The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1885-06-24
THE CHAIR OF APPoMArTox.
A Relic of Much interest.

II have the honor to bear the compliments
of Major General Longstreet to the general
in charge, and to say that Generals Lee and
Grant are in communication touching a sur
render of the confederate army of northern
Virginia, and to request a cessation of hos
tilities until the result is made known, said
Major Sims, General Longstreet's chief of
staff, as he approached General G. A. Custer
and staff, bearing towel in his hand, which
indicated to the great armies between which
he passed that he was an emissary of peace,
at Appomattox court house, on the morning
OF the 9th of April, 1865. General Custer.
gripping tie brim of his military hat with
his right hand and spasmodically pulling it
down several times, as was his custom when
in earnest, turned to his chief Of staff, E. w.
Whitaker, and said: General Whitaker,
go with this officer to General Longstreet;
give him my compliments; tell him I'm not
in command Of all the forces here, but that
am on his flank and rear with large caval-
ry force, and that | will accept nothing but
an unconditional surrender" and soon after
the TWO officers had departed General Custer
and several members of his staff proceeded to
the scene of the consultation that was going
on between Gems. Grant and Lee in the house
of Wilbur Mclean Among those who the
writer knows to have been present on that
occasion were Generals Grant, Lee, Sheridan
and Custer, and General Sheridan's Adjutant
General, and it was the latter who wrote out
the capittdations of the surrender that was
then made, and who secured the inkstand
that was used, and General Sheridan the pen
with which they were signed. Adjutant
General Whitaker secured the towel that
was carried by Major Simms, and presented
It to Mrs. Custer, as did General Sheridan
the stand upon which they were signed, and
he also presented this to Mrs Custer through
her husband the General. General E. o. G.
Crd, who was in command of the infantry,
secured the handicapped stand upon which
the capitulations were written in extenso,
while General Whitaker was soon the pos
SCISSOR of the chair in which General Lee
sat The chair which General Grant occu-
pied during the signing the articles of sur
render was purchased from Mr.. Mclean
by General Capehart, who was then in
command Of the Third brigade of Clusters
cavalry. They we're all purchased by the
above named officers from Mr. Mclean, who
parted with them only because they express
ed desire to preserve them as relics of the
late unpieasantness. Mrs. Custer still re-
taina her. historic property, and while Ii
brarlan Of the gallery of art in New York in
formed the writer that very good painting
of the memorable scene in McLean's parlor
had been produced and that it has been pro-
posed to purchase it and collect these relics
and place all in some fire proof museum
But the project seems to have never reached
a elimination, as the Grant chair is still in
the hands of General Capehart who is now
resident of Fargo, Oak, and is still a fea-
ture OF the relics now on exhibition at City
Hall WILDER McLeon lived on the farm up
on which the first battle of Bull Run was
fought, and deciding to see no more war, re-
moved his family to Appomattox court
house, and as he remarked this to one of the
officers present at the surrender, said, Here
l am, witnessing the closing scenes.