The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1880-04-14

of old times and exchanged ;non;r;e,
about old friends. Lee then broacheG
the subject Of our meeting. 1 told him
my terms and Lee, listening attentivelu
asked me to write them down. took
out my manifold order book and mcneil
and wrote them down. General Lee mt
on his glasses and read them over. The
conditions gave the officers their side.
arms, private horses and personal bag.
gage. I said to Lee that / hoped and
believed this was the close of the war:
that 1t was most important the men
should go home and go to work, and the
government would throw no obstacles in
the way. Lee answered that it would be
most happy effect and accepted terms.
handed over my penclled memoran-
DUN to an aid to put in ink, and we re-
sumed our conversation about old
times, friends, and incidents in the armv.
"Various officers came ln-Lonpstreet
Gordon, Pickett from the south: Sheri,
dan, Ord and others from our SIDE. Some
were old friends Longstreet and myself
tor lnstance-and we had general talk.
Lee, no donbt, expected me to ask for
his sword, butt did not want his sword /.
ut would only" said the General, smil-
Ing, shave gone to the Patent Office to
be worshiped by the Washington rebels.
There was q pause, when General Lee
ssid that most of the ANIMALS in the cav
airy and artillery were owned by the
privates and he would like to know. un-
der the terms whether they would be re-
garded as private property or the govern
ment. l said thtt under the terms of the
surrender they belonged to the govern
ment's. General Lee read over the letter
and said that was so. I then said to the
General that I believed and hoped this
was the last battle of the war; that I saw
the wisdom of these men getting home
to work as soon as possible and that I
would give orders to allow any soldier or
officer claiming horse or mule to take
it. General Lee showed some emotion at
thls-a feeling which I also shared and
said 1t would have most happy effect.
The interview ended and I gave orders
tor rationlng his troops. The next day
l met Lee on horseback and we had a
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 that
was supreme-to bring the war to an
end. Gen. Lee said that his campaign
IN Virginia was the last organized resist
ance which the South was capable of
making-that I might have to march a
good deal and encounter isolated COM
mands here and there; but there was ne
longer any army which could make a
stand. told Lee that this fact onlv
made his responsibility greater and anv
further war would be crime. l asked
him to 60 among the Southern people
and use his influence to have all men I'M
der arms surrender on the same terms
given to the army of Northern Virginia.
he replied that he could not do so with
out consultation with President Davis. T
was sorry. I saw that the confederacv
had gone beyond the reach of President
Davis, and that there was nothing that
could be done except what Lee could do
TO benefit the Southern people. I was
anxious to get them no ne, and have orr
armies go to their homes and fields.
But Lee would not move without DAVIS
ana, as matter of fact, at that time. or
soon after, Davis was fugitive in the
woods. ea~a - 2 ~ --s.5' -.
''Lee was Of a slow, conservative, eau
tlous nature, without imagination or hui
NOR, always the same, with grave digni-
ty. never could see in his achievements
what justifies his reputation. The iliu-
sion that nothing but heavy odds beat
him will not stand the ultimate LIGHT of
history. I know 1t is not true. Lee was
a good deal of headquarters General
a desk General, from what I can hear
and from what his officers saw. He was
almost too old for active service the
best service in the field. At the time
OF the surrender he was So or 80 and T
was 43.
"His officers used to say that he posed
himself; and that he was retiring and ex-
elusive and that his headquarters were
dlHcult OF access. remember when the
commissioners came through our lines
10 treat, just before the surrender. that
one OF them remarked on the great defer
ence between our headquarters and Lees.
always kept open house at headouar-
ters, so tar as the army was concerned.
aly anxiety said the General, "for some
time before Richmond tell was lest Lee
should abandon it. My pursuit Of Lee
was hazardous. l was in position of |
extreme difficulty. You see was march
ng away from my supplies. Lee was
:alllng back on his supplies. IfLee had
continued his flight another day ]
should have had to abandon the pursuit.
all back to Danville, build the railroad.
'nd feed an army. So far as supplies
we're concerned was almost at nv last
gasp when the surrender took place.
A Long Hill.
A tavern-keeper on the San Bruno
'oad was aroused one night by an an
IQuated old oranno. nh go