The Waco daily examiner. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 187?-1888, 1885-07-31

To the Editor OF the Examiner.
Waco, July "a, 1885. In the Globe
Democrat of the oath inst
is reproduced the old fable of the
Appomattox apple tree. II is in the
shape of a reprint from the Des
Moines lows) Register, and was as
follows:
STORY OF THE SURRENDER OF Apo
MATTOx.
No class of people feel so keenly the
approaching death of General Grant
rs the old soldiers who served under
him. No others resent so Indignantly
the shameful attempt OF rebel SOL
der to SANDER and misrepresent the
dying hero. General Jubal Early, of
the confederate army, has lately pub
lished a card in which he states that
the commonly accredited reports of
the incidents pertaining to Lees sur
render are totally. false; that Lee never
surrendered under an apple tree; that
he never rendered his sword to Grant,
and that Grant therefore never cxer-
cised the magnanimity he Is credited
with, in returning 1t to the rebel gen.
cral. The falsity of Early's statement
has already been fully shown, but the
old soldiers who were with Grant at
Appomattox feel like coming forw ard
in u body to hurl back the lie at the
eX-rebel who would falsiiy history
and Islander dying man man whose
magnanimity and generosity have
never been appreciated by the mean
souls that enjoyed 1t.
One of these old soldiers came to
the Register office yesterday to add
his protest against Early's misstate-
nents, and TO give the confirmation
OF aiI eyewitness TO the historical ac-
count OF what took place at the sur
render. This was Mr.. Ben jsmin JEFF
fries, a carpenter of this city, who
served through the war in Pennsyl-
vania regiment, and was on guard
duty at the time of Lees surrender,
within few rods of where Lee and
Grant met. lie entered the army as u
member of company ID, Eighth Penn
sylvania Reserves, and after three
years service the remnants OF the
thirteen regiments composing that
command were consolidated into two
regiments. and he was attached TO
company A, "Bucktails." Learning
that Mr.. Jeilries was an eyewitness of
that memorable interview, which is
lust now a matter of much public in
tercst, he was asked to relate the cir
cuinstances attending 1t. lie said:
"On the morning of April Sth, 1865,
we charged the rebel lines, and short
ly after day flag of truce was
shown aud fighting stopped. Our
regiment was on the advanced skirm-
ish line, looking down the valley
toward Appomattox court house. AS
soon as firing ceased General Grant
came in person and ordered that a
picket line be thrown across the road
aud that no one be allowed to cross 1t
under any consideration. After CIV
ing this order, General Grant return
ed to his headquarters, and after DIM
ner-l think il was about o'clock III
the afternoon-he returned accompa-
MED by All escort of two or three hun
drcd officers, all brilliant with snowy
uniforms aud battle. flags. Leaving
all of them at the line where we were
stationed Oh guard, General Grant
and one aide rode through the line
and down the slope toward Apo
mattox court house. AS he did SO,
General Lee and one aide rodetoward
him from the opposite direction.
General Lee was mounted on large
chestnut roam, while General Grant
was riding small black pony, with
no particular style about him or his
| horse. About sevcnty-tive ora hun
bred yards from us down the slope
stood Il small story and-a-half house,
built of rough-hewn logs, black with
smoke. At the end of the house
toward us stood large apple tree,
and under this Grant and Lee met.
and the surrender took place. As the
party came together they dismounted,
and General Lee drew his sword and
offered il to General Grant. Grant
refused TO accept it, and without
touching it, waved his hand declining
1t, and then Lee put il back in its scab
bard. Then Grant extended his baud
to Lee and they shook hands and
their aides did the same and all enga'
ged in conversation for about five
minutes. Then they remounted and
rode away to the court house which
was in sight and but short distance
away, and all went inside. Our only
knowledge that 1t was the court
house was the information we receiv-
ed from the prisoners, who said that
ii was, and that the papers complet
ing the surrender were drawn VI
there. But MS TO the first meeting o
Grant and Lee, know
that II was under thu
apple tree, as commonly stated
and that Lee offered his sword, and
Grant returned ii 10 him, for | saw
the whole proceeding with my owl
eyes, as | stood not to exceed twenty
five yards away. when the two gen
erals went into the court house tt
draw up the papers the rebels struck
up faint cheer to keep up their spir
its, but our boys kept perfectly still
suppose we all felt too deeply the
intense excitement of the moment IL
utter a sound. Although twent!
years have passed since then, | re
member every circumstance as plainly
rs If it happened yestcsday, and
could go right to the spot and poin
ont the old log house and the apple
tree, if they are standing to-day.
: tell you, my friend, Il man does no
forget such scene as that, and rs on
OF the few surviving witnesses of tina
surrender, want to tell the facts just
as they were, and pay this mark o
respect to my old commander. There
|. nobody who knows what Grant wa
!. and what he did like the old soldier
. who fought with him.
am afraid we're going t.
lose him, but want TO d.
what little | can to show my respcc
for the man we loved SO we'll"
But a late copy of the Denver TT
bune knocks the whole affair in tn
head after this wise:
LEES SURRENDER.
4 Below is printed letter from GET
! eral U. S. Grant. 1t was written
1880 to John w. Wilson, now of Der
yer, but then of Saginaw, Mich, an
sattIns the ott-rncurriuQ CoutrOyers