Huntsville gazette., 1885-07-25

men had been deserving ana Stragglng by
thousands. He could not tell what num-
ber he had left All his public and private
papers had been destroyed to prevent
their falling into the Federal hands. Grant
finally inquired if %, 900 rations would suf-
flee. and Lee replied he thought that num-
ber would be enough. Twenty-Five thou
sand, therefore, was Lees estimate at APP
pomattox of the number he surrendered.
Grant turned to the officer of the commits
sariat on his staff and directed him to is
sue 25,000 rations that night to the Army
of Northern Virginia The order was
obeyed and before the rebels gave up their
arms they were fed by their enemies.
The formal papers were now signed, a few
more words were exchanged by the men
who had opposed each other so long, they
again shook hands, and Lee went to the
porch. The Union officers followed and
saluted him, and the military leader of the
rebellion mounted his horse and rode off to
his army, he and his soldiers prisoners of
war. As the great rebel entered his own
lines the men rushed up to their chief,
breaking ranks, and struggling to touch
his hand. Tears streamed down his cheeks
as he said ''Men, we have fought through
the war together. l have done the best |
could for YOU" They raised few broken
cheers for the leader they had followed in
so many a fierce battle and arduous march,
and the career of the Army of Northern
Virginia was ended. Grant also returned
at once to his headquarters, now pitched
almost at the front of Sheridan's command
As he approached the Union lines the news
had passed before him and the firing of
salutes began, but he sent at once TO stop
them. ''The war. is over" he said, "the
rebels are our countrymen again, and the
best sign of rejoicing after the victory will
be to abstain from all demonstrations in
the field" But he had not yet reported
the capitulation to the Government, and,
dismounting at the roadside, he.sat on
stone and called for paper and pencil. An
aid-de-camp offered his order book, and at
4:30 p. m. on Sunday, the 9th of April, he
announced the end of the rebellion in these
words:
Hon. E. NJ. STANTON, Secretary of Var,
Washington: General Lee surrendered the
Array of Northern Virginia this afternoon, on
terms proposed by myself, The accompany
ing additional correspondence will show the
conditions fully. q. S, GRANT.
Lieutenant-Gsneral.
The next day General Grant visited the
rebel lines and conversed with General
Lee. Both were convinced, Lee as firmly
as Grant, that the war was over, and Lee
expressed his satisfaction at the result.
Slavery, he said, was dead; the South was
prepared to acquiesce in this as one of the
consequences Of National victory. The
end had long been foreseen. The utter ex-
haustion of resources, the annihilation of
armies, which had been steadily going on
for year, could have but one termination.
Johnston, he said, would certainly follow
his example and surrender to Sherman,
and the sooner the rebel armies We're all
surrendered the better, now. Nothing
could be accomplished by further resist
ance. When Grant discovered that Lee
entertained these opinions he urged him to
address the rebel Government and people,
and use his great influence to hasten the
result which he admitted was not only in
evitable, but under the circumstances, de-
sirable. But this step Lee was not inclined
to take. He said that he was now pris-
oner of war, and felt a delicacy about ad-
vising others to put themselves in his po-
sition. But he had no doubt they would
speedily arrive at the same conclusion
without his urging.
Then the other Union officers took their
turns, shaking hands cordially with the
men whom they mad met in many a battle,
or with whom they had early shared tent
or blanket on the Indian trail or on the
Mexican frontier, with classmates of West
Point and sworn friends of bOyhood. Some
shed tears as they hugged each other after
years of separation and strife. Country
men all they felt themselves now, and not
a few of the rebels declared that they were
glad that the war had ended in the triumph
of the North. Their humility was marked;
they felt and said they had staked all and
lost. They inquired if they would be per-
mitted to leave the country, but none
dreamed they would ever regain their
property.
General Grant, confident that the war
was ended, as soon as the necessary ar
rangements could be made, proceeded to
Washington and engaged in the work of
disbanding the armies. When the work
was accomplished he established his head
quarters at Washington, and on July %,
1866, he was commissioned by Congress
General of the United States Army, an ex-
allied rank created especially for him. w hen
President Johnson suspended Stanton from
the post of Secretary of War on the 18th of
August, 1867, he appointed General Grant
ad interim Secretary of War, which place
he filled until January IA of the following
year, when, the Senate having refused to
sanction the removal of Stanton, the office
reverted to the latter. Grants reticence
on political matters such that the
country was completely in the dark as to
his opinions, but it was well known to some
of his intimate friends that he was Re-
publican in principle. He was generally
looked upon, however, as the coming
man, and on May u, 1868, he re-
ceived the nomination for President at
the hands of the Republican National Con-
vention, in session at Chicago. He defeated
his Democratic competitor, Ex-Governor
Seymour, of New York, by a decided ma
jority, and was inaugurated on the 4th of
March, 1869. His first term was notable
for his efforts to procure the annexation of
San Domingo in 1901, the Cuban and
Fenian filibustering in 1870, the treaty of
Washington in 1871, the Geneva arbitration
in 1872, and the progress of the work of
reconstruction, including the passage of
the so-called Kuklux law, followed by a
Presidential proclamation, and the sus-
pension of habeas corpus in the northern
counties of South Carolina.
The Republican National Convention in
Philadelphia, in June, 1872, renominated
Grant for the Presidency. The Cincinnati
Convention of the same year, at which the
liberal Republicans met failed to NOM
mate Charles Francis Adams, who was
supposed to represent all the ideas of de-
fection but it did nominate Horace Gree
ley. The opposition to General Grant was
not prepared to accept Mr.. Greeley, not
withstanding the National Democratic
Convention nominated him also, and Grant
was reelected by an overwhelming ma
jority. His second term was marked by
the passage of the supplementary Civil
rights bill, the veto of the Currency Infla-
tion bill, the passage of the bill for the re-
sumption of specie payments, the exposure
of the whisky ring, the downfall of Bel
KNAPP, member of the Cabinet, the attempt
to inaugurate Civil-service reform, and the
ever memorable Presidential campaign of
1867.
On retiring from the Presidency, March
4, 1877, General Grant was for the first me