled my
anxiety as to my own clothes While on my
to meet him. | expressed my regret that
[ was compelled to meet him in SO uncere-
monious manner, and he replied that the
only suit he had available was ole which
had been sent him by some admirers in
Baltimore and which he then wore for the
| first time. We spoke Of old friends in the
army. I rememL cred having seen Lee in
Mexico. He was SO much higher in rank
than myself at the time that supposed he
had no recollection CT me. But he said he
remembered me very well. We talked of
| old times and exchanged inquiries about
friends.
Lee then preached the subject of our
meeting. I told him my terms, and Lee,
! listening attentively, asked me to write
them down. | TOOK out my manifold or
der book and pencil and wrote them down.
General Lee put on his glasses and read
them ever. The. conditions gave the Off
| CClo olCLi SlQC-cl pI1fdtcC uOloCo otllu
personal baggage. | said to Lee that
hoped and believed this would be the close
of the war. That it was most important
that the men should go home and go to
work, and the government would not
throw any obstacles in tAe way. Lee an
swered that it would have a most happy
effect, and accepted the terms. [ handed
over my peneiled memorandum to an aid
to be put into ink, and We resumed our
| conversation about old times and friends
| iii the armies.
i Various officers came in--Longstreet,
| Gordon, Pickett, iom the South; Sherl-
dan, Ord and others, from our side. Some
were old friends; Longstreet and myself,
| for Instance. and we had a general talk
Lee no doubt expected me to ask for his
sword, but ! did nat want his sword. ut
| would only,n said the General, smiling,
| ''have gone to the Patent Office o be Or
SHIPPED by the Washington eoels.' Thee
WAS another pause wiz n he said that most
OF tie animals i'll his cavalry and ar ,illery
were o"ned by the privates, and he would
like to know, under the terms, whether
they would be regarded as private proper
| ty or the property Of tie government. l
said under the terms of surrender they be-
longed to the government. General Lee
read over the letter and said that
was SO. | then said to the General that
believed and hoped this was the last battle
Of the w&r, and / saw the wisdom of these
men getting home and to work as soon as
| possible, and that I would give orders to
alloW any soldier or officer claiming horse
OF mule to take it.
General Lee showed some emotion at
this-a feeling which L also shared-and
said it would have most happy effect
| The interview ended, and gave orders
for rationing his troops. The next day l
met Lee on horse back and we had a laug
talk. In that conversation I urged upon
Lee the wisdom Of ending the war by the
surrender Of the other armies I asked
him to use his influence with the people of
the South-an influence chat was supreme
to bring the war to the end. General
Lee said that his campaign in Virginia
was the last organized resistance which
the South was capable OF making-that
might have TO march q good deal and en-
counter isolated commands ere and there,
but there was no longer any army which
could make stand.
FEARFUL DEATH OF AN AERONAUT,
Over 9 GOO DprSOuS had oollaotod poor