National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-12-24
AFTER APPOMATTOX.
AN INCIDENT OF THE SURRENDER.
The Wants Of the Confederate TrOops-POliteness Of
General Lee--General Henry A. Wiso's APP
plieation for Help TO Get Home
An Interesting Story.


fact that General Lee at Appomattox made
known 10 General Grant that his men were suffer.
ing with hunger and that the latter ordered ra-
lions to be distributed to them, is well known, but
Colonel Lewrenees relation OF tne incident N
ION the evening of the day of the surrender that
General Grant ordered me 20 carry 70 General Lee
his compliments and an order for thirty thousand
rations for his hungry men. The object of my err
rand became known about headquarters, and
many OF our officers, some Of high rank, mounted
aud accompanied me, expecting an opportunity to
be presented TO the great confederate chienain.
The headquarters Of the latter had been moved
since morning and had some difficulty IN find
ing the place at last found his tentin the woods.
and, approaching its occupant, l mndc myself
known and delivered my message. General Lee
received me politely, butwilh reserve, aud saw
at once from his manner that he did not desire
shat any ofihe gentlemen who had accompanied
me should be Introduced. AS they saw II MS soon
US did, no explanation to them was called for.
He requested me to express his thanks to General
Sran, ana then, WIN az very marked sonening OF
termnster with General GrantT 1 replied thatI
had that honor. My men,, he continued, can
make known their wants. but there are about
here many poor dumb animals who have not bccil
fed for days. VIII you see that they are provided
for9 His eyes were moist as he made the request.
II was rare evidence Of his goodness Of heart
that his thoughts at such q time were turned In
that direction. promised at once and kept my
promise" In marked contrast with the above was
an incident in which a nephew Of Jel DAVIS
figured. In the work OF sccuring and properly dis
posing OF the surrendered confederate property,
Colonel Lawrence went about freely among the
camps, without thought or apprehension of dan
ger. AZ one Of the headquarters he was transact.
Ing some business with the afore mentioned
nephew of his uncle, who was acting In some
official capacity. The young moii remarked, with
some insoenre of manner, that he should not
suppose the other would 10 about in that way
without guard.
lam not at all alarmed, was the reply.
Nor We'll, you might be knocked over, for all
that" sneered Davis.
u am serving on General Grants staff" was the
reply, land am acting Under his orders: aud
don't think il would be vel for any of your people
to offer me any Violence"
Davis spoke upa brigader dressed in gray,
shut upl You're making n fool Of YOURSELF
That officer is too much for you"
At Richmond, after Colonel Lawrence had
"cleaned up" about Appomattox and Lynchbnrg
capital of the late confederate States of America,
he was one day in the Office of General Marscna X.
Patrick the provost marshal. The large confederate
flag, made olthe best English bunting, which had
been hauled down from the rebel capitol, had
been brought into the provost mnrshal's Office and
thrown OH the floor, where It still lay. An officer
in agray uniform aud with several stars on his col
lar happened IN, and observing the flag on the
thought that pretty way to treat the flag OF
the confederacy. INCOME, said Colonel Lawrence,
"who does not know what mnner of Innn General
Patrick wns with his long, patrnrchal beard, his
imposing presence, and his voice like thunder
clap, when he chose to let 1t out, picture the
testing party, he doomed, who are your
The officer mildly stated his name and rank.
"'Nhat do you want herc2'
considerably dismaycd, the protesting party
could only stnmmer some inaudibe reply.
Get out Of hcre-qulck roared Patrick, and
the offender fed without delay. thought the
moment an auspicions one, and said General.
give me that flag. Take ii T. he said, and there It
Is now, minus few small pieces cut or for
friends"
But OF all the deeply interesting personal rcml-
niscences of the scenes attending the DOWNFALL of
the coniedorncy which Colonel Lawrence loves to
relate, the one with which l close this letter
seemed to me the most striking, With ZONE un-
ayodable changes In expression las took no pre-
else notes OF his conversation) he related II as fol-
lows:
II had . very efficient assistant in my duties at
AppomattoN in Major Morris H. Alberger, of Buff
falo. Amer the affair had occurred learned that
an adJntant quartermaster, or somebody else on
been TO Major Alberger to procure transportation;
that in the course of the business the officer had
INDUCED In some language which was either per-
sonally insolent or else gave oicnse to the Majors
sense Of what was due In respect J, the flag and
the government that he seryed and, IN short, Al
berger ordered him out and refused to have any
thing to do with him. The following morning and
while was still in ignorance of this occurrence /
was sitting in my Office very busy myself and sur.
pens, when man ntered, and coming right up
TO my desk, began to talk to me without intro
ducing himsefor giving me the least Glow as to
all broken down, both physically and mentally
Win Ss spd he
get home with that one ofmy officers had refused
The request OF one Of his STAFF for transportation
what he should do listened with some surprise
to the querulous complainings of the old man. and
when he came TO pause inquired:
"'With whom have / the honor of speaking?'
a. am Ex-Governor Wise, ofYirginia,' was the
reply.
stopped their 7, ms and looked at him. Was ever
such an example of the revenges of time? Not
six years before. as Governor Of Virginia, he had
commanded all the militia in The State and mar
shaed them up to Charlesown to hang old John
Brown, exulting in the act; now poor, forsaken
broken in health and spirits, he was begging OF a
Yankee quartermaster the means to get home
The scene strange enough and suggestive
enough TO stop right here; but the fates were re-
lentless that morning. Guard mounting had just
begun outside and precisely at this moment, while
the guard were being inspected, a brass band
burst forth with the stirring strains Of John
Brown IL was too much. Every clerk got up
and went out, not one daring to trust himself
either to look at me or my petitioner And the
latter took In the situation perfectly every feature
Df his face showed i'll complied with his re-
quest, and somewhere In the dusty files OF tho
Quartermaster- Generals Department at Washing
ton may be found tho official vouchers for one
ambulance, one set of harness, and two mules
furnished 10 General Henry A. Wise 10 transpor,
himself and his baggage home from Appomat-
tsx."-J. r. f., IN he Philadelphia Press.