The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1885-07-08

Telling the story OF Appomaisoz.


Telling the Story Of Appomattox.
General Grants book, to be pub
lisbed in q few months, will contain
the following "reminiscences OF Lees
surrender
II found General Lee had been
brought into our lines and conduct
ed to a house belonging to Mr.:
Mclean, and was there with one OF
his staff officers waiting my arrival.
The head of his column was occupy
ing a hill, q portion of which was an
apple orchard, across the little va
lev from the court house. Sheridan s
forces were drawn up in line of bat
lie ON the crest of the bill on the
south side of the same valley.
Before stating what took place
between General Lee and myself 1
will give all there is of the narrative
of General Lee and the famous ap-
ple tree. Wars produce many sto-
ries of fiction, some of which are
told until they are believed The
war of the rebellion was fruitful in
the same way. The story of the ap-
ple tree is one of those fictions,
with a slight foundation OF fact.
THE APPLE TREE.
"As 1 have said, there was an ap-
ple orchard on the side of the hill
occupied by the Confederate forces.
Running diagonally up the hill was
a wagon road, which at one point
ran very near on the trees, so that
the wheels on that side had cut of
the roots of the tree, which made a
little embankment. Gen. Babcock
reported TO me that when he first
met General Lee he was sitting on
this embankment, with his feet In
the road and leaning against the
tree. 1t was then that General Lee
was conducted into the house where
first met him. / had known Gen.
Lee in the old army, and had serv-
ed with him in the Mexican war,
but did not suppose, owing to the
difference in our ages and rank, that
he would probably remember me
while | would remember him more
distinctly, because he was the CHIEF
engineer on the staff of Gen. Scott IN
the Mexican war. When | had left
camn that morning l had not ex-
pected the result so soon that was
then taking place, and consequently
was in rough garb, and / believe
without a sword, as ! usually was
when on horseback on the field
wearing a soldiers blouse for a coat,
with shoulder straps of my rank TO
indicate who l was to the army.
AN ESTIMATE OF LEE.
"When / went into the house |
found General Lee. We greeted
each other and after shaking hands
took our seats. What his feelings
were / do not know. Being man
of much dignity and with an impen-
etrable face, it was impossible to say
whether he felt inwardly glad that
the end had finally ccme, or wheth.
er he felt sadly over the results and
was too manly to show it. Whatev-
er his feelings were they were entire,
ly concealed from observation but
my own feelings, which had been
quite apparent on receipt of his let.
ter, were cad and depressed. felt
like anything rather than rejoicing
at the downfall of a foe that had
fought SO long and gallantly and had
suffered SO much for a cause which
| believed to be one of the worst for
which people ever fought and fol-
which there was not the least pre-
text. / do not question, however
the sincerity of the great mass OF
those who were opposed to US.
General Lee was dressed in full
uniform, entirely new, and wearing
sword of considerable value, very
likely the sword that had been pre-
sented by the State of Virginia. Al
all events it was an entirely different
sword from the one that would or
dinarily be worn in the field. In
my rough travelling suit, which was
the uniform of a private, with the
straps Of general, / must have con-
trastsd very strangely with man &c
handsomely dressed, six feet high
and of faultless form. But this was
not matter that I thought of until
afterward.
General Lee and / soon fell into
a conversation about old army
times. He remarked that he re-
membered me very well in the OLD
army and l told him, as a matter o.
course, remembered him perfectly
but owing to the difference in years
there being sixteen years differ.
ence in our ages-and our rank,
thought it very likely / had not at.
tracted his attention sufficiently te
be remembered after such a long pc.
riod. Our conversation grew sc
pleasant that / almost forgot the OBJ
ject of our meeting. General Lee a,
that time was accompanied by one
of his staff officers, a Col. Marshall
had all of my staff with me, gooc
portion of whom were in the
room during the whole of the inter
view.
JUSTICE TO M'cooK.
"In an article on the battle of Shi
loh which / wrote for the Centur,
Magazine, stated that General A
McD. McCook, who commanded &
division Of Buell's army, expressed
some unwiilingness TO pursue tn,
enemy on Monday, April z, because
of the condition of his troops. Gen
Badeau, IN his history, also make.
the same statement on my authori
ty. Out of justice to Gen. McCook
and his command / must say thai
they lefta point twenty-five miles
east of Savannah on the morning o.
the 9Th. From the heavy rains Of 4
few days previous and the passag,
of train0end artillery the roads wer'
necessarily deep in mud. which
made marching slow. The division
had not only marched through thii
mud the day before, but it had beer
in the rain all night without rest. l
was engaged in the battle of the sec
ond day and did as good service n