Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-11-17
Where the Latter Surrendered to
the Union General.
SPOTS NEAR APPOMATOI COURT HOUSE.
Marked With Tablets by the War
Departments Order.
THE WORK JUST FINISHED.

/ eiic wax department some months ago, In
VolVins the marking of the important spots
at and around the old Appomattox Court
House connected with the surrender of Lee
to Grant In 1866. During the early summer
1t was suggested to Secretary Lamont by
Mr.. Kirkley. one of the members of the
board having in charge the publication of
the records Of the rebellion, that 1t was
time now to mark these spots If 1t was ever
TO De done, as the landmarks are fast be-
ing opiiterated by the passage Of years. The
secretary saw the Importance Of this and
Immediately gave orders to have the idea
carried out. Since then Maj. Davis, the
head Of the board, has been working hard.
and has at last succeeded in having all the
points or interest at Appomattox marked
In a permanent manner
Cast Iron Tablets.
lhis Is done by means of cast-iron tablets
tnat are fastened to iron posts 1--WE feet long.
They are sunk into the ground a sufficient
oepth to secure stability. and bear the
tablets. which are about three feet long by
two high, in slanting position, on a line
with the eye. The letters are two-and-a-
quarter inches high and stand out in good
rener so that they can be read some dis
'ahce oH A contrast in black and white
paint gives them great legibility
me work of ascertaning the exact spots
was not an easy one and without the aiI
OF Mr. Peers. who is now clerk of the coun-
" court. and has resided in the vicinity all
MS lie, 1t might not have been accomplish
Gu with tne certainty and eXactness that
make the work especially valuable
me tablets start at the station where the
new court house is now located There
they are merely sign boards with arrows
pointing In the direction of the old court
mouse. which stood about three miles from
the railroad. The road that connects II
with the station is the old Lynchburg turn
PIKE, ana runs in generally northeriy
direction from the station. The troops of
each side were encamped on both sides OF
the road. The preliminary tablets merely
direct the visitor to the court house
Gen. Grants Headquarters
About half way to the site of the surren-
der is the first marking tablet. announc-
ing:
| On this spot were established the head
quarters of Lieutenant General Ulysses s.
Grant, U.S.A.. on the afternoon of April
| 9, 1865"
| The next in order along the road. is the
most interesting, reading thus:
This tablet marks the site of the house
owned ana occupied " Wilmer Mclean.
in which General U. S. Grant. U.SA., and
General Robert e. Lee. C.S.A.. met and
agreed upon the terms Of surrender of the
Army Of Northern Virginia. on the after
noon of Sunday, April 3. 1865 The house
was taken down and removed to Washing
ton, d. c.. in 1888"
There is a curious anachronism in this
tablet that will be rectitied later When the
Mclean house was taken down II was
| thought that 1t would be taken to Chicago,
but the plan of the syndicate that purchased
the entire site of the surrender was changed
and II was decided to remove the building
| to Washington. Up to date, however the
material has not been removed, though the
| house has been taken down. Thus the
| tablet is not quite correct but il the ma
/ fah LOT
will be cast that will be accurate.
| The AppOmattOx Court House.
few rods further up the road the visitor
comes upon the site of the old court house,
| the story Of which is told In the third tab
| let, thus:
Here stood Appomatto1 court house: built
1872 burned 1892
The ruins of the old building are still to
be seen.
! On the morning following the meeting
between the generals in the Mclean house.
both of them started out from their re-
| spective headquarters and rode on horse
| back down the side of the road. which was
| very muddy, for the purpose of a further
! Interview. They met about half way, at a
spot little north of the court house. on
| the west side of the road. Here is erected
a tablet to this effect:
Where Grant and Lee Met.
| ION this spot Lieut.. Gen. Ulysses S.
Grant, L. S. A. and Gen. Robert E. Lee.
! G. s. A, met on the morning of April 10,
| 1866"
Then the lines of both sides are marked
| The line of Union outposts on the morning
| of Sunday, April g. crossed the road Just
beyond the meeting place. and that of the
confederate outposts is noted about 200
| yards further on.
Ihe surrender was cOnsummated by the
I fad 70 III,
/ the south from their encampment up the
road and passing in front of a line formed
| by the first division of the fifth corps of the
Union army. AS the road had been terribly
cut up by the wheels of the artillery, and
was sea of mud, the troops were drawn
! up on the east side of the road in the field,
racing west, 80 that the left flank was to
| the south. The confederates filed through
the space between the line and the road ana
stacked arms there. At q point just in front
Oh MI Peers house, and almost across the
road from the meeting place of the two gen.
erals Is tablet, as follows:
Near this point was established the left
nank of the first division of the fifth corps
Army of the Potomac, on the morning of
arms or the infantry of the Army Of North
ern Virginia"
similar tablet marking the location Of
the right nank of the division is planted
| ABOUT 2W yards farther north.
Where the Last Shot Was Fired.
which was fired the last shot of this re-
markable campaign, is settled by the loca-
ton OF a tablet at a point east from the
road, about hundred yards distant, and
half as far behind the Peers house. which
reads:
| From this spot was fired the ;ast shot
/ from the artillery of the Army of Northern
| Virginia, on the morning of April 8. 1866 -
Immediately after the surrende- the
/ famous apple tree that figured SO largely
in the transaction was dug I'D by soldiers
who saw its immense value as relic
| They went down several feet In order to
secure the roots intact. The site of this
! tree is therefore all that can be marked
today. 1t stood a few yards west of the
road, and 400 yards so north of the court
house. The tablet that has been placed
there bears this Inscription:
| The Famous Apple Tree.
Near this spot stood the apple tree un-
der which Gen. Robert f. Lee rested while
awaiting the return of "a flag of truce sent
/ by him to Gen. L. :. Grant on the morning
of April ., 1865
/ The records of the War Department were
these tablets. 1t is thought that the scene
of the surrender. now that 1T has been ac-
| curately marked, will be the objective point
of many trips by veterans of the war who
| take such a great interest in the geography
! of the scenes of the great rebellion.