The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1882-05-27


"Yes." repeated Dr. Patterson. the obliging
physician Of the village. I'VE had school there all
last winter.
"weli | shouid-irrAdiate. remarked my
iocosc companion. who was here with Sheridan
sixteen years ago.
"lIut where were the prisoners?' protested !;
"the thieves, vagabonds. eut.throats. iorgcrs aud
awful creatures Of that kindY"
"why, sir, sometimes AppomattoX Jail Is with
out tenant Of that class for two or three years
we are a law.abiding people and love God"
An begad, strangers, interrupted less pol
ished native: "ef ye feel Kind o thirsty yen lie
bieegei ter 9 way from heah ter git yo' lieker
cause there amt drap o the critier in ole Ap
| pomattox."
such was my Introduction to the scene Of Lees
surrender and Grants triumph-as peaceful and
pleasant spot ne can be found on the continent.
What I take to be the common idea of the where
abouts of the out.of the way Court House and its
apple tree l. that they aFe lying around loose
where within an hours ride or 50 Of Petersburg.
At least that was my notion until tried 10 get
here. I had forgotten that when Lee LETT his
Cockadc City lines and that when Grant unleash
ell his army In hot pursuit the worn veterans ol
| the one and the jubilant host Of the other
| pushed westward on level land for Eve full days
80 il that when. with fellow-travelcr of
chance acquaintance. got out of the ears at Ap.
| pomattox Station on the Souihside Railroad | was
surprised TO learn that the smoke of busy Lynch
burg could be secn clear days just over among
the mountains 10 the west. The station IL a
scraggy collection Of stores. which apparently have
more clerks than customers. The ride thence to
the cour, House IL three miles northwarl. across
Hat fields and through thick timber. Until We is.
sued upon the Apponattox Valley the only thing
that relieved trot otherwise tiresome was the
sight Of a score of little darkeyS at play around
school house. on the s;oop Of which "a; the white
haired and strong armed swinger Of the hickory
CAD.
ArroHATToX ~ BEAUTIFUL VALLEY.
But as soon n we got tot the woods and drew
near the village the whole surroundings took upon
themselves that which forced our close scrutiny
and admiration. The Court House Landscape.
made up Of little valley and It's bordering hills,
seemed to me TO be n soft and pleasant picture
As one could wish 20 see. To the right from the
roadway stretch rolling lands and 20 the left are
similar elearings, with a plantation house quar-
ter of mile distant. in the midst Of its fields
Beyond aud in the direction We were driving the
road runs down n long declevity. Al the foot of
the hill 10 the Appomatiox, and crossing this
| stream. here mere rivuiet. the road ascends at
slight grade until IL Il lost 90 sight In the horizon
line to the north. Up the valley are hllocky feld'
and down the valley, which curves 90 the south.
are hillside groves. Where now rein in our
horses 90 get mental picture of the sketch oi roll
ing earth. Grant once Stood as with field glass he
scanned the tent dotted slope whereon Lee's last
bivOuae was made. The sunlight Is soft. the sky
il Of pearl. the air Is perfumed with the breath
Of the pine. the oak and the locust. and far away
rise the Peaks of Otter. pyramids of blue beauty.
| standing as sentinel towers hard by the gaieaay
| of the sun.
Slightly below the psint from which We zee these
sights IL the Cour; House village. IL IL snusged
| up against the hill. half way down the slope. and
| il nearly hidden By shade trees. As We move on
| We pass q graveyard that covers less than
square rood of ground. Within the enclosure. as
our driver tells Us. buried the last victims of
I u. a.
Of burial are wooden ones. and the only tombstones
are such rude rocks as have been gathered from
| the highway. A few hundred yards further along
the road wc come to the Mclean House. the place
| Of surrender, and a moment later We hitch
horses in front of the Court House. in the heart of
the little settlement.
AS OnD LITTLE PLACE.
II 10 plain at fret glance iha; the village Wa
built with M eye 60 the geometrieal. The half
| acre Of grassy ground In which squats the Court
House l. Of ociasonai cut and hedge. -Four short
| streets form n square around the ociagon and
along the outer rides Of the streets are the one
hotel. the three stores and the thirteen dwellings
that constitute the village. The cour; House is
n brick building oflow pitch In grove Of oensis.
Stone steps lead in steep succession up 10 porch.
passing which Judge and juror fnds himself in the
| hall Of justice. Blackstone l. uppermost In the
| main room, but In the basement below the Bible
holds sway. for upon occasion the Court House
can serve a. n church. the Jail looks like brick
dwelling, aad its harmless appearance 10 in keep
ing with every other thing abou, the delightful
village.
"The only excitement We have" said Dr. Pat
| terson. "are in court weeks Court met yesterday
and Colonel Readjuster Cameron spoke here. but.
As you see. there isn't much STIR. Yes. the apple
| tree place Il beyond the creek there, andy the
way, do you sec that house, Well, there's where
Mr.. Peers lives in the yard Of his house the last
| Confederate gun fired In Virginia went OF on the
Sunday morning of the surrender. On the other
side Of the county building Is the Mclean House;
do you see, gentlemen THAT brick house.
| ~ AT rHE srAEr ASp DEATH.
wewent 10 the Mclean house and were pleasant
| ~ greeted by iis occupant. Mrs. y. d. Ragiand.
surrender. In 1861 Wilmer Mclean, quiet ciii.
ren. owned farm near Bull Run stream. In Prince
| William county. When on Sunday, the 2ist Of
July In that year the great armies FLASHED for the
FIRST time. his fields were devastated aud his home
despoiied. lie jumpcd at the conclusion that the
war would be waged in front of Washington. and
so TO get away from the fuss, he Pocketed his
household goods and moved southwark TO the un-
i troubled hills Of Appomattox. Strange does IL
seem that he shoald have beheid the hrst act aud
the last act Of the of Virginia. but IL i'm
mediately around him that the conflict had Its be-.
ginning and end. lie was at Manassas when then
the gay young rebel. sashed aud plumed. gave
Mcdowell that FIRST sOckdologer. and he was here
| at Appomattox when the same rebel-ragged.
shoeiess, shirtless. the recipient Of a thousand
biOws-staeked arms forever.
WHERE THE WAR ESpED.
| In Mrs. MeI.ean's parior Grant aud Lee met TO
/ agree upon the terms of surrender. The house is
q two. story brick structure with porch extend.
Ing the full length of It's front. II was intended
originally for = tavern. The yard 10 . large
square grass plot, bOrdered by six towering locust
trees. huge willow that stood a, 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. Al the edge of the porch are = number Of
| Teranium pots with flowers In bloom. The palings
are white with fresh coat of lime, and altogether
the property u as neat and pretty As IL is posi-
BILE 10 make u. A wide hall leads from the porch
through the middle Of the house. II was with one
room only-the parlor TO the len Of the entrance
that the commanders had anything TO do. An
alleged engraving of the historic conference hangs
over the parlor door. bat the villagers Say tha,
several Of the Federal officers who show their Gne
uniforms In the picture not present except In
the engravers accommodating eye. The room
wsaid seat comfortably dfty or more persons.-
There u q window st each end and both windows
are vide. The ere place 10 screamed By pictured
board. Around the room portraits of Rag.
land beauties and beaux. aud while Mrs. Rag
lands furniture aud ornaments make the historic
parior quite pretty they also make Il commonplace
The biz chair In the corner suggests tender court
ing episodes rather than incidents Of hard cam.
paigning.
a nl,ssant hreeze vas suaxine the tons Of ths