The banner-enterprise., 1883-07-12
Lees Surrender.

General P. II. Sheridan, describing
in the North american Reciem event,
which occurred in the Virginia cam.
paign between April 4, 1865, and the
scene at Appomattox Court House on
April 9. OF the actual surrender of
General Lee, negotiations looking to
which had been going On for a day and
a night, General Sheridan says:
In the meantime General Lee came
over to McLean's house in the village
of AppOmattox Court House. l am
not certain whether General Babcock,
of General Grants staff, who had ar
rived in advance Of the general, ad
gone over to see him or not. We had
waited some hours, and, | think, about
l. or l o'clock General Ord arrived,
General Ord, myself and many officers
were in the main road leading through
the town, at a point where Lees army
was visible. General Grant rode up
and greeted mt with "Sheridan, how
are your" 1 repli d, II am
very well, thank you" He
then said, "Where is Lee?' 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.' General Grant,
still without dismounting, said, "Come,
let us 60 over" He then made the
same request to General Ord, and we
all went TO McLean's house. Those
who entered with General Grant were,
as nearly as | can recollect, Ord, Raw
Inns, Seth Williams, ingalls,, Babcock,
Parker and myself; the staff officers,
or those who accompanied, remaining
outside on the porch steps and in the
yard. On entering the parl3r we found
General Lee standing in company with
Colonel Marshall, his aide-de-camp.
The first greeting was to General Seth
Williams, who had been Lees adj jutant
when he vas superintendent of the
military academy. General Lee was
then presented to General Grant, and
al present were introduced. General
Lee was dressed in a new gray uni
form, evidently put on forthe occasion,
and wore a handsome sword. He hal
on his face the expression of relief
from aheavy burden. General Grants
uniform was soiled with mud and SER
vice and he wore no sword. After a
few words had been spoken by
those who knew General Lee,
all the officers retired, except,
perhaps, one staff officer of General
Grants and the one who was with
General Lee. We had not been absent
from the room longer than five min
uteS when General Babcock cane tothe
door and said, 1.-THE surrender has
TAX en- place-you can come in again."
When we re entered General Grant "a
writing on a little wooden, elliptical-
shaped table (purchased by Inc from
Mr.. Mclean, and presented to Mrs. &.
a. CUSTER the conditions of the surren-
der. General Lee was sitting, his hand
resting on the hilt of his sword, to the
left of General Grant, with rs back to
a small handicapped table, on which
many books were piled. 4 = About
one hour was occupied in drawing up
and signing the terms, when General
Lee retired from the house with a
cordial shake of the hand with General
mounted his chunky, gray
horse, and lifting his hat passed
the gate, and rode over the
rest of the hi | to his army. On his
there, we heard wild cheering,
Viii h seemed to be taken up pro-
yressively by his troops, either for him
r because of satiSfac ion with his last
,tficial act as a soldier.