Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-06-09
APPOMATTOx, AGAIN.
GRANTS "REMINISCENCES.

Fiction General G.sc's Psrsennt Appear
snee sud Besrins.
fBy telegraph 10 the Dispatch.1
New YORK, june 8.--General
Grants book, to be published in few
months, will contain the following reni-
niscepccs of Lees surrender !" ! found
General Lee had been brought into our
lines and conducted to a house belong
ing TO Mr.. Mclean, and was there with
one Of his staff-ofiicers waiting my ar
rival. The head Of his column was
occupying hill, portion of which
was an apple-orchard, across o
little valley from the courthouse.
Sheridan's forces were drawn up in line
Of battle on the crest of a hill Oh the
south side Of the same valley. Before
stating what took place between Gene
raj Lee and myself will give all there
is Of the narrative Of General Lee
and the famous spple-tree. Wars
produce many stories 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 apple-tree is one OF
those fictions, with q slight foundation
of facts. As | have said, there was
an apple-orchard on the side Of the hill
occupied by the Confederate forces.
Running diagonally up the hill was
wagon road, which at one point ran
very near one of the trees, so that
the wheels on that side had cut
off the roots of the trees, which made
little embankment. General Bah
cock reported to me that when he first
met General Lee he was sitting upon
this embankment with his feet in the
road and leaning against the tree. 1t
was then that Lee was conducted
into the house where / first met
him. | had known General Lee
in the old army, and had served
with him in the Mexican war,
but did not suppose, owing to the diff
ference in our ages and rank, that he
would probably remember me, while |
would remember him more distinctly
because he was chief engineer on the
staff Of General Scott in the Mexican
war. When / had left the camp that
morning l had not expected the
result so soon that then was
taking place, and consequently
was in rough garb, and, | believe,
without n sword, as usually was when
on horseback on the field, wearing a
soldiers blouse for coat, with
Of my rank to indicate
who | was to the army. When | went
into the house j 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 impenetrable face,
it was impossible to say whether he
felt inwardly glad that the end had
finally come, or whether he felt sadly
over the result and was too manly to
show it. Whatever his feelings were,
they were entirely concealed from
observation, but my own feel
ings, which had been quite
on receipt Of his letters
were sad and depressed. felt like
rather than rejoicing at the
downfall Of foe that had fought so
long and so CALAMITY, and had suffered
so much for cause which | believed to
be one of the worst for which people |
ever fought and for which there
was not the least pretext. | do
not question, however, tie sincerity of
the great mass Of those who were OPP
posed to us. General Lee was dressed
in full uniform, entirely new. and wear
ing a sword Of considerable value--very
likely the sword that had been presented
by the State of Virginia. At all events,
it was an entirely different sword
from one that would ordinarily be
worn in the field. In my rough
which was the uniform
Of private with the straps Of gene
raj, / must have contrasted very
strangely with the man so handsomely |
dressed, six feet high, and of faultless
rorm. But this was not matter that
thought of until afterwards. Gene
al Lee and | soon fell into con-
1ersation about the old army |
lines. He remarked that he remem-
oered me very well in the old
,rmy, and told him as matter Of
course / remembered him perfectly, but
owing to the difference in years-there
being about sixteen years difference in |
,ur ages--and to our rank, thought it
very likely / had not attracted his at
IGNITION sufficiently to be remembered
after such long period. Our CONVEX
sation grew so pleasant that /
almost forgot the object Of our
meeting. General Lee at that time was
accompanied by one of his staff officers,
Colonel Marshall. had all Of my
staff with me, good portion Of whom
we're in the room during our interview.
''ln an article on the battle of
Shiloh which | wrote for the Century
Magazine stated that General
A. Med. McCook, who commanded
4 division Of Buell's army, expressed
some unwillingness to pursue the enemy
on Monday. April eth, because Of the
Of his troops. General Ba-
deau, in his history, also makes the
same statement on my authority. Out
Of Justice to General McCook and. his
command | must say that they
left point twenty-five miles east of
Savannah on the morning Of the 9th.
From the heavy rains Of few
days previous and the passage Of trains
and artillery the roads were necessarily
deep in mud, which made the marching
slow. The division had not only march
ed through this mud the day before,
but it had been in the rain all night
without rest. 1t was engaged in
the battle Of the second day and did
as good service as its position allow
ed. In fact. an opportunity occurred
for it to perform conspicuous act of
gallantry, which elected highest COM
mendation from division commanders
in the Army of the Tennessee. General
Sherman, in both his memoirs and re-
port. makes mention Of this fact. Gen
eral McCook himself belonged to fam
lily which furnished many volunteers to
the army. Irefer to these circumstances
with minuteness, because | did General
NcCook Injustice in nv article in the