The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1892-11-22
LEE S SURRENDER.
CEREBRAL CRAMPS FIRST DEMAND
FOR 1T.
Colonel Perry Tells tho Story of HOW tho
First Demand Came Within the Con-
fedcrate Lines-Othsv Notes.

The story Of General Lees surrender
must ever have a sad interest for those
who admire the brave.
While much has been written about that
event, still there is lacking that inside
information of the incidents which led up
to it,
A most interesting paper read before the
Confederate Veterans Association of At
larta sprea Is much light upon the subject
1t is from the pen of Colonel Herman IL.
Perry, now OF Waynesboro, Ga, who was
assistant adjutant general on the staff of
General SOrrell.
Colonel Perry was himself the officer
who received from the hands Of General
Grants messenger the written demand
upon General Lee that he should surrender.
The Letter Produced.
The letter of Colonel Perry is addressed
to Hon. Robert l.. Rodgers, of West End,
and is by him made pubic
Dear Sir: / received your favor today,
with request to send to you an account of
the transactions OF my receiving the first de-
mand for the surrender Of General Lees
army before reaching Appomattox. i re-
member having written to you last year that
/ would write it for your use as matter OF
history. / did it in pencli at the time, ana
laid 1t away, and have not referred to il
since l have now disnterred it from II lot
OF old papers in my office, and send 1t with
out any further polish or correction. l wish
you would read it to Captain j. W. English
and see il his memory and mine agree about
it. / have been often importuned to write
his before, but / have reiraned from doing
it because many heroes" have appeared
since the war ended who never handled
sword or gun then, and have been so III,
iudiciOusly luuded by the press, that / did
not care to have the appearance of being en-
the list But let us refer, now, to the scenes
which were the closing acts of the glorious
southern confederacy, as the closing history
OF the times.
.he Eventful Night.
1t was night, April Z, 1865. We had
5crossed the river, near Farmvilie, and had
taken ND a position about, as near as |
remember, a mile from the crossing, which
the confedcrates had attempted to burn,
but unsucc assfuly. General Miles, com
manding federal brigade, made mad at
tempt to throw the confederates into con-
fusion on their left by flank movement
(perhans that was his purpose), but 1t was
q very unfortunate move, tor has lines
were III few minutes nearly cut to pieces
sad his brigade placed hors de combat A
!. eE = on both sides. while the wounded
and dead federals lay between the two
lines.
Nlahone's division was now the rear
guard at this point of General Lees army.
General Lees forces were reduced now to
sIpr minimum strength, but a tiercer,
more determined body of men never lived.
They simply waited for General Lees or
ders.
About ; o'clock N. q flag Of truce
appeared in front of General Sorrells brig
AIDE General Wrght's Old brigade, of
which the writer of this account was the
adjutant general A courier was sent to
division headquarters to announce 1t. Col
onel Tayloe, splendid young Virginian
had been assigned temporarily to the COM
mand of General Sorrcll's brigade, General
Sorrell having been almost mortally wound
ed near Petersburg. In a short while Cot
onel Tayioe was ordered to send a staff
officer to answer to the flag of truce.
The Flag of Truce.
The writer was assigned to this duty,
at the confederate front lines. As the top
of the eartnWorhs was reached Il number
Of federal sharp-Sh0oterS fired at me, and
two balls passed through the uniform coat
] wore and one ball wounded a confederate
soiuier i'll the hand, who had risen up with
others from behind the works, out of curl
os.ty to see what was going 10 take place.
/ nat ended the truce business for that at
ternoon. After nightfau and after every
thing on both sides had lapsed into silence
picketS were put i'll front Of our lines about
one hundred yards. Captain James W.
English, one of the brarest, coolest, most
faithful, and yisilant officers i'll the con-
federatc army, was III charge OF the hne Ill
front of our brigade. | had selected nim
for the reason that knew that he would
not fail me if | depended on his courage
and faith Colonel Nayloc knew nothing of
our command or its officers, and the respOn-
sibility rested on me TO select the right men
in the crisis there was now on US. We APP
pretended night attack.
About O'Clock at night, as the moon
was about to rise, Captain English reported
that flag of truce was again offered on
the federal line on our front. 1t was re-
ported again at our division headquarters
nsyt IN
before. | put on an army revolver, put
ASIDE my sword, and advanced about nity
yards from our pickets, halted and called
for the flag. Where ! stood there We're
scattered around several federal dead and
One of the latter asked me to do some
thing for him. ] told him ! would very
SOON making this promise only to encour-
age him, for ] could really do nothing
for lack of authority as well as lack OF
means ] asked his name and was rather
astonished when he said he was General
Miles's adjutant general, and that ms name
was Boyd. us ! now remember II. u re-
sponse to my call in front took ny atten-
ton though | remember that the wounded
officer said he had been shot through the
thigh.
very handsomely dressed federal officer.
We stonned in front of each other, about
seven or eight feet apart. L soon recognlZ-
ed the fact that my worn confederate uni
form and slouched hat. even Ill inc ann
light. would not compare favoraoiy with
his mognificcnce bat as | am SIX feet hl&h,
| drew myself up as proudly rs | could and
nut on the appearance as well as possible,
Of being perfectly satisfied with my per-
snnal Exterior The officer spoke first. in
troducing himself as General Seth VIII
iauls, Of General Grants staff;
After I had introduced myself he felt in
his SIDE pocket for documents, as thought,
but the document was 4 very nlce.looklng
silver flask. as we'll as | could distinguish.
He remarked that he hoped would not
th l # was an unsolderly courtesy if he
ofgared me some very fine brandy. | will
own lIp now that ! wanted that drink aw-
fully. Worn down, hungry and dlSpirlted,
il would nave been a gracious godSe4d if
some old confederate and L could have
cmntied that flask between US in that
dreadful hour of misfortune. But raised
myself about an inch higher. II possible,
bowed and refused politely, trying to pro-
ducc the ridiculous appearance or having
Toasted on champagne and pound cake not
ten minutes before and that had not the
slightest use for as plebeian drink as
Cline brandy"
He was true gentleman. begged pardon,
and placed the flask in his pocket again,
without touching the contents IN my pres