Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1885-06-09
GRANTS ACCOUNT OF LEES SURRENDER.

GRANI D ACCUuNI Uc >ASc Sohn1soG1s'
Gen. Grants book, to be published in
few months, will contain the following rem
iniscences of Lees surrender:
81 found Gen. Lee had been brought into
our lines and conducted 10 house belong
ing to a Mr. Mclean, and was there with
one of his staff officers waiting my arrival
The head of his column was occupying
hill. q portion of which was an apple Or
chard, across the little vailey from the court
house Shsridan's forces were drawn up in
line of battle on the crest of the hill, on the
south side of the same valley. Before stat
ing what took place between Gen. Lee and
myself, l will give all there is of the nara.
tive of Gen. Lee and the famous apple 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. Tue story of the apple tree
is one of those ictions, with slight founda-
ton of fact. AS have said there was an
apple orchard on the side of the hill occu-
pied BY the Confederate forces. Running
diagonally up the hill was a wagon road,
which at one point ran very near one or the
trees, SO that the wheels on that side had
cut of the root Of the tree, which made a
| little embankment. Gen. Babcock reported
| to me that when he FIST met Gen. Lee he
was sitting upon the eubankment, with his
feet in the road, and leaning against the
tree. It was then that Lee was conduct
ed into the house where l 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 re,
/ y. kI., H<op hn
the chief engineer on the staff of General
Scott in the Mexican war. When had left
camp that morning, had not expected the
result so soon that was then taking place,
and consequently was in rough garn, and,
believe, without a sword, as | usually was
when on horseback on the field, wearing q
soldiers blouse for q coat, with shoulder
straps of my rank to indicate who l was to
tho army. When | went into the house
found General Lee. We greeted each other,
and, after shaking hands, took our seats.
| What his feelings were | do not know. Be-
ing man of much dignity and with an i'm
! penetrabie 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 concea!ed from observation but my
own feelings, which had been quite appar-
ent on the receipt of his letters, were sad
and DEPRESSED felt like anything rather
| than rejoicing ut the downfall of a foe that
had fought so long aud so gallantly, and had
suffered so long 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,
the sincerity of the great mass Of those
who were opposed to u.s. General Lee was
dressed in full uniform, entirely new, and
wearing a sword Of considerable value
very likely the sword that had been pre-
sented by the State of Virginia; at all
events, it was an entirely different sword
from the one that would ordinarily be worn
in the field. In my rough travelling suit:
which was the uniform of private, with
the straps of general, l must have con-
trasted very strangely with man so hand
somely dressed, six feet high and of fault.
less form. But this was not matter that l
thought of until afterwa;d. General Lee
and | soon fell into a conversation about
old army times. He remarked that he re-
membered me very we'll in the old army,
and told him as matter of course l re-
membered him perfectly, but owing to the
difference in years-there being about six
! teen years difference in our ages and our
rank, I thought it very likely had not at
| tracted his attention sufficiently to be re-
membered after such long period. Our
conversation grew 80 pleasant that almost
| forgot the object Of our meeting General
Lee at that time was accompanied by one
| of his staff offcers-a Colonel Marshall. |
had all Of my staff with me, good portion
OF whom were in the room during tine whole
of the interview.