The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1885-07-31

nection with the Army of the Potomac, be-
| long to a branch of history which it is for
! eign to the purpose of this paper, at pres
| ent, to consider. The surrender of Lees
army and the subsequent and consequent
collapse of the Confederacy were brilliant
| episodes in his career.
| After continuous efforts to escape his en-
vironments, Lee at last realized that. he
was at Grants mercy. and he offered to
| surrender: General Grant as usual was
| simple and composed, and with none of the
grand air about him. No elation was visi-
bic ID his manner or appearance. His
voice was as calm as ever, and his eye be-
trayed no emotion. He spoke and acted as
| plainly as if he were trarisactiRg an ordi-
nary matter Of business. No one would
have suspected that he was about to re-
eeiye the surrender of an army, or that one
| OF the most terrible wars of modern times
had been brought TO triumphant close by
the quiet man without a sword, who was
conversing calmly, but rather grimlv, with
the elaborate gentleman in gray and gold.
| The conversation at first related to the
meeting of the two soldiers in earlier years
/ In Mexico, when Grant had been a subal-
tern apd Lee staff officer of Scott. The
rebel General, however, soon adverted to
the object of the interview. II asked to
| see you, General Grant," he said, ito as
! certain upon what terms you would receive
| the surrender of my army?o Grant re-
! piled that the officers and men must be-
/ come prisoners of war, giving up, of course,
| all ammunition, weapons and supplies. but
that a parole would be accepted binding
| them to go to their homes and remain there
| until exchanged or relieved by proper au-
/ thority. Lee said he had expected some
| such things as these, and made some other
remark not exactly relevant. Whereupon
Grant inquired: do | understand, GEN.
eral Lee, that you accept these terms?"
YES" said Lee, sand If you will put them
into writing | will sign them"
Grant then sat down to the little table
and wrote the following letter:
APPoMATTox CoURT-HoUsE, April 9, 1866
| General r. IL. Lee, Commanding G. s. A.-In
accordance with the substance of my letter
to you of the Sth inst, propose to receive the
surrender of the Army Of Northern Virginia,
on the following terms, 70 wit:
Roll of all the officers and men to be made in
duplicate, one copy to be given to an officer
| designated by me, the other to be retained by
| such officers as you may designate.
| The officers to give their indiv. dual paroles
| not to take arms against the United States
until properly exchanged, and each company
| or regimental commander sign like parole
| for the men of their commands.
The arms, artillery and public property to
be packed and stacked, and turned over to
the officers appointed by me to receive them.
| This will not embrace the side-arms of the
| officers, nor their private horses nor baggage.
This done, each officer and man will be al
| lowed to return to their homes not to be dis
turbed by the United States authority so long
as they observe their parole and the laws in
force where they may reside. Very respect
fully, u 5. GRANT, Northumberland.
| While Grant was writing he CHANGED to
| look up at Lee, who sat nearly opposite,
and at that moment noticed the glitter of
his sword. The sight suggested an altera-
| tlon IN the terms, and he inserted the pro-
! vision that officers should be allowed to
retain their side arms, horses and personal
| property. Lee had accepted Grants con-
| ditions without this stipulation, and doubt
| less expected to surrender his sword. But
this humiliation he and his gallant officers
| were spared. When the terms were writ
ten out Grant handed the papers to his
great antagonist, who put on his specta-
cles to read them. He was evidently
| touched by their general clemency, and
| especially by the Interpolation which saved
| so much to the feelings of a soldier. He
said at once that the conditions were mag
| unanimous, and would have very good eff
| feet upon his army.
| He next attempted to gain little more.
| The horses of his cavalry, he said, were
the property of the soldiers. Could these
| men be permitted to retain their animals?
| Grant said the terms would not allow this?
Lee took the paper again, and glancing
| over it again said: "No, you are right.
1H0 no uOG allow IT, w Q0rouDOn
Grant replied: " I believe the war is now
over, and the surrender of this army will
be followed soon by that of all the
others. | know the men, and indeed
the whole South, are impoverished. l will
| not change the terms of surrender, General
Lee, but will instruct my officers who re-
ceive the paroles to allow the cavalry and
artillery men to retain their horses and
take them home to work their little
FARMS" Lee again expressed his acknowl-
edgment and said this kindness would
have the best possible effect.
He then wrote out his letter in these
words:
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF NORTHERN vIR-
GINA, April 8, 1866. LIEUTENANT GENERAL,
y; S. GRANT, Commanding o. S. A: General:
nave received your letter of this date, con-
tanning the terms of surrender of the Army of
Northern Virginia, as proposed by you; as
they are substantially the same as those eX-
pressed in your letter of the Sth inst they are
accepted. l will proceed to designate the
proper officers to carry the stipulatons into
effect Very respectfully, your obedent serv-
ant, II. E.. LEE, General
| While the conditions were being copied
| the various Union officers were presented
to Lee. He was collected and courteous,
| bowlng to each, but offered none his hand.
One, General Seth Williams, who had
I served closely with him in the old army,
attempted to revive old memories, but Lee
repealed the advance coldly. He was in
no mood to remember ancient friendships,
| or to recall pleasantly his service in the
| army of which he was now prisoner,
betrayed. He had, however, another re-
quest to make. His men were starry
ing; they had lived, he said, on two ears of
corn a day for several days. Would Grant
supply them with food? There was a
train of cars at Lynchburg loaded with ra-
tions which had come from Danville for
his army. Would Grant allow them to be
distributed among the prisoners? Grant,
however, told them that this train had
been captured the day before by Sheridan.
Thus, at the moment of his surrender Lee
was absolutely dependent for supplies
upon his conqueror. Grant, of course, ac-
guessed in the request and asked how
many rations Lee required. But the rebel
General declared that he could not answer
the question. He had no idea of his own
strength. No return of the brigades had
been made for several days. Besides those
lost in the battle-killed, captured and
wounded, or those left on the roadside-the
men had been deserving and struggling by
thousands. He could not tell what num-
Der he had left. All his public and private
papers had been destroyed to prevent
their falling into the Federal hands. Grant
finally inquired if $4,000 rations would suf-
flee, and Lee replied he thought that num-
Der would be enough. Twenty five thou
sand, therefore, was Lees estimate at APP
pomattox of the number he surrendered.
| Grant turned to the officer of the commits
sariat on his staff and directed him to is
sue $4,000 rations that night to the Army
of Northern Virginia. The order was
obeyed, and before the rebels gave up their
arms they were fed by their enemies.
The for nal papers were now signed, q few
more words were exchanged by the men
who had opposed each other so long, they
again shook hands, and Lee went to the
porch. The Union officers followed and
saluted him, and the military leader of tho
rebellion mounted his horse and rode off to
his array, he and his soldiers prisoners of
war. As the great rebel entered his own
lines the men rushed up to their chief,
breaking ranks, and struggling to touch
his hand. Tears streamed down his cheeks
as he said: "Men, we have fought through
the war together. I have done the best |
could for you" They raised few broken
cheers for the leader they had followed in
so many fierce battle and arduous march.
and the career of the Army of Northern
Virginia was ended. Grant also returned
at once to his headquarters, now pitched
almost at the front of Sheridan's command,
As he approached the Union lines the news
had passed before him and the firing of
salutes began, but he sent at once to stop