Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-07-14

States. | recognize fully that the surrendel
OF This army is the end of the Confederacy
out no course we can take can prevent ol
even delay that result. | have never be-
Iieved that we would receive foreign assist
ance or get our liberty otherwise than by
our own arms. The end is now upon US.
and 1t only remains to decide how we shall
close the struggle. But in deciding
this question we are to approach
1t not only as soldiers, but as
Christian men, deciding ON matters which
involve great deal else beside their own
feelings. II l should order this army to
disperse, the men with their arms, but with
out organization or control, aud without
provisions or money, would soon be wan
dering through every State In the Con-
federacy, some seeking to get to their
homes and some with no homes to
go to. Many would be compelled to rob
aud plunder as they went to save themselves
from starvation, and the enemy's cavalry
would pursue in small detachments. par
ticularly in efforts to catch the general Off
GERS, and raid and burn over large districts
which they will otherwise never reach, and
the result would be the Inauguration OF
| laWIessness and terror and of organ
| ized bands of robbers all over
the South. Now, as Christian men, we
have not the right to bring this state
OF affairs upon the country, whatever the
as for myself, you young men might go to
DushWnaeking, cut am too old; and even
| II IL were right Tor me to disperse the armV
should surrender myself to General Grant
as the only proper course for one of my
years and position. But / am glad to be
able to tell you one thing for your comforts
General Grant will not demand an uncon-
ditional surrender, but offers us most liberal
terms-the paroling of the whole army not
to fight until exchanged" He then went
on to speak of the probable details OF the
terms OF surrender and to say that about 10
a. m. he was to meet General Grant in the
rear of the army and would then accept the
| terms offered.
sanguine as 1 had been when he COM
menced the che must acQuiesce In my
views" had not one word to reply when
he had finished. He spoke slowly and de-
liberatelY and with some feeling, ard the
completeness of the considerations he ad-
vanced, and which he dwelt upon with
more detail than l can now fully recall,
! speaking particularly OF the women and
children, as the greatest sufferers in the
! state OF anarchy which dispersion of the
army would bring about, and his reference
to what would be his personal course If he
did order such dispersion, all indicated that
! the question was not then presented to his
MIND for the first time.
A short time after this conversation Gen
eral Lee rode to the rear of the army to
meet General Grant and arrange the details
OF the surrender. He had started about
half hour when General Fitz Lee sent ord to
General Longstreet that he bad broken
through portion of the enemy's line, and
that the whole army might make its way
through. General Longstreet, on learning
this, directed Colonel Haskell, of the ar
tilery, who was very finely mounted, to
ride after General Lee at utmost speed,
| killing hts hCraa
him before he could reach General
Grant Colonel Haskell rode as directed,
and short distance In rear of the army
found General Lee and some of bis
staff dismounted by the roadside. As
he with difficulty checked his horse
General Lee came up quickly, asked what
was the matter, but, Without waiting for a
reply, said: "Ohi Pm afraid you have
killed your beautiful mare. What did YOU
ride ber so hard for ?' On hearing General
| Longstreets message, he asked some uues-
! tiors about the situation, and sent word to
! General LoDgstTeet to use his own discre-
tion In making any movements; but he did
not himself return, and in a short while an
! other message was received that the sue
| cess of the cavalry under General Fig Lee
was but temporary and that there was no
such gap In the enemy's line as had been
| supposed. Soon afterward a message was
brought from the enemy's picket that Gen
! eral Grant had passed around to the front
and would meet. General Lee at Appomat.
| tox Court House and General Lee according
| ly returned.
Meanwhile, as the Confederate line uu-
der General Gordon was slowly falling back
from Appomattox Court House, after as
gallant fight against overwhelming odds
as 1t had ever made, capturing and bringing
safely off with it an entire battery of the
enemy's, General Custer, commanding a
| division of Federal cavalry, rode forward
with flag OF truce, and the firing having
ceased on both sides, was conducted to
| General LoDgetreet, as commanding tempo
rartly in General Lees absence. Custer
| demanded the surrender Of the army
| to himself and General Sheridan.
to which General LoDgstreet replied that
General Lee was in communication with
General Grant upon that subject, and that
| the issue would be determined between
them. Custer replied that he and Sheridan
| were independent of Grant, and unless the
surrender was made to them they would
'pitch in" at once. Longstreet's answer
| was peremptory order at once to his own
lines and "try 1t If he liked" Custer was
accordingly escorted back, but Rre was not
reopened, and both lines remained halted,
the Confederate about half mile east of
the court house.
General Lee returning from the rear short
lY afterward, halted in a small field adioin-
ing Sweeney's house, little In rear of his
skirmish line, and awaited a message from
General Grant, seated on some rails under
an apple tree. This apple tree was not only
entirely cut up for mementoes within two
days afterward, but its very roots were dug
up and carried away under the false impress
sion tnat the surrender took place under it.
About noon a Federal staff officer rode up
and announced that General Grant was at
the court house, and Gen. Lee with one of
his staff accompanied him back. As he left
the apple tree General Longstreet's last
words were: Unless he offers you liberal
terms, General, let US fight 1t out.n
lt would be difficult task to convey to
one VINO was not present an idea of the feel
Ing OF the Confederate army during the few
nours which SO suddenly, and so unexpect-
ediy to it, terminated its existence, and with
1t all hopes of the Confederacy. Having
been sharply engaged that very morning.
and It's movements arrested by the flag OF
truce while one portion of it was actually
hghting and nearly all the rest, infantry aud
artillery, bad just been formed In line of
battle in sight and range of the enemy, and
with guns unlimbered, it was impossible to
realize fully that the war, with all its hopes.
lts amoltlons, and Its hardships, was thus
ended. There was comparatively very little
conversation, and men stood In groups look
Ing over The scene; but the groups were un-
~~0AJ cliOH'' ~ "de uOI dL uTsJ generally
known that surrender was inevitable, but
there was remarkable pre-acquiescence in
whatever General Lee should determine,
and the warmest expressions of confidence
In his judgment. Ranks and discipline
were maintained as usual, and there is little
doubt that had General Lee decided to fight
that afternoon the troops would not have
disappointed him. About D. m. he re-
turned from the court house, and after In.
forming :he principal officers of the terms
OF the surrender, started to ride back to his
camp.
The universal desire to express to him the
unab2ted love and confidence of the army
had led to the formation of the gunners OF
q few battaliOns of artillery along
the roadside, with orders to take
of their hats in silence as he rode
by. When he approached, however, the
men could not be restrained, but burst into
the widest cheering, which the adjacent
infantry lines took up, and, breaking ranks,
they all crowded around him, cheering at
the tops OF their voices General Lee
stopped bis horse. and, after gaining silence,
made the only speech to his men that he
ever made. He was very brief, and gave no
excuses or apologies for his surrender. but
said he had done all in his power for his
men, and urged them to 20 as quickly and
quietly to their homes as possible, to re-
sumo peaceful avocations, and to be as good
ctlizsns as they had been soldiers, and this
advice marked the course which he himself
pursued so faithfully to the end.
*rhe surrender took place in the hsuss Of a
al a mt Nxyhn H.,