The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-04-10
THE SURRENDER OF LEE.

Gen. John Ii. Gordon Tells tlae Story in
Graphic Style.
Eirkwood. Ga. Letter in st. Louis Globe Democrat
Gen. John B. Gordon, the dashing young Off
Ger upon whom the eyes Of the Confederacy were
cast as the Napoleon of the four years civil
war resides in a magnificent residence in this
place
Your correspondent, as instructed to-day
sailed General Gordon's attention to a recent
publication by Gen. Jubal Early, where that
officer states that
General Lees sword was never rendered to
General Grant, and the latter therefore had no
opportunity to decline to receive it. or return it
after it had been surrendered. The correspond
ence between Grant and Lee refutes the idea
that General Lee ever contemplated making an
unconditional surrender of his army, or that he
was indebted to the magnanimity of Grant for
the terms OF the surrender General Lee said
before going to meet General Grant he left orders
with L0ngstreet and Gordon to hold their COM
mands in readiness, as he was determined to cut
his way through or perish in the attempt if
such terms were not granted as he thought his
army entitled TO demand. 1t was not, therefore,
to Grants magnanimity that General Lee was
indebted for the privilege of retaining his sword
or for the terms granted to his army but to his
own resolute will and the anxiety of Grant to
obtain the surrender of an adversary who had
Ehwarted him so long,
'In reply to these remarkable statements"
said General Gordon, 81 can do no better than
i've you copy of letter which / had just
gritten upon that very question: and which
vas just about to send out for publication"
The letter was in the following terms:
"KIRKwooD, near Atlanta Ga April 8, 1885.
ST wish to give my recollection of some of the
circumstances attending the surrendero of General
Lees army to General Grant at Appomattox
~. Nc. AAoA
could not be prolonged by General Lee beyond
few days with any organized army had been evi.
dent for at least forty-eight hours preceding the
final engagements on the morning of the 9th of
April The continued embarrassment and con-
slant delays incident to a retiring army, by
reason of the necessity for keeping the wagon
trains in advance of the troops, while the pur-.
suing army is. in large measure, freed from such
embarrassment because its trains may be left in
the rear; the want OF fationS for the men and
forage for the horses; the number of confed-
crates who daily and hourly fell on the line of
march from sheer exhaustion, as we'll as in the
constantly recurring battles exceedingly small
plumbers under General Lees command as COM
pared with the army of General Grant, left lit
tie ground for hope to the confederate Generals
of escaping speedy surrender. On the night
of the 9Th of April, the last council of war was
held at General Lees bivouac. near Appornattox
Court no use AT this council it was decided
that an effort, though desperate, should be
made the next morning to cut through the lines
of General Grant, and, if possible to pursue the
retreat toward Lynchburg General Longstreet
commanded one wing of General Lees army,
while commanded the other. General Lees
orders were that the infantry and artillery I'M
der my command. with the cavalry, should
assail the lines thrown across our front, and
that General Longstreet should check the forces
which pressed on our rear, and, if possible CO.
operate at the same time in an effort to force
our way out, while the wagon trains with the
ammunition we could scarcely be said to have
at that time provision wagons) were to move. if
possible, between General Longstreets forces
and chose under my command
"On the morning of the 9th the troops under
my command carried the works which had been
thrown up during the night across theline of our
march, capturing several pieces of artillery, and
advanced some distance beyond. Attic same
time General Longstreet was sorely pressed by
the federal forces in the rear and on his TANKS,
so that any advance made by my troops only
served to increase the distance between General
Longstreets forces and my own thus increasing
he danger to both by inviting the introduction
1T a force into this intervening space and at the
line leaving our wagon trains with ammunition
exposed to capture. Such was the position Of
affairs at an early hour Of the day, and even had
it been possible for my forces to continue the ad
vance for n greater distance toward Lynchburg
il wculd have only served TO render more GER
tain the ability of General Grant to crush those
remnants Of General Lees army, by cencentrat-
ing first upon one wing and then upon the other.
/ soon discovered that in addition to tho troops
ia my front there were upon each flank over
wheIming forces, which il was impossible formy
command 10 resist.
1T viii be perceived from this necessarily
condensed statement that II Is clearly my