The Portland daily press., 1880-02-07
Grant and Leo.
The Surrender at Appomattox.

Inc surrender at AppOmatLOx.
| j. R. Young's Around the World with Grant,
| 'On the night before Lees sure nder," said
| General Grant, 81 had a wretched headache
| headaches to which 1 have been subject
nervous prostration, intense personal suffer-
| ing. But, suffer or not, I had to keep moving.
1 saw clearly, especially after Sheridan had cut
off the escape to Danville, that Lee must sur
render or break and run into the mountains
break in all directions and leave US dozen
guerilla bands to fight The object Of my cam
paign was not Richmond, not the defeat of Lee
in actual fight, but to remove him and his
my out of the contest and il possible to have
him use his influence in inducing the surren-
der of Johnston and the other isolated armies.
You see the war was an enormous strain upon
the country. Rich as we were do not now
see how we could have endured another year,
even from financial point of view.
So with these views I wrote Lee. and opened
correspondence with which the world is IA
miliar. Lee does not appear we'll in that cor
respondence, not nearly so we'll as he did in
our subsequent interviews. where his whole
bearing was that of patriotic and gallant SOL
QlcIy COuCcIuSQ dlOuc tlo "OllhI0 VI LIS
army and his State. received word that Lee
would meet me at a point within our lines
near Sheridans headquarters. 1 had to ride
quite distance through muddy country. 1
remember now that I was concerned about my
personal appearance, 1 had an old suit on,
without my sword, and without any distin-
gushing mark of rank except the shoulder
straps of q lieutenant general on woolen
blouse. i was splashed with mud in my long
ride. L was afraid Lee might think 1 meant
to show him studied discourtssy by so coming
at least I thought SO. But 1 had no other
clothes within reach, as Lees letter found me
away from my base of supplies. kept on
riding until 1 met Sheridan The general,
who was one of the heroes of the campaign,
and whose pursuit of Lee was perfect in its
generalship and energy, told me where to find
Lee. I remember that Sheridan was impa-
tient when met him, anxious and suspicious
about the whole business; feared there might
be plan to escape; that he had Lee at his
feet, and wanted to end the business by gong
in and forcing an absolute surrender by cap
ture. In fact, he had his troops ready for
such an assault when Lees white flag came
within his lines.
MEETING OF TIE CHIEFTAINs.
ing. l found him in a fine, new splendid uni
form, which only recalled my anxiety as to my
own clothes while on my way to meet him.
expressed my regret that was compelled to
meet him in so unceremonious manner, and
he replied 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. l 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 remembered
me very WE'LL We talked of old times and
exchanged inquiries about friends. Lee then
broached the subject of our meeting. told
him my terms, and Lee, listening 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 per-
sonal baggage. l 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 gov
ernment would not throw any obstacles in the
way. Lee answered that it would have most
happy effect, and accepted the terms
handed over my penciled memorandum to an
aid to put into ink and we resumed our con-
versation about old times and friends in the
armies.
CoURTEsIEs BETWEEN THE OPPOSING HEROES.
Various officers came in-Longstreet Cor
and others from our side. Some were old
friends-Longstreet and myself, for instance
and we had general talk. Lee, no doubt, ex-
pected me to ask for his sword, but did
not want his sword. 1t would only"
said the general, smiling, ''have gone to
the patent office to be worshipped by the Wash
ington rebels There was pause when Gen.
eral Lee said that most of the animals in his
cavalry and artillery were owned by privates,
and he would like to know, under the terms,
whether they would be regarded as private
property or the property of the government. I
said that under the terms of the surrender
they belonged to the government. General
Lee read over the letter and said that was so.
1 then said to the general that believed and
hoped that this was the last battle Of the war
that saw the wisdom Of these men getting
home and to work as soon as possible, and that l
would give orders to allow any soldier or officer
claiming horse or mule to take it. General
Lee showed some emotion at this-a feeling
which also shared-and said it would have a
most happy effect. The interview ended and I
gave orders for rationing the 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 surrender Of the other ar
mics. / asked him tu use his influence with
the people of the South-an influence that was
supreme-to bring the war to an end Gener-
al Lee said that his campaign in Virginia was
the last organized resistance which the South
was capable Of making-that might have to
march a good deal and encounter isolated
commands here and there; but there was no
longer any army which could make stand
told Lee that this fact only made his respon-
sibility greater, and any further war would be
a crime. L asked him to go among the South
ern people and use his influence to have all
men under arms surrender on the same terms
given to the army of Northern Virginia. He
replied that he could not do 80 without consul
tation with President Davis. / was sorry. l
saw that the confederacy had gone beyond the
reach of President Davis, ana that there was
nothing that could be done except what Lee
could do to benefit the Southern people. Twas
anxious to get them home and have our armies
go to their homes and fields. But Lee would
not move without Davis, and, as a matter of
fact, at that time, or soon after Davis was
fugitive in the woods.
GRANTS OPINION OF LEE.
"Lee was of a SLOW, conservative, cautious
nature, without imagination or humor, always
the same, with grave dignity. / never could
see in his achievements what justifes his rep
utation. The illusion that nothing but heavy
odds beat him will not stand the ultimate light
of history / know it is not true. Lee was
good deal Of O headquarters general-a desk
general from what can hear, and from what
his officers say. He was almost too old for ac-
tive service-the best servi"A in tba fiald. At