The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1878-08-01
STANTON. VIRGINIA. AUGUST i 1878.


familiar. 1 received word that Lee woult
meet me at point within our lines hea
Sheridan's headquarters. had to ride quit
a distance through a muddy country.
remember now that l was concerned s.bou
my personal appearance. I had an old sui
or, without my sword, and without any dis
tinguishing mark of rank, except the shout
der-straps of a acknowledgement on {
woollen blouse. / was splasbed with mut
in my long ride. l was afraid Lee nigh
tesy by so coming-at least Thought so. Bu
I had no other clothes within reach, as Lees
letter found me away from my base of sup
plies. kept on riding until I met Sheridan
81 remember that Sheridan was impatient
when | met him-anxious and suspicious
about the whole business. feared there might
be Il plan to escape, and wanted to end the
business by going in and forcing an absolute
surrender by capture. In fact, he had his
| troops ready for an assault when Lees white
flag came within his lines. went up to the
house where Lee was waiting. | found him
in fine, new, splendid uniform, which only
recalled my anxiety as to my own clothes
while on my way to meet him. l expressed
my regret that was compelled to meet him
in so unceremonious a manner, and he re-
piled That the only suit he had available was
one which had been sent him by some ad-
mirers in Baltimore, and which he then wore
| for the first time. We spoke of old friends
| in the army. | remembered having seen
Lee in Mexico. He was so much higher in
rank than myself at the time that supposed
| he had no recollection Of me; but he said he
recollected me very we'll. We talked OF old
/ times and exchanged inquiries about friends.
.'Lee then broaclled the subject of our
meeting. I told him my terms, and Lee, lis
tening attentively, asked me to write them
down. took out my manifold order book
and pencil and wrote them down. General
Lee put on his glasses and read them over.
The conditions gave the officers their side
arms, private horses. and personal baggage.
Isaid to Lee that hoped and believed this
would be the close of the war that 1t was
most important that the men should go home
and 90 to work. and the Government would
not throw any obstacles in the way. Lee
answered that it would have most happy
effect and accepted the terms. I handed
over my penciled memorandum to an aide to
put into ink, and we resumed our converse
ton about old times and friends in the
armies. Various officers came in-Long-
street, Gordon, Pickett, from the South
Sheridan, Ord, and others from our side.
Some were old friends; Longstreet and my
self for instance, and we had general talk.
Lee no doubt expected me co ask for his
sword but I did not want his sword. It
would only" said the General, smiling, ''haye
gone to the Patent Office to be worshipped
by the Washington rebels"
''There was another pause when he said
that most of the animals in his cavalry and
artillery were owned by the privates, and
he would like to know. under the terms.
whether they would be regarded private
property or the Governments. said, under
| the terms of the surrender, they belonged
| to the Government. Gen raj Lee read over
the letter and said that was 80. then
hoped this was the last battle of the war,and
saw the wisdom of these men getting home
and to work as soon as possible, and
that would give orders to allow any sol
dier or officer claiming horse or 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 ra-
tioning his troops. The next day met
Lee on horseback and we had long talk.
In that conversation urged upon Lee the
wisdom of ending the war by the surren-
| der Of the other armies. [ asked him to use
| his influence with the people OF the South
an influence that was supreme, to bring the
war to tile end. General Lee said that his
campaign in Virginia was the last organized
resistance the South was capable Of making,
| that I might have to march 4 good deal and
encounter isolated commands here and
there; but there was no longer any army
| which could made stand | told Lee that
this fact only made his responsibility great
| er and any further war would be crime.
asked him to go among the Southern peo-
pie and use his influence to have all men
under arms surrender on the same terms
given to the army Of Northern Virginia. He
replied he could net do so without consuta-
ton with President Davis. was sorry.
saw that the ConfeGeracy had gone beyond
the reach OF President Davis, ane that there
was nothing that could be done except what
Lee could do to benefit the Southern people.
was anxious to get tt EN- 10 their home and
fields. But Lee would not move without Da-
Wis. and, as a matter Of fact at that time, or
soon after, Davis, was fugitive in the
woods"
JEFFERSON DAVIS AND THE SOUTH.
| An allusion was made to the feeling in
the South that Davis was an injury to the
Confederacy and did not do his best. 81
never thought So said the General. ''Da-
Wis did his best, did all that any man could
do, to save the Confederacy. This argu-
ment is like some OF the arguments current
in history, that the war was II war against
windmills, and that if one man or another
had been in authority the result would have
been different that some more placable
man than Davis could have made a better
fight. This is not true. Davis did all he
could, and all any man could, for the South.
The South was beaten fIom the beginning.
Just as soon as the war united and aroused
the young men of the North and called out
the national feeling there was no end but
the end that came. Davis did all he could
for his side, and how much he did no one
knows better than those who were in the
tield.''
SToNEWALL JACKSON.
II had letter from Mosby," said the
General, ''some time ago, deprecating some
attack had made upon Stonewall Jackson
wrote him there must be some mistake.
as had never attacked Jackson"
Your correspondent asked the General
how he ranked Jackson among soldiers. 81
knew Stonewall Jackson" said the Genera
sat West Point and in Mexico, | question