The Somerset reporter., 1885-04-29
IPPOM1 TTOY
The True story ofhc Ippfe Tree
HOW LEE AvEnreD cnANnfnlnN's ATTACK.

HOW LEE AvERTED cHANBKRIAIN's ATTACK.
At the Chicago convention in 1850 seua
tor CoDkliBg bryan tie speech with winch
he nom mated Gen. Grant Tor the Presid H.
cy with cunplei which VS. thtu believed
to be his ewn compasitien.
II you AK us where be l4ils fun. this or .0e
re.pon.e shaA be,
That he hail, from Appomsttox alo is famous
apple tree
This was pronounced with the dramatic
force Of which The speaker was master,
aud brought ebout one OF the cost impes-
slye scenes ever Witnessed in political
gathering. The aliu-ion To- the apple tree
revived the recollection Of the climax Of
General Grants career The homely, and,
in fact. wholly hypothetical incident by
which General Lees surrender Was typfh-d
the Appomatto1 npple ire, has gone lLtO
history, with those other dramatic sym O.s
with which people epitomize the careers o!
their heroes, Ike Weliington's "EL,
Guards, aud at 'em.a Sneridan's .'Wincho--
ter Twenty Miles Away and 5herlnan's
Marching through Georgia" the only war
songs that survive, tell Tor The people the
story of success in breath. Aside from
his laconc utterances, General Grant laI
given the people no single dramatic Incl
story In a word, until this applo-tree myth
at the eHd OF his military career. The
de, patch that II IT, country IN fire with
Its simple announcement tnat Lee. had ST.
Rendered 10 Gran WIS followed By smother
asserting that the surrender had been
made under an apple tree, and the Country
made for Itself a picture of the two COIN
maneers bei cath the branches 81 a BIOS
somiDg apple tree, the one extending aud
the other receiving a sword, and thus eld-
ing the greatest war Of history.
When General Grant was 9-ked about II
some days later he said "Tncre was no
apple tree" Bat hi, sotiers had selected
one, had hewn ii into bits, aody, BRANCHES
roots and all, aud precious relics they are
now, scattered throughout the county.
1t was the opportunity of the write 70
meet two gentlemen on the APpumatt9x
He'd some years ago, who, a. civilians,
Witnessed tie historic events that OK
place there on April 8, 1865, just twenty
years ago. They were probooly the only
civilians who were eye witnesses at those
scenes. One was Mr.. L. G. Xix, the own
er of the AppomattoX farm, aud he other
Mr.. g. I. Peers, the clerk OF the App omat-
toX county court.
The Appomattox river threads valley,
very gently slopng. Il Is small and cas-
it, at the place where level plain sire Gu
es westward, is a hamlet known as Apo
mattox Court House Here are the dizzy
brick court house, tavern, a country
store, wheelWrite'5 shop, and q brick
house, then owned by Major McLane. Be
tween this hamlet and the AppomattoX
river is the house of Mr.. Peers. Ca the
eosterly slope leading to the river are field~,
aud one OF them seven acre lot, had at
the time of the surrender q she'd on it near
the road. In This lot was an apple orchard.
On the morning Of April s, 1860, the
main body of Lees army appeared on The
Richmond road, about a mile cas-. OF he
AppomattoX bridge. 1t went into camp
there and the cavalry aud skirmshers were
thrown rapidly forward through the village
toward the depot on the Petersburg and
Lynchburg railway, four miles 10 he west
They were feeling for Sheridans advance
forces, and they found them. Lee WAS IT.
formed that the Union troops were ahead
of him and commanded the Lynchburg
road. The Confederate generals last sim
hope was gone. He could not reach Lynch
burg, and he knew, though his army did
not at that time, in a few hours all would
be over. General Lee had already been in
correspondence with Grant relative to sur
render and when he found that Sheridan
had cut him OFF he determined to surrender
there at Appomaltox. The Confederate
pckets were thrcwn out on the west side
OF AppomattoX creek, crossing the roa 1i
rectly opposite Mr.. Peers's house
Through some misunderstanding on tie
morning OF the 9th of April Clusters cayal.
ry and General Chamberlaiu's brigade ad-
vanced toward Appomattox village 10
make an attack, though it vas not the in
tention of General Grant or of General
Lee that there should be any fighting Tat
day. General Grant having ridden pretty
much all night had arrived before morning
of the 9th, and had made his hea iquarter>
in grove of pines just off the Lynchburg
road about mile west of Appomal,eX
Court House. The spot is now the site Of
Il negro hut General Lee, whose head
quarters were about mile and half east
on the Richmond and Lynchburg road,
surprised that fighting was being forced by
the Union troops on his left, decided 10
quit his tent and ride to the front He be
leved that Custer and Chamberlain must
have been misinformed about General
Grants's purposes, or had failed 10 receive
orders suspending lighting. General Lee
was dressed in the uniform OF Conleder-
ate colonel, and calling his STAT, be
mounted his iron-gray horse and role
slowly forward down the slope toward the
Appomattox river. He turned into the az
pie orchard, probably thinking / at the
shed there offered shelter Tor the horses,
and because from that field good View
could be obtained of the entire country.
Dsmountiug. he, with his stan gathered
under an apple tree, while the horses We're
led to the shed. General Lee swept the
country with his field glass Tor a moment,
and then he sat down OMAN improvised
seat made from fence rails by one Of his or
derlies. Here he saw General Chamber
lan's brigade coming through the woods
ready to attack his advance. He at once
per eived hat there would be more blood
shed unless something was done, and gave
a hasty order TO one of his aids. That Of
ticer, with a piece of linen, either towel
or handkerchief, fastened 10 a stick, adj
vauced at once to meet General Chamber
lain Thus from under that tree went the
white token of surrender, and Chamber
lain's men supposed that there the sutren-
der was made.
Soon after federal officer passed
through both lines OF pickets. |. was
General Babcock bearing u message for
General Lee from General Grant arranging
for preliminary meeting. Ii was arrang-
ed that the two commanders should meet
within an hour. At the end OF that time a
number OF Union officers passed through
the federal picket line and rode slowly tow
ard the slope that stretshes down To the
Appomattox river. In the highway, inst
opposite Mr.. Peers's house, the mud was
very deep, and the Union officers turned
into the vacant field adjoining to avoid it.
Mr.. Peers saw one man, dressed in a rather
shabby blue uniform, and wearing felt
hat, ride a little ahead of the rest and then
rein In his horse nearly under locust tree
which was the only tree in the lot. This
was Grant. Looking down the hill Alr.
Peers saw General Lee riding slowly up
He knew the Confederate general but did
| not know Grant. General Lees face was
partially hidden by a gr'y felt hat When
| within hailing distance OF the Union com
mapder, General Lees staff fell back. and