Omaha daily bee., 1883-06-22

Of the Army Of the Potomac, and com
municated the conditions.
In the meantime Gen. Lee came over
TO McLean's house in the village Of APP
pomattox Court House. | am not GER
tain whether Gen. Babcock, of Gen.
Grants 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 IL or / o'clock Gen. Grant
arrived. Gen. Ord, myself and many
officers were in the man road leading
through the town, at a point where Lees
army was visible. Gen. Grant rode up
and greeted me with, SHERIDAN, how
are your | replied, 81 am very well,
thank you" He then said, "Where is
Leel" l replied, ''There is his army
down in that valley; he is over in that
house (pointing out McLean's), waiting
to surrender to you" Gen. Grant, still
without dismounting, said, ''Come, let
us go over" He then made the same re-
quest TO Gen. Ord, and we all went to
with Gen. Grant were, as near as | can
recollect, Ord, Rawlins, Seth Williams,
ingalls,, Babcock, Parker, and myself;
the staff officers, or those who %accompan-
led, remaining outside on the porch steps
and in the yard. On entering the par
lor we found Gen. Lee standing in com
pany with Col. Marshall, his aide-de-
camp.
H FIRST GREETING
was to Gen. Seth Williams, who had been
Lees adjutant when he was superintend-
ent of the military academy. Gen. Lee
was then presented to Gen. Grant, and
all present were introduced. Gen Lee
was dressed in a new gray uniform, evil
IDENTIFY put on for the occasion, and wore
q handsome sword. He had on his face
the expression of relief from q heavy
burden. Gen. Grants uniform was
soiled with mud and service, and he wore
no sword. After a few words had been
spoken by those who knew Gen. Lee, all
the officers retired, except, perhaps, one
staff officer of Gen. Grants and the one
who was with Lee. We had not been
absent from the room longer than about
the door and said: ''The surrender has
taken place-you can come in again"
When we re-entered, Gen. Grant was
writing on a little wooden, elliptical-
shaped table purchased by me from Mr..
Mclean and presented to Mrs. G.. A.
Custer) the conditions of the surrender.
Gen. Lee was sitting, his hands resting
on the hilt of his sword, to the left OF
Gen. Grant, with his back to a small
handicapped table, on which many
books were piled. While Gen. Grant was
writing, friendly conversation was Q
gagged in by Gen. Lee and his aid with
the officers present, and took from his
breast pocket two dispatches, which had
been sent to him by me during the fore
noon, notifying him that some of his cav
airy, in front of Crook, were violating the
agreement entered into by withdrawing.
l had not had time to make copies when
they were sent, and had made a
request to have them returned. He
had made a request to have them re-
turned. He handed them to me with
the remark, 81 am sorry. 1t is possible
my cavalry at that point of the
line did not fully understand the agree
ment."
About one hour wa occupied in draw
ing up and ,igning the terms, when Gen
eral Lee retired from the house with
cordial shake of the hand with Genera
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 W,
/ heard wild cheering, which seemed to b,
| taken up progressively by his troops
, either for him or because of satisfaction
with his last official act as a soldier.