Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-10-20

| Col feers' story on the historic Field
Only Few Reminders Of the Noted
Event Remaining-The Famous Apple
Tree-Death of Col. Root.
A great man mere is Col. G. 7. Peers
chief of the county court, an office he has
held uninterruptedly for eighteen years,
and altogether for nearly quarter of a
century. Col Peers is the only white
man now living at AppomattoX Court
/ House who was here at the time of the
surrender Of Gen. Lee He is the friend,
counselor and leader of the little com,
munity, and his kindly blue eyes and
flowing white beard give him patriarchal
appearance. His office in the basement
| of the court house is crowded with musty
| old papers, many bearing date early in
! the last century and concerning the es-
tates and fortunes Of many proud i. F.
| VS.. Col. Peers is probably better ac-
! quainted with the local events transpir-
| ing at the time of Lees surrender than
any man in the south. With great kind
ness, he pointed out the scenes of the
memorable Incidents of the Sth and 9th
| of April, 1S6s
Il remember well, " he said, as, stand
| ing on the court house green, - he gaZed
thOughtfully at the woods skirting the
western sky, as though catching again in
! memory's eye the glimmer of hostile
| banners through the trees, Il remember
as though yesterday the day when the
army of northern Virginia passed into
| history. There were few men in Apo
mattON that spring Some were with Lee
around Richmond, others with Joe John
son in the south, and others again were
sleeping on the fields of Gettysburg, An
tietam and Charlottesville.
THE DARK CLOUDS GATHERING.
''There were anxious wives, broken
hearted widows and childless mothers
among us, and the few who remained
could easily see the dark clouds gather
ing closer over the COnfederacy. Lee,
driven out of Richmond and uprooted
from Petersburg, was hurrying his weary
troops toward the western mountains,
with the sleuth hounds of Grant and
Sheridan pressing hard behind. On
Saturday morning, April s, few strag-
glers reached AppomattoN with the infor-
nation that Lee was close at hand, while
terrified country people from the west
came in with the intelligence that Sheri-
was across the road in Lees front In
the afternoon Lee arrived and encamped
on the brow of a hill about a mile from
town. About half way between, through
fertile meadow, runs AppOmattON creek,
crossing the road near an old apple
orchard
Il went into the Confederate camp
that night and learned from an officer
that council of war had just been held
by Gen. Lee and his generals, at which it
was decided that if Sheridan's cavalry
was the only obstruction in front an at
tempt would be made early the next
morning 10 cut through, but if Ord's in
fantry should arrive during the night
there would be nothing left but surren-
der. Lees pickets had been thrown
through and about a mile west of the
town, and a sharp encounter occurred
about dusk between them and the Fiji
teenth New York cavalry. The picket line
fell back through the town, followed hard
by the enemy, and il was in leading this
pursuit that the commander of the cav
airy, Lieut.. Col Root, was killed in the
center of the village. This was the last
life lost at AppOmattox. On Sunday
morning a battery was planted in my
yard, 100 yards from the court house, and
an artillery duel with the Fedora be-
gan. From this battery the last shots
were fired by the army Of northern Vir-
ginia.
THE FAMOUS APPLE TREE.
about 0 o'clock that Sunday morning
word was brought Gen. Lee, who had
ridden up under one of the apple trees on
the banks of the creek, that the infantry
was in his front several thousand strong.
According TO the decision of the council
the night before, he Immediately sent for
ward from this point the flag of truce
This was the only part played in the clos
ing drama of the war by the famous
apple tree of AppomattoX.' Gen. Lee and
Gen. Grant never met under its bOughs;
in fact, the latter never got within 200
yards Of the apple tree. He rode through
the village about an hour after the flag
Of truce entered his lines, and was met
BY Gen. Lee on the brow of a hill, half
way between the town and the apple
orchard. Here the two chieftains con-
versed awhile, and turned and rode to-
gether into the town.
Meeting Wilmer Mclean in front OF
the court house, Gen. Lee asked him
where they could do some writing, and
the party was escorted by that gentleman
TO his own house, where, in -he parlor,
the articles Of capitulation were drawn
up and signed An hour or so later Gen.
Lee passed me on his return TO camp.
He was alone and rode slowly and
thoughtfully, his head bowed upon his
breast, as though in deep thought. He
did not seem depressed, but looked like
one who, while conscious of having done
his best, had been compelled TO submit TO
the inevitable, feeling at the same time
the terrible Importance of the step he had
taken. After the surrender both generals
retired TO their respective headquarters,
and, If | mistake not, neither came into
town again. Both, / think, left on Tues
day, Gen. Grant leaving Gen. Gibbon to
complete the surrender and parole officers
and men"
During Col Peers narrative he pointed
out many points of interest. The spot
where the two great leaders met is
marked by pile of stones while nearly
a mile up the road, on the brow of the
hill, stands the solitary poplar under
which the Confederate commander stood
while delivering his farewell address TO
his troops
The Mclean house, where the articles
of surren Ter were signed, is n long, COM
Portable looking, red brick dwelling, with
porch running its entire length. Over
the parlOr door hangs q picture of the
room, representing it when the articles
Of surrender were being signed. Wilmer
Mclean, who owned the house ut the
time, WAS refugee from the first battle
ct Manassas, bringing his family here TO
escape the horrors Of war. In 1869 the old
-.Ig g,,Nz 81, l. II II
laods its present owner.-Appomattox
Cor. Philadelphia Times.
He Can Afford 1t.
My friend ''Halston" of The Times