The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1885-04-16

| Ho had, however, another request TO mako.
HIS men were starving; they had lived, he
said, ON two ears OF corn q day for several
days. Would Grant supply them with food7
There was train or cars at Lynchburg
loaded with rations which had come from
Danviile for his army. Would Grant allow
them 10 be distributed among tho prisoners!
been captured the day before BY sheridan.
| Thus, at the moment OF his surrender Lee
was absolutely dependent for supplies
upon his coaqueror. Grant, or course,
acquiesced I'm the request and asked
how many ratiops Lee required. But the
| rebel General declared that he could not an
| swer the question. He had no idea OF his own
| strength. No return or the brigades had
| been made for several days. Besides those
lost in the battie-killed, captured, and
wounded or left on the roadside-the men had
been deserving and struggling by thousands.
| He could not tell what number he had left.
An his public aud private papers had been
| destroyed TO prevent their falling into the
| Federal hands. Grant finally inquired IL 2s,-
| 900 ratiens would suffice, and Lee replied he
| thought that number would be enough.
Twenty-Five thousand, therefore, was Lees
| estimate at Appomattox OF the number no
surrendered. Grant turned to the officer of the
commissariat on his star and directed him
| 20 issue 20. 600 rations thatnight TO the Army
| Of Northern Virginia The order was. obeyed,
and before the rebels gave up their arms
| they were fed by their enemies. Lee also
| requested Grant TO notify Meade OF the sur
| render, so that no lives might needlessy be
| lvst on that front, and on account OF the dis
lance TO Meade's headquarters, two Union
| officers were again dispatched with rebel
escort through the lines of tho Army OF
Northern Virginia, this time carrying tho
news Of the surrender OF that army
| The formal papers were now signed, few
more words were exchanged by the
men who had opposed each other 80
long, they again shook hands, and
| Lee went to the porch. The Union
| officers followed and saluted him, and the
| military leader OF the rebellion mounted his
| horse and rode OF TO his army, 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
| bestI could for you" They raised a few
| broken cheers for the leader theyehad fol-
| lowed in 80 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 Sheri-
| dams command. As he approached the
| Union lines the news had passed before him
and the firing Of salutes began bat he sent at
| once to stop them. '1he war is over" he
SAID, '.the rebels are our countrymen again,
and the best sign OF rejoicing after the VIC
| tory will be 10 abstain from all demonstra-
| tions in the field" But he had not yet re-
4
| and, dismounting at a roadside, he sat ON
| stone and called for paper and pencil. An
| aid-de-camp offered his order book, and at
| 4:30 p. IN. on Sunday, the 9Th of April. he
announced the end OF the rebellion in these
| words:
Hon. e. NJ Stanton. Secretary of War. WASH
4 ington:
| Gen. Lee surrendered the Army of North
ern Virginia this afternoon. on terms pro
posed by myself. The accompanying addi
tional correspondence will show the condi-
| tons fully. u. y. GRANT,
| Lieutenant General.
At his headquarters he remained as calm
as ever, but talked frequently OF the i'm
| portance of the event and of its conse-
| quences He declared that this was the end
| OF the war. that all the other rebel armies
| would quickly Yield there might be guer-
rillas, or partisans fighting here and there,
| but no great battle or campaign would now
occur; and he announced his intention of
returning 10 Washington on the morrow to
| direct the disbanding of the armies. His Of
| ficers were disappointed at this determine
| ton, for they hoped to see something of the
| army they had contended with so long; and
| those who were intimate enough suggested
| that he should remain ut Appomatox at least "a
| day. But the expenses of the war amounted TO
| at least 81, 600 900 day, and it was important
| to save this cost to the country. Grant was
! Indifferent 10 the spectacle of his triumphs,
| and only anxious TO secure their reality and
result. One of the most important results
| would be the Elimination of this immense
| outlay. 1t was ascertained, however, that
| the Petersburg and Lynchburg Railway
| could be put In condition from n point
| a few miles of by noon of the fol-
| lowing day, and as no time would be gained
| by starting sooner the General in Chief con-
| sented TO visit the rebel lines. Accordingly,
| at about o clock on the morning of April
| 10 he rode out with his staff, accompanied
| by Sheridan, Ord, Griffin, and several OF their
| officers, a small cavalry escort attending.
| The party proceeded to the mound in the val
| ley between the two armies, but when they
| arrived at the rebel pickets IL was discovered
tbat no directions had yet been given TO adj
| NIT Union officers. A messenger, however,
was promptly sent to Lees headquarters for
| orders, and when the great prisoner learned
| that Grant was at the picket line he at once
mounted his horse, and, with single order
| ly, came out to meet him. Grant waited on
| the hillock, and then, sitting on their horses
| I'm sight of the two armies, whose lines could
4 be seen stretching away under the bright
spring sun for miles, the two Generals con-
versed for more than an hour. The officers
1 and men who had accompanied Grant fell
hack q rod or two TO be out of hearing, and
/ formed a semiciroie behind him OF fifty men
| or more. With Lee was his single orderly.
| The two great opponents found much TO
| say. Both were convinced, Lee as firmly as
| Grant, that the war was over, and Lee ex-
| pressed his satisfaction at the result Siav-
/ cry he said, was dead; the South was pre-
4
| sequences of national victory. The end had
| long been foreseen. The utter exhaustion
| OF resources, the humiliation of armies,
| which had been steadily going on for year,
| could have but one termination. Johnston,
| he said, would certainly follow his example,
| and surrender to Sherman and the sooner
| the rebel armies were all surrendered the
| better now. Nothing could be accomplished
1 by further resistance. When Grant discoy-
! cred that Lee entertained these opinions he
/ ra1 m oAI ha nhal DnX nrnQ nj
| and people. and use his great influence TO
/ hasten the result which he admitted was not
| cdly inevitable but under the circum-
| stances desirable. But this step Lee
| was not inclined to take. He said that
| he was now prisoner OF war; and
| felt a delicacy about advising others TO put
\ themselves in his position. But he had no
! doubt they would speedily arrive at the same
| conclusion without his urging. The CONVEX
| sation was protracted. and the restless Sherl-
i dan. not used to waiting. at last rode up and
I asked permission TO cross the lines and visit
/ some of his cid comrades in the rebel army.
| l. ave, of course, was given and with Sheri-
/ dan went Gems. ingalls, and seth Williams,
| both men of the old army. tn rs many per
sonal friends among the rebel officers IA un-
| der the Union flag. Ihoy soon found ac
/ quaintances and when the interview be-
| tween Grant and Lee was over the three
| returned. bringing with them nearly every