Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-02-07
THE FINAL PARTING.
SEPARATION OF LEE AND HIS GEN.
ERALS AFTER APPoMATTox.
In the Gloom Of Defeat, the Darkness of
+ Dsspair-A Scene for . Poet
Painter-Ended For
ever.

Washington Cor. Gin Commercial Gazette1
Apropos Of Appomattox. give the
following as subject for southern poet
CT painter:
The parting between Washington and
his generals has been celebrated in song
and story. and the famous painting Of
that occurrence has, In millions OF copies,
become familiar to the people. But no
singer has sung of the parting between
Gen Robert Z. Lee and his generals after
Appomattox. No painter has painted il
Washington and his officers separated in
the sunshine of magnificent victory. the
fr,iition Of their brightest hopes. Lee
and his officers separated In the gloom Of
defeat, the darkness of despair. Amid
| the happy homes Of their people. the
shouts and the banners and the merry
music and the rejoicing multitudes, WASH
ington and his generals parted to go each
one to his pleasant home. Amid the ruins
Of their capital. with bare, bowed heads.
In utter silence and bitter tears. Lee and
his generals separated aRd went their sew
eral WAYS to homes destroyed, families
broken up and scattered, and often into
exile and oblivion.
The final parting was in front of Lees
mansion in Richmond, two days after
AppOmattox Lees house is an ordinary
square brick. standing alone on Franklin
street, one square from the capitol All
the other houses on the square are con-
nected. pom the afternoon of the second
day after the surrender people in that
vicinity were surprised TO see come riding
up the street from the south a company Of
Confederate horsemen- They were IN
armed Their gray uniforms were worn,
soiled, and often tattered. their trsppings
old and patched They wore slouched
hats and here and there was feathef
naming Of the once smart and jaunty.
dropping plume Of the Confederate cavalry
man. They were bronzed, and Drowned.
and bearded They sat erect and came on
they were noted Upon the collars of
some Of the gray jackets could still be
seen ths faded and tarnished gilt stars,
the emb ems Of the wesrers rank
In front o. them rode Lee His two
nsnds held the loosely-swinging reins and
rested upon the pommel. his head was
bent. and his eyes were looking straight
ahead from under his downcast brow but
they seemed to see nothing.
As the troops cantered up to his old
home his horse stopped at the gate, and he
aroused himself suddenly, as from q
dream. and cast his eyes upon the famil-
lar windows and then around over the
group of gallant soldiers who had fol.
lowed his fortunes for four bloody ears
and gone down in defeat under his banner.
The end of it all had to come at last
he threw himself from his horse. and all
his companions followed his action. They
stood hat in hand with arm tbro gh
the bride rein while Lee went from man
to man. grasping each hand. looking in
tently into each face as though he would
press 1t upon his memory forever Then
he turned and walked through the gate
and up the steps to his door As servant
opened the door he paused with his left
foot on the versnda his right upon the
last step. and looked back for the last
time. Not word had been spoken. not q
good-bye uttered There was no so nd
heard but that Of sobs as these unkemps
and grizzled heroes of 100 battles leaned
their heads against the shoulders Of their
horses and wept
Lee gave one look and broke down at
last. his hands went over his eyes, his
frame shook with sobs. as he turned
quickly and disappeared into bis lonely
house. With the closing Of the door be-
hind him ended forever the w dream of
the Southern Confederacy