The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1883-07-10
sHERIDAI'N's n STORY
OF THE Final surrender OF the Com
tederate Army at Apponlattox. z


The second article in the North Amer
ican Review this month is aThe List,
Days of the Rehellion. by General 2
H Sheridan. General Sheridan writes
of events which occurred in the Virgin
ia campaign hetween April 4, 1865, and
the scene at AppolnattoxY Court house
on April 9. On the morning of the 9Th
he says that happiness was in every
heart. Our long and weary labors were
about to- close, our dangers soon to end.
There was no sleep; there had heen but
little Tor the previous eight or nine days.
Before esunis Genefal Osl came 10, re-,
porting the near approach of biscom-
mana After hasty consultation about
positions to be taken up BY the incom-
ing troops we were in the saddle and off
for the front in the vicinity OF Appo-
mattox Courthouse" Finally they
reached point opposite that place, and
where, below. them "in low valley. lay
Lee and the remnant Of his army
With one or two exceptions, there did
not appear to be much organic ition in
tue enemy, so that "formstlons were i'm.
mediately commenced to make bold
and sweeping charge down the grassy
slope, when an aid-de-camp from Gus
ter, filed with excitement. hat in hand,
dashed up to me with the message from
bis chief: "Lee has surrendered do not
charge; the white f,g is up!" Otders
un thon riry To IN tho
ton, but not to charge As they ap-
preached the courthouse, however, q
heavy fire was opened on them from a
skirt of timber to the right, and even
when within 100 or $50 yards of the
courthouse some of the men in the Con-
federate lines brought down their guns
to aim at the Union men, and "great eff
fort was made by their officers to keep
them from firing" General J. B. Cor
don, when fnally met, seemed to be
somewhat disconnected By the firing that
had taken place:
81 remarked to him: General Cor
don, your men fired on me as was
coming over here, and undoubtedly they
have done the same TO Merritt's and
Clusters commands. We might Just as
well let them fight it our To this prop
ositioG General Gordon did not accede.
| then asked: why not send staff of
fcer and have your people cease firing !?
They are violating the fagr He said !:
Il have no staff officer 10 send re-
piled: Il will let you have one, of mine,'
and calling for Lieutenant Vanderbilt
Allen, he was directed to report to. 6 n
eral Gordon and carry his orders. The
orders were to go to General Geary,
who was in command of small brigade
of South Carolina cavalry, an ask him
to discontinue the firing Lieutenant
Allen dashed off with tie message, but
on delivering it to General G ary, was
taken prisoner, with the remark from
that officer that he did not care for white
figs; that South Carolinians never sur
rendered"
OF the actual surrender of Lee later
in the day, Negotiations looking to which
had been going on for 8 day and d night,
General Sheridan says:
I'm the meantime. General Lee came
over to McEean's house in the village
of Gppomattox urt.house. avn not
certain whether General Blbcock, of
General G,aut's STAFF, who had arrived
In advance of the general, had gone
over to see him or not. We had waited
some hours, and ] think, about L or l
O'Clock General G ant arrived General
Ord, myself, and many officers were in
the main road leading through the town,
at point where Lees army was visible.
General Grant rode up, and greeted me
with, Sheridan, how are you?' l re-
plied,'I sm very well, thank you He
then said, where is EeeT / replied,
There is his srmy down in that valley;
he is over in that house fpointing out
McLean's). waiting to surrender to you
General Grant, still without dismount-
ing. said: Come, let as 60 over H.
then made the same request to General
Ord, and We ell went to Mel Leans house
Those who entered with General Grant
were, as nearly IS l can recollecr, O:d,
Rawlins, Seth Williams, Ingalls,, Bah
cock, Parker. and myself, the staff off.
GERS, or those who accompanied, remain
ing outside on the porch steps and in
the yard. On entering the psrlor we
found G neral Lee standiLg in compa
ny with Colonel Marshall. his aide-de-
camp The first greeting was to Sen,
eral Seth Williams, Who had been Lees
adjatant when he was superintendent of
the military acsdemv. General Lee was
then presented to General Grant, and
all present were introduced. General
Lee was dressed id & new gray Uniform,
evidently put on for the OCCASION, and
wore a handsome sword. He bad ON
his face the expression of relief from a
heavy burden. General G ants uniform
was solled with mui and service. and be
wore no sword After few W rds had
been spoken bv those who knew Genera
Lee, all the officers retired, except per
haps, one staff officer Of G General Grants
and the one who was with General Lee!
We hsd not been absent from the room
longer than FIVE minutes when General
Babcock came to the door end said, The
surrender has taken place-you can
come in again. When we re-entered
General Grant was writing on, a little
wooden. elliptical-shaped table (purcha
sed by me from Mr. Mclean and pre-
seuled to Mrs g. A. Custer the condi-
lions of the surrender. General Lee
was sitting. bis hand resting on the hilt
of his sword, to the left of General
Giant, with his hack TO 8 small MARBLE
topped table, on which many books were
piled.
4 About one hour was occu-
pied in drawing up, and signing the
terms, when General Lee retired from
the house with a cordial shake of the
hand with General Grant. mounted his
chunky, gray horse, and lifting his hat,
passed through the gate, and rode over
the crest of the hill to his army. On
his arrival there, we heard wild cheer
ing, which seemed to be tken up pro-
gressively by his troops, either for him,
or because Of satisfaction with his last
official act as a soldier"
A French lady, on, her arrival in ihi;
country, was careful to eat only suct
dishes as she was acquainted with, anc
being on one occasion pressed to par
take OF dish new to her. she politel.