Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-04-10
APPOMATTOX.
What Gems. LOpEstreet nd Gordon Have
40 Say A IT. the Surrender.

con Aprft 8, 1865. Just twenty years
AGO Uo-day.1 aaid Gen. LOngstroet w ed
Leseay, 'EV~e 70 md ourselves almost com
pleteiy "urrou-deL by tAe tederaF -
critical was the sitC }tlon tdat Gen. Lee
at nee e.. le0 a cvuncu Of war 10 meet
that nj at.
sWho composed that council?"
"Gpn. Lee himself, Gordon, FiILhugh
Lee, Pendleton and myself"
"At that meeting was II supposed tnat
the surrende was so nearW
"No; we fully expected topass through
AppomattoX."
Did you expect to fight through or cut
through, as they say?'
NO: Gordon said there would be no
trouble about it. He said he could get
through all rieht, and was instructed to
do so hv Lee. The plan was for him to
pass AppOmatt long before daylight
on the morning Oh the 9tn. ! thought that
he had succeeded until the news came
thai he failed and Lee bad surrendered.'
You brought up the rear in the line OF
march, did YOU not|
yes; and would have carried my com
mand through I Gordon had done what he
thongnt he could do.o
GLOW was it that Gordon failedY'
"There seemed to be some delay In
mOyi ing the cavalry, which l could not
understand"
sit was not thought then in the council
that YOU would have to surrender, and
YOU were not ordered to cut through the
lines. eth before or after the Darley
between Lee and Grant?'
Il was not ordered to cut through at
all, but was simply to follow Gordon, who
had no doubt about getting through"
"Wnat induced Lee to first sue for
peace|
The simple tact that when Gordon was
stopped we were completely surrounded,
and could not hope to hold out longer"
"HOw long We're Lee and Grant en-
gagcd in discussing the terms Of surren-
derg"
'NOt over twenty minutes. Grant
simply stated the terms and Lee accepted
them. We all knew beforehand exactly
what Grant would ask, and we knew
nothing was left Lee but TO accept his
terms Grant asked nothing more than
what he was compelled to, and none Of US
felt that he ought to have asked less"
"What about Grant declining to ask for
Lees swordT'
90, well, that custom of surrendering
the sword belonged to the old day. I
don't suppose Lee or Grant thought of it,"
''Ihen you were not ordered by Lee to
hold yourself in readiness TO cut through
the Federal lines in the event that Grants
terms were not favorable enough p
"No, | received no such orders"
you do not think that any order of Lee
had any influence upon Grant in pTOpOs-
ing the terms of surrender?'
II do not"
Thanking the General for his kindness,
your correspondent then withdrew.
GEN. G0RDON's LETTER.
KIREwoOD. NEAR ATLANTA, GA.
April S. lsS5.,
] wish to give my recollection Of some Of
the circumstances attending the surrender Of
Cen. Lees army TO Gen. Grant at Appomat-
toX court house. Va. The fact that the -trug-
gle could not be prolonged by Gen. Lee
beyond e few days with any organ Zed army
had been evident for at least As hours pre-
ceiling the final engagements on the morning
| of April .. The continued cmbarrass-
ment and constant delays incident to
retire ting army by reason of the
trains IN advance OF the troops. while
] the pursuing army is, ign large measure,
/ freed from such ep9bgrras smeut. because its
/ trans may be left IN the rear; the want of
/ ratlOus for the men and forage for the horses
The number OF Cnnledcrates who daily and
/ hourly fell ON the line of march from sheer ex-
/ haustOu. as well as in tire constantly recur-
ug battles; exceedingly small numbers un-
/ der ten Lee 3 com mdnd as compared with
/ e army of Gen. Grant. left little ground fOI
/ hope o the COME erate Generals OF escaping
/ a speedy surrender On the night OF April S
]
/ blvouac, near AppomattoX court hou Al
this council it WAS decided that an effort
/ though DESPERATE, should be made the
next morning to cut through Tho
/ possible, pursue the retreat towards
] Lynchhurg. Gen. LOngstreet commanded
/ Que wing OF Lees army. while | commanded
the other. Gen. Lee orders were that thu
infantry and artillery under my command
with the cavalry should assail the line
/ thrown across our front, and that Gen. Long
/ street should heck the heavy forces which
pressed on our rear. and. if possible, co-ope
rate at the same time in an effort TO force ou
way out, while the wagon trains with ammu
milton 1--WE could scarcely be said to have a
that time provision wagons were TO move, !
possible. between Gen. Long street's force
and those under my command.
On the morning OF the 9Th the troops unde
my command carried the works which hat
been thrown up during the night across tn
line or our march. capturing several pieces o
artillery, and advanced some distance beyond
a the same time Gen. LOngstreet was sorel
pressed 10y the Federal forces in the rear an
on his tanks, so that any advance made b
my troops only served to increase the dis
tance between Gen. LOnRstreet's forces un
my own. thus Increasing the danger 20 bot
by inviting The introduction of a force int
this Intervening space, and at the same tiG
leaving our entire wagon trains WI
ammunition exposed to capture. Such wa
+ the position OF alatra al an early hour of tn
+ day, and even had 10 been possible for N
distance towards Lyuchburg it would hav
only served to render more certain the abilit
of Gen. Grant TO crush those rcmnantsof Ger
Lees army by concentrating first upon on
wing and then upon the other. / soon III.
covered that in addition 10 the troops In M
/ front, there was upon each flank Oyerwhelm
iug forces, which II WAS impossible Tor m
. command To resist.
II Will be perceived from this necessarIl
ntenscd statement that 10 is clearly m
T oplnion that Gen. prant could have forced "a
uncpndit onal surrender. The fact that.
my opinion. ne could have compelled "a sun
render without conditions, and vet did Il,
3 demand D.. win also indIc ste what mm
; OF necessity be my opinion of Gel
Grants maguauimity. As TO 81
inquiry lu reference TO the spcrif
act of Gen. Lees tender of hie sword and ,
Cen. 6rInt's refusal 10 'cceptlt. ! know uotl
ing Bu / wish "a say I'M this connection
because uelloye DO due TO the truthof hIstor
a9 we'll a- t' great commandment Il Gei
GRANTS every act toward Gen. Lee and towai
hl- army ai App1mattoN was M lrked hN "a a,
gro of courtesy 9ud EtuCrDslty which len
pressed every % laaeratc. aud which rprcc
great honor upon himself ami upon the Amer
f can name. Very rpsuppfluIV.
i. B GORDON.