The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1885-05-16
APPOSEAYyEOX.
Ssen. >. u. Gordon on lees Sur.
render--HHis Reply 20 Jur
bal EARLY.

dordon's attention to recent publ
cation by General Jubal Ea-ly, where
III 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 has been surren-
dered. The correspondence between
Grant and Lee refute the idea that
General Lee ever contemplated max
ing an unconditional surrender of his
army, or that he was indebted to the
magnanimity of Grant for the terms
OF surrender. General Lee said that
before going to meet General Grant he
lett orders with Longstreet and Cor
don to hold their commands in rcadj-
ness, as he was determined to cut his
way through Or perish in the attempt
II such terms were not granted as he
thought his army ent tied to demand.
III was not, therefore, to Grants mag
nanlmity that General Lee WAS in
debted for the privilege of retaining
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
thwarted him 50 long.
"ln reply to these remarkable state
ments," said General Gordon, II can
90 no better than give you n copy of a
letter which | had just written upon
that very question, and which | was
just about to send out for publica-
ton"
The letter was in the following
terms:
hIRKWooD, near Atlanta, Ga, April
81 wish to give my recollection of
some OF the circumstances attending
the surrender of General Lees army
to General Grant at Appomattox
courthouse, Virginia. The fact that
the struggle could not be prolonged
by General Lee beyond a few DAYS
with any organized army, had been
evident for at least forty-ei:ht hours
preceding the fatal engagement on
the morning of April 9. The contln-
ned embarrassment and constant de-
lays jpcident to Il retrcating army, by
reason OF the necessity for keeping
the wagon trains in advance of the
troops, while the pursuing army is in
large measure freed from such en-
barrassment, because its trains may
be left IN the rear; tho want of rations
Tor the men and forage for horses the
number of confederates who daily and
hourly fell on the line of march from
sheer exhaustion, as well as in the
constantly recurring battles; exceed
lngly small numbers under General
Lees command as compared with the
army of General Grant, left little
ground for hope to the confederate
generals of escaping speedy su~fen-
der. 6n the n ght of the 8th of April
the last council of war was held
at General Lees biyouac, near Apo
mattox courthouse. At this council
it was decided that an effort, though
desperate, Should he made the next
morning to cut through the lines of
General Grant, and if possible, pursue
the retreat toward Lynchburg. Gen
eral Longs,-eet commanded one wing
OF Lees army, while | commanded
the other. General Lees orders were
that the infantry and artillery under
my command, with the cavalry, should
assail the lines thrown across our
front; and that General Longstreet
should check the heavy forces which
pressed on our rear, and if possible
cooperate at the same time in an eff
tort to force our way out, while the
wagon trains with ammunition 1--WE
could scarcely be said to have had at
that time provision wagons) were to
move, il possible, between General
Longstreets forces and those 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 the line Of our
march, capturing several pieces OF
artillery, and advanced some distance
beyond. At the same time, General
Longstreet was sorely pressed by the
federal forces i'll the rear, and ON his
TANKS, SO that any advance made by
my troops only served to inc.ease the
distance between General Longstreets
forces and my own. thus increasing
the danger to both, by inviting the
introduction Of a force into this inter
yening space, and at the same time
leaving our entire 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 foeees 10 continue the
advance for greater distance
toward Lynchburg, it would have
only served to render more certain
the ability Of General Grant to crush
those remaining of General Lees