Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1883-10-27

THE HERO OF APP0BIATTOX INTER-
RUPTS BANK BUSINESS WITH HIS
"REMINISCENCES

REMINIsCENsEs.
Lons Branch letter.
a gentleman IN this neighboyIlood
one Of the directors Of tie United
States National Bank Of New York,
of which Gen. Graut is also q direc-
tor, tells Of a most Interesting meet
ing Of tile directors q short time
ago. Tie writer ef this incident
has beea reading Gen Sheridan's
article on Lees surrender ii the
North American Rerier, ard when
Gen. Grant entered, after al the
members of tire bank had assembled,
lie mentioned 10 him what he had
been reading, aud asked bin If he
had any objection to crafty those
presently his personal "reminiscences
of that momentus occasion. For
once Gen. Grant was in the humor
to talk and talked well for over an
hour ON all branches of the subject,
giving a 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 books
were closed by the vice president of
the bank who declared the meeting
adjourned to listen to this chapter of
history. Gen. Grant himself show
ed much emotion at times. Speak
ing of the meeting of himself and
Gen. Lee, when the latter came to
arrange with him the terms of sur
render, he says they shook hands as
old comrades in the army, and first
talked over West Point experiences,
and those Of their army life at the
same stations elsewhere, in matter
of-course way, as il they had again
met under ordinary circumstances.
Then Gen. Lee said to him, "Gen.
Grant, we come here, each repre-,
resenting our own country, to treat
with each other.n mot So firmly
said Gen. Grant we do not repre-
sent two countries, but one" He
said that more than once. When
Gen. Lee used the same form Of ex.
preston he interrupted him, insist.
ing that but one nation was repre-.
sented by both of theij. His whole
idea, rs understood by his auditors,
was to convey to Gen. Lee the i'm
preston that ii was not two foreign
nations that had warred against each
other, but paternal government,
which, having sufficiently chastised
a naughty child, was willing to fol
give and receive the child again asa
child on conciliatory terms.
Gen. Grant said that he sat down
at the table in the memorable Nc
Clean farm house and wrote out the
terms of the surrender, and that
when Gen. Lee saw them and he
(Gen. Grant said to him: Let
yonr officers and men keep all
yonr h,rses; we don't want them,
and they will need them, for it viii
soon be time for them to resume
their farming. want all of you to
take your horses home with you"
Gen, Lees eyes filed with tears,a
he said more than once, as he read
the terms OF surrender, "This will
have splendid effect at the SOUTH"
Gen. Grant further said to him:
"Now, this war should all be over.
You, with your influence at the
south, should see to it that not an
other gun is fired, not another life
lost After this life lost would be
a murder and you can prevent it,"
Gen. Lee answered, "Well, / will
speak to Mr.. Davis about it," Gen.
Grant, in telling the story, added
"if that had been Joe Johnson in
stead 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, but Lee
did not like to take the responsibili'
ty of making the pledge to stop the
fighting at once until he had con-
suited with Davis"
CARES OF LIFE. - As we come
TO then they are received, borne
with. and pass over with no
more than thought, if we are in