The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1885-08-05
WHY THE SOUTH GRrEvEs.
Ihe Conqueror OF Lees Army Persist
entity Protected Them After
the Surrender.

1he Conqueror OF Lees Army Persist
entity Protected Them After
the Surrender.
BALTIMORE, July 2S.-The Sun,
among other "reminiscences OF Gen.
Grant, publishes the following: At
ter his surrender General Lee said !:
Gas to my own fate, / know not
what is in store for me. l believe
that the politicians at Washington
are bent on the most extreme meas
ures, and, if they have their way will
stop at no humiliation they can heap
on me. NY sole reliance is in Gen.
eral Grant. | have faith in his hon
or and his integrity as soldier, and
do not believe that he will permit
the terms of my surrender or the pa
role given me to be violated"
As the sequel will show, General
Lee was correct in his opinion of the
great Federal commander. After
the assassination of President Lin
coin, Secretary of War Stanton and
the Cabinet had determined to retail
late by the execution of Jefferson
Davis, General Lee and other South
ern leaders. General Grant was TAX
ing little rest at the time on the
banks of the Delaware and was tele-
graphed for to meet the Cabinet in
Washington for the purpose of hav-
ing him carry the bloody determina-
ton of the administration into effect.
Mr.. r. S. Mccullough, of Baton
Rouge, La, who was for some time
an associate of General Robert E.
Lee in Washington and Lee Uni
versity, az Lexington, Va, and who
is in every way entitled TO the high
est credence and confidence, says
that the late Mr.. John w. Garrett
told him that lac was sent to inform
the General as to what was expected
of him, and to escort him to the cap
ital. When told what it was propos-
ed to do through his instrumentality,
General Grant said: "They shall
take my sword firstl" And when
Grant met the Cabinet few hours
later he said the same to them. His
sword was not taken because the ci-
william did not live who would dare
at that day to put an unsoldiery
stain upon the idol of the Union ar
my.
LEES FAITH IN GRANT.
So General Lee and other gallant
gentlemen, who scorned as much as
anyone the crime that martyred
Lincoln, were saved from the wrath
of the vindictive leaders of the con-
quering party, Mr.. Mccullough
says upon his return to Lexington
from Baltimore, where he had met
Mr.. Garrett, that he repeated to Gen
eral Lee what the former gentleman
had told him, and added that it
might be news to him. General
Lee admitted that it was, but in
stantly replied: Il can add to it
for you" And then told Mr.. Nc
Cullough that one of his kinsmen,
hearing a rumor that military trials
and executions we're contemplated,
and apprehending trouble, went to
Washington, aud was then making
inquiry. Learning of his visit, Cen
eral Grant sent for him and said !:
please go to Lee for me, and tell
him to have no fears; that the Gov
eminent must respect what the army
has done, and that not an officer or
private to whom terms of surrender
and parole have been concluded
shall be disturbed"
Not long after this the grand jury
of the court of the notorious Judge
Underwood, at Norfolk, Va, indicted
General Lee and other prominent
Coniederates for treason. On June
13 General Lee forwarded his appli-
cation for amnesty under the proc
lamation of President Johnson and
the terms of the surrender of the
Army of Northern Virginia. The
following appears on file at the War
Office in Washington:
RICHMOND, Va, June 13. 1865
Lee, General r. E.: For benefits and
full restoration of all rights and priv
ileges extended to those included in
amnesty probation of the President
of 26th May, 1865, respectfully for
warded through the Secretary of War
to the President with earnest recon-
mendation that the application of
General Robert Z. Lee for amnesty
and pardon be granted him. The
oath of allegiance required by recent
order of the President does not ac-
company this, for the reason, as am
informed by General Ord, the order
requiring it had not reached Rich.
mond when this was forwarded.
u. 5. GRANT,
Lieutenant General"
Headquarters Armies of the Unit
ed States, 10th June 1S65.-In my
opinion the officers and men paroled
at Appomattox Court House, and
since upon the same terms given to
Lee, cannot be tried for treason so
long as they observe the terms OF
their parole. This is my under
standing. Good faith as we'll as true
policy dictate that we should observe
the conditions of that convention.
But bad faith on the part ofthe Gov
ernment, or construction of that
convention subjecting officers to tri-
al for treason, would produce feel
ing of insecurity in the minds of all
paroled officers and men. If SO dis
poseu they might even regard such
an infraction of terms by the. Gov
eminent as an entire release from
all obligations on their part.
II will state, further, that the
! terms granted by me met with the
hearty approval of the President at
the time. and of the people general
ly.
"The action of Judge Underwood,
in Norfolk, has had an injurious eff
feet, and | would ask that be be or.
dered to quash all indictments found
against paroled prisoners OF war, and
to desist from further prosecution Of
them. U. S. GRANT,
: Lieutenant General"
T0mbs of the Presidents.