Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-05-01
CAMPFIRE STORIES.
LEES APPLE rREe:
Only One Northerner Secured a Genuine
AuDomzttox Relic.

Only One Northerner Secured a Genuine
APpomattoI Relic.
A recent article in the Atlanta Consti-
tuition said all the published statements
that numerous persons in the North had
relics from the famous Appomattox ap=
pie tree; we're absolutely false: ftstated,
upon the authority of Confederate Gen
erals who were present at the surrender
of General Lee, that only one man con-
nected with the Union force had ever
obtained any portion of that tree, and
that he had only portion of the root or
| trunk 1t explained that the whole
tree had been cut to pieces by members
of the Confederate arff1J befefe the
| Union forces came upon the ground;
| and that the master of transportation Of
| the Union ARMY. who, at General Lees
request, Supplied the Confederate army
with rations was only able to secure the
| last remaining portion of the tree and
that it was forty-eight hours after he
appeared before any other member of
the Union forces had access to the field.
The article also added that the sole pos
SCISSOR of a piece of this historical tree
north Of Mason and Dixon's line vas
| Colonel Bates now of Philadelphia:
The writer ascertained that the per-
son referred to was George II. Bates, at
present proprietor of the Oriental Hotel
in Market street, in this city, who was
| at the time of the surrender of Lees
army master of transportation of the
army of the Potomac. Mr.. Bates, when
questioned upon the subject yesterday.
gave his statement of the matter as fol-
lows:
Yes, sir. The statement is correct,
and am the man referred to. When /
have heard and read accounts of persons
having canes and other articles made
from that famous tree / have been
amused, because | know that | am the
only man north of Mason and Dix
on's line who ever obtained a relic from
that tree. This is what occurred on
that memorable April day when Leo
surrendered. was master of transport
tatiun in the army of the Potomac. I'M
mediately upon General Grants returri
after his meeting with General Lee,
who had surrendered, in compliance
with General Lee s request to have food
sent to his starving troops, | received
orders to prepare train of wagons with
rations and to take them beyond our
lines under the flag of truce into the
enemy's lines and report to General
Lee,
"a speedily gathered nineteen wagon
loads of rations passed through our lines
and passed along the road near the ia
nous tree under which Lee had waited
for General Grant | inquired for the
Confederate Generals headquarters and
was answered two or three times by be-
ing spit at. Finally l found it, where
with General Lee and his staff officers q
brief time was spent pleasantly in which
some prime applejack was produced, of
which we all took nip. Then l asked
some Confederates standing around to
unload the wagons, but they refused,
being Southrons, who esteemed manual
labor evidently degrading, whereupon l
ordered my subordinates to dismount
and unload, which they did grudgingly,
as they doubtless thought if we were
good enough to bring food to the enemy,
the latter might at least be willing to
carry it away.
well, about 4:3O or five p. m. we
started with the empty wagons back to
our lines. On the way | saw Confeder-
ate soldiers hacking away at the stump
of the tree which few hours previous
had sheltered General Lee from the
sun rays. In reply to my inquiry the
relic-seekers said they wanted souvenirs
to keep of the tree under which their
General had surrendered. Then there
was nothing left but the root. imme-
diately took a jack-knife and cut out a
piece, which l have preserved to the
present time, and another piece which
handed to my carpenter. who carved out
a ring with heart on it, which | have
also kept. / was given pass by Gen
eral Lees Acknowledgement to go in and
out of the lines at will. Ihave also pre-
served that Here it is"
! The document was then shown the
. writer, signed by General Lee and coun'
, tersigned, bearing date April 9, 1865.
I Mr.. Bates continued his story by say
ing that on his next visit into the
, enemy's lines not the slightest vestige
of any portion of that tree, branch, OF
, root, remained, and with the exception
of General Grant and his two staff
officers, General Rawlings and Colonel
, Leete, no Union officers or soldiers
, passed the lines until forty-eight hours
later He therefore feels convinced that
} the statement made by the Southern
, journal is correct that only Confeder
} ates, with the exception of himself, OBJ
tanned any portion of that historical
} tree.
There were other apple trees at dis
/ lance, but still in the vicinity OF the
} place of surrender, which the Unior
relic hunters speedily laid under trib
3 ute.
3 Mr.. Bates showed the writer the piece:
r he Obtained-the root, which is Ski
l inches in dimensions. and the ring will
4 the heart craven on it.-Philadelphi;