Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-08-06
LEE IN TEARS AT APPoMATTox.
The following is an extract from a paper
read by Captain Mcdonald before the
Southern Historical Society.

Southern Historical Society:
When it was known that we had surren.
dered, there was at first some dissatisfac.
ton, but sympathy for Lee soon did away
with all individual sense of humiliation.
When Harris Mississippi brigade of Ma.
homes division were informed of the sur.
render, and ordered to cease firing, most
of the officers and men refused to obey,
declaring that they would never surrender.
Mohone went and expostulated with them,
but they would not listen to him. Finally
Lee came and made personal appeal.
For some time even his authority was dis.
regarded. Many of the officers and men
gathered around him and implored him
not to put upon them such disgrace. With
tears they begged him to trust himself to
their care, swearing that they could and
would carry him through safely, and tell
ing him that once in the mountains he
could raise another army.
But Lee told them with broken accents
and with many tears that he could not
break his word that his honor was in
volved. Finally he asked them if they
who had followed him SO long and stood
by him so faithfully were ashamed to share
his fate This appeal they could not re-
sist, though with heart-breaking sobs they
yielded.
There is hardly doubt that this brigade
would have carried Lee out safely had he
let them try it. Malone called them the
" Invincibles." They were often selected
for quick and desperate work. l will
state single instance of their valor. At
Farmville, when the Federals made de-
termined effort to break our lines, in the
midst of the battle a courier rode up and
told Malone that a part of the Stonewall
division had given way and that the enemy
at this point had penetrated half mile
beyond our right flank. Malone at once
sped away like an arrow down the line.
In less than twenty minutes he returned
with Harris brigade, and charging the
enemy in flank with the bayonet killed or
captured nearly every one.
As soon Us the firing ceased many OF the
Federals came into our lines and began to
fraternize with the men. In order to
carry home some relic of the surrender,
they snapped knives or anything they had
for the old plumber of the Confederates.
Some of the latter, alive to the situation,
having exhausted their stockton trade,
went about seeking to replenish it, and
hence there arose quite brisk demand for
old papers, combs, etc.
The Federals seemed overjoyed at the
issue, and their hearts were running over
with kindly feeling. One man, a Colonel,
made q speech to large crowd Of Confed-
crates. He was big hearted soldier, and,
with many compliments to Lee and his
men. seemed to be trying to take away the
sting Of defeat from the crestfallen foes.
Among other things he said that the North
loved the South, and that the next Presi-
dent of the United States would be General
Lee. Finally, he said ]: "We are all q
band of brothers now and seemed to
pause for reply. A grim battle-scarred
veteran responded in an audible tone and
with an oath eff / had you out in the
woods by yourself I'd brother you"
/ have only to add, in conclusion, that
this retreat, which in the eyes of some re-
fleets somewhat upon the fame of Lee,