Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1883-08-15

GRANT AND LEE. The Hero of Appo
matoD Interrupts Bank Business wjth His
"reminiscences "A gentleman in this
neighborhood, one of the directors of the
United States national bank of New York
of which Gen. Grant is also a director, has
told of most interesting meeting of the
board of directors q short time ago. The
narrator of The incident had been reading
Gen Sheridan's article on Lees surrender,
in the North American RevieW, and when
Gen Grant entered. after all the member
of the board had assembled, he mentioned
to him what he had been reading and
asked him if he had any objection to graf
flying those present by his personal rem
iniscences of that momentous occasion,
For once Gen. Grant was in the humor to
talk and talked we'll for over an hour on
all branches Of the subject, giving clear
concise history of the days preceding the
surrender and all the events connected
with it. The narrator says all present
were thrilled by the recital and the bank
books were closed by the vice president oi
the bank, who declared he meeting
journed to listen to this chapter OF
history. Gen. Grant himself showed
much emotion at times. In speaking ol
the meeting of himself and Ge1 ". Lee when
the latter came to arrange with him the
terms of surrender, he said that they shook
hands as old comrades in the amy and
fiji st talked over West Point experiences
and those of their army life at the same
stations elsewhere, in Il matter of course
way, as if they had met again under ordi.
nary circum stances. Then when Gen. Lee
said to him, Gen. Grant, we come here
each representing our own country, to
treat with eace other" mot >o,' firmly
said Gen. Grant, eve do not represent two
countries but one" He said that more
than once When Gen. Lee used The same
form of expression he Interrupted him
insisting that but one nation was repre-
sented by bo.h of them. His whole idea
as understood by his auditors, was 10 con-
vey to Gen. Lee the impression that it was
not two foreign nations that warned
against each other, but a paternal COVER n.
ment, which, having sufficiently chastised
naughty child, was willing to forgive and
receive the child again as a child on con.
ciliatory terms.
Gen. Grant said that he sat down at the
table in the memorable McClcan farm,
house and wrote out the terms of the sur,
render, and that when Gen. Lee saw them
and he (Gen. Grant, said to him: LET
your officers and men keep their horses
we don't want them and they will need
them, for it will soon be time for them tc
begin their farming, and they will want
the horses to help them; | want all of you
to take your horses home with you," Gen
Lees eyes filled with tears, and he said
more than once, as he read the terms Of
the surrender, This will have splendid
effect at the SOUTH"
Gen. Grant further said to him: "Now
this war shall be over. You, with your
influence at the south, should see to il tina
not another gun is fired, not another life
is lost. After this Il life lost in any figh'
would be murder, and you can prevent
it," Gen. Lee answered. ''well | will
speak 10 Mr.. Davis about it, Gen Grant
in telling the story, added: "lf it had
been Jo johnson instead of Lee, he would
never have said that. He would himself
have assumed the responsibility of declar-
ing that the war should be over on his
side, as did on mine, bat Lee did not like
to take the responsibility of making that
pledge to stop the fighting at once until he
had consulted with Davis"