The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1885-07-10
The APPONATTOX APPLE TREE.

n h1IS 8A&H SNAN ~ kAS
from Under an Apple Tree 60 Prevent an
impending Attack by Union Troops
The Real Scene and circumstances Of the
Surrender.
From the Now York Sur.
At the Chicago convention in 1880
Senator Conkling began the speech
with which be nominated Gen. Grant
for the presidency with q couplet which
was then believed to be his WI com.
position:
If you ask us where he hsils from, this our sole
response shall be,
That he halls from AppOmattox and its famous
apple tree
This was pronounced with the dra-
matte force of which the speaker was a
master, and brought about one OF the
most impressive scenes ever witnessed IN
a political gathering. The al.usion to
the apple tree revived the recollection
of the climax of Gen. Grants career.
The homely, and, in fact, wholly hypo-
thetical incident by which Gen. Lees
surrender was typifed, the Appomat-
tox apple tree, has gone into history,
with those other dramatic symbols with
which people epitomiZe the careers of
their heroes. Wellington's up,
Guards, and st EN- ;" Sheridan's Win
chester Twenty miles away" and Sher-
mans Marching through Georgia"
the only wal songs that survives, tell
for the people the story of success IN a
breath. Aside from his laconie utter
ances, Gen. Grant had given the peo-
pie no single dramatic incident that
could be seized upon TO tell his story in
a word, until this apple-tree myth at
the end Of his military career. The dis
patch that set the country On fire with
its simple announcement that Lee had
surrendered TO Grant was followed by
another asserting that the surrender
had been made under an apple tree, and
the country made for itself a picture Of
the two commanders beneath the
branches of q blosscming apple tree,
me one extending and Ire other recely-
ing . sword, and thus ending the great
est war of history.
When Gen. Grant was asked about
il some days later he said: There
was no apple tree" But the soldiers
had selected one, had hewn it into bits,
body, branches, roots and all, and pre-
cious relics they are now. scattered
throughout the country.
IL was the opportunity Of the writer
10 meet two gentlemen on the Appomat-
tox field some years ago. who, as civil
ians, witnessed the historic events that
took place there on April 9, 1865, just
twenty yearsaeo. They were probably
sAASSS zhTT civilians ~hv we're e-s witness
es ofthose scenes One was Nh. f. q.
Hix. the owner ofthe Appomattox farm,
and the other Mr.. @. i. Peers, the
clerk Of the Appomattox county court.
The Appomattcx river threads a val
10y, very gently slopIng. II is a small
and easily fordable stream. Half a
mile west Of il, at the place where a
lGel plain stretches westward, is the
hamlet known as Appomastox Court
House. Here are the dingy brick
court house, a tavern, a country store,
. wheelwright's shop, and q brick house,
then owned BY Major McLane.
Between his hamlet and the Appomat-
tox river is the house Of Mr.. Peers. On
the easterly slope leading to the river
are fields, and one of them q acre
lot, had at the time of the surrender a
shed on il near the road. In this lot
was an apple orchard. The Richmond
and Lynchburg turnpike road ran
through the village, and a bridge over
Che Appomattox river was about q
stones throw distant from the entrance
to the apple orchard. On the morning
Of kpril s, 1865, the main body Of Lees
army appeared on the Richmond road,
about . mile east Of the Appomattox
bridge. 1t went into camp there, and
the cavalry and skirmishers we're thrown
rapidly forward through the village to-
ward the depot on the Petersburg and
Lynchburg railway, four miles to the
west. They were feeling for Sheridan's
advance forces, and they found them.
The night before. Sheridan, with Gus
ter's cavalry ahead, had reached the de
pot, and during the night a large body
Of infantry had come up. Sheridan
knew that he had headed off Lees army,
and sent ont his cavalry TO find it. The
skirmiahers met On the yncihibnrg road
about . mile west Of Appomattax Courl
houge, and avery brisk shirmish follow.
ed. Lees forces withdrew, as did Sheri.
dams, and Lee was informed that ths
Union troops were ahead Of him and
commanded the Lynchburg road. TIL.
opner0l'e lanf u{iur hor.