Daily Los Angeles herald., 1881-07-20
gos Aagclss Aerala.
TIE SURRENDER OF LEE.
What Gen. Longstrsst Has to Say Of Mem.
CRADLE Event.

Ibid you ever have aGy CONVEX
sation with Lee about surrender"
Early in 1855 Gen. Ord's com.
msnd was doing duty in front
of mine. I had stopped the firing
along the lines, aud our soldiers
were in the habit of going across
the line and trading tobacco for
coffee. One day l received note
from Gen. Ord, asking me to meet
him somewhere between the lines
for the purpose OF dsvising some
means Of putting stop to the prac
tioe. at once felt that there was
something more behind his mes
ssge than was indicated upon the
face, for If it had been simple in
fraction Of military rules that he
desired to rem edy, he could have
done so without my cooper ton.
responded and we met. After a
moments talk about the subject
mentioned in the note he said:
my main object in calling you
here is to talk with you about
Pc aee."
:" I said: We'll, l am not author
iced to speak upon that subj sct,
but shall be glad to hear anything
you have to say
~ think this meeting was after
the Hampton Road Conference.
He said:
a. Politicians don't seem to care
to discuss the terms of peace, but I
think the soldiers may do SO with
profit
He then went on to give me his
ideas about terms, and advised that
/ see Gen. Lee and he would Gen.
Grant and arrange for a meeting.
Mrs. Longstreet aud Mrs. Grant
were friends, and Gen. Ord suggest
ed that II they could be brought
together in a social way, it would
60 far toward reconciling the diff
ference and bringing hostilities to
nm end. He suggested that I send
for Mrs. Longstreet at once and let
him know when she came aud he
he would arrange to have her
brought through the lines for q
visit to Mrs. Grant. After this In.
terview I sent to LyDchburg for
Mrs. Longstreet and saw Gen. Lee
in the presence of President Davis
and Mr.. Breckenridge, who was
Secretary of War, aud detailed the
purport Of 1t to them. Gen. Lee
decided to send a note to Gen.
Grant requesting a meeting for the
purpose OF comforting as to the
terms Of peace. The next day Gen.
Lee sent me note to Gen. Grant
upsealed. I read 1t, and 1t stated
the real object of the meeting. L
took the note and went to Gen.
Lees headquarters with it myself.
I explained to him that thought
q direct statement of the objects OF
the meeting would prevent 1t; that
I thought if he could find pretext
for bringing about the meeting be-
tween himself and Gen. Grant it
weuld be best. I suggested that
there had been some difference be-
tween himself and tho commander
Of the Federal forces as to the dis.
position of political prisoners, and
suggested that be make that the
bssis of his note to Grant.
"sNo,' he said, L have but one
object in meeting Gen. Grant, and
that is to arrange terms of peace,
and I will SO state it'll
II took the note and returned to
my headquarters and sent 1t to
Gen. Grant: AS I expected, he re-
piled that he had no authority to
treat as to terms of peace, and thus
the matter ended. My Judgment
10 that little diplomacy at that
time would have ended the war
and been Of unqusstionable advan.
tsge to both sections of the coun.
try. It has taken q long time to
accomplish what might have been
determined in very short time
and with very much less trouble."