The Cecil Whig., 1882-06-03
WHERE THE WAR ENDED.

render. The house is two-story brick
structure with porch extending the full
length of its front. 1t was intended or
iginally for a tavern. The yard is a large
square grass plat, bordered by six tow
ering locust trees. A huge willow that
stood at the time of the surrender has
been cut away, stump and all In the
middle of the yard is well of sweet
water. The summer house that once
covered the well is gone. At the edge of
the porch are a number of geranium pots
with flowers in bloom. The palings are
/ white with a fresh coat of lime. and al
together the property is as neat and pref
/ ty as it is possible to make it. \ wide
hall leads from the porch through the
middle of the house 1t was with one
/ room only-the parlor to the left of the
entrance-that the commanders had any
/ thing to do. An alleged engraving of
the historic conference hangs over the
| parlOr door. but the villagers say that
! several OF the Federal officers who show
/ their fine uniforms in the picture were
not present except ill the engraver's ac-
/ commodating eye. The room would seat
comfortably fifty or more persons. There
is a window at each end and both win
! dows are wide. The fireplace is screened
| by pictured board. Around the room
are portraits of Ragland beauties and
beaux and while Mrs. highlands furniture
and ornaments make the historic parlOr
/ quite pretty they also make it common
place. The big chair in the corner sug-
gests tender counting episodes rather
than incidents of lard campaigning.
a pleasant breeze was swaying the tops
of the locusts as we left the Mclean
house and passed on through the village,
clear over which my companion swore
that he could knock a base ball in sky
1 scraping curve. Here at his wheelwright
shop fell the dashing Root the last Off
Ger of the Army of the Potomac to die.
Further on We see an oak and black gum,
uninteresting of their own account, but
which enable the villager to get the
bearings of the now up torn locust where
Grant and Lee first met to talk. That
spot is in an open field, about two hun
dred yards north of the Court House and
we'll down the slope towards the Apo
mattox When we forded that stream
the clear, spring water flowing over sandy
bottom did not SO much as wet the hubs
,,f l. ,p 81
yards in width at this time, though in
stormy weeks when the red soil above
takes to itself something of the tluidity
rs well as the color Of blood, the rivulet
swells into a river and passes eastward
its one hundred and fifty miles to the
James with rush and roar that tell of the
highland bed wherein it was born. The
source of the stream is three miles above
"a spring that is visited daily by darkey
boys who ba ance buckets upon their
heads with as much dexterty as the
thumb of the sweet swell at Long Branch
throws into the twirl of his cane.
At THE APPLE TREE
The spot where stood Lees apple tree
is soon reached, as leaving the creek we |
go part of the way up the slope and |
halt by 4 roadside orchard Persons |
have said that the hole left by the re-
moval of the stump is now visible. If |
so it is microscopic. The driver showed |
us near bout and "but nigh the |
nj W hnr ha h,l I,
day after the surrender the tree was re-
moved root and branch by soldiers who
wanted relies to take home to their sweet
hearts. And as apple wood is apple
wood, several other trees in the same or
chard were cut up into relics also. This
season crop of oats was taken by Farm
er L. &. Hicks from the field, and Sep
tember stubble now makes the whole
hillside brown. 1t is true that Lee held
a brief council under the apple tree and
the story of the tree is not myth.
LEES APPLE TREE, LOCUST AND POPLAR.
The weary leader was hemmed in OH
all sides. The thousand days of fighting
come. The Army of Northern Virginia
had spent its strength in many manGu-
vers, the tireless marches and in terrific
battles. Hungry, sore and sick the poor
remnant of a once seemingly invincible
host now under the bright light of an
April moon slept its last sleep with the
knapsack for its pillow. From the apple
tree the rebel chief sent out his white
sign of peace-a poor, torn rag, but how
fateful. Riding down hill and across the
stream he met Grant near the locust.
County Clerk George 7. Peers saw Grant
and Lee meet They saluted, chatted,
touched hats, wheeled and rode in oppo-
site directions. To appearance it was an
ordinary meeting of two mounted men.
Soon afterwards Lee returned from the
further side of the creek and, with Grant,
entered the Mclean house. Then the
vanquished captain rejoined his comrades
and under poplar, now tlourishing in
its growth on the farm of J. w. Flood,
one mile northeast of the Court House. |
babe farewell to battle fields.
Here ended the long, fierce, ptiless
struggle which in the record of the
worlds wars vastly overtops Ill Others |
Following the lines of SCARED earth from
Manassas hithcr, youth predisposed to |
carp becomes aware of the smal.ness of |
the closest critics and of after battle val |
iants. He feels that the war was waged |
under mighty impulse, and that those |
who fought overcame obstacles to which |
the labor of Hercules were as the tricks |
of toys. The footprints Of the grand |
armies will outlast the generations that |
made them and grow to gigantic breadth |
aud import for those who come after
Myriad graves border the grounds of the
combat, but peacefully above each battle
field the flag Of the Mon has its place.
A LAWYER WITHOUT A SHIRT
COLLAR.
The Supreme Court of the United
States is the embodiment of dignity and |
ponderous solemnity. The justices are
hedged about by bristling points of eti- |