New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-11-23
WHERE LEE SURRENDERED
MARKING POINTS OF INTEREST AT Apo
NATION COURTHOUSE.
TABLETS ERECTED EY THE WAR DEPARTMENT
on THE SITE OF THE FAMOUS APPLE TREE
AND OTHER HISTORIC SPOTS.
fey TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIDrSr.l

fey TELEGRAPH 10 The TRiDrSHl
Washington. Nov. 22-Work has Just been nm
ished on project OF unusual interest undertaken
by the War Department months ago-the
marking Of the important spots at and around the
old Appcmattox Courthouse connected with the
surrender of Lee TO Grant In 1860. During the early
summer II suggS st"d to secretary Lamont y!
Mr. Krklcy. one of the members OF the board nav
ing in charge the publication or the records OF inc
rebellion that il was high time now TO mark these
spots as the landmarks were fast being obiterated
The Secretary Immediately gave orders to have the
idea carried out. Since then Major Davis. the head
Of the board. has been hard at work, ana mas dt
last succeeded in having all the points or interest
at Appomattox marked in a permanent manner
The marking is done by means of cast-iron tablets
fastened TO iron posts five feet long. The letters
of the Inscriptions two and quarter hches
high and stand ont in good relief. The work OF
ascertaining the exact spots was not an easy one
and without the aid of MI. Peers who is now cierK
OF the County Court, and has lived near the cou''
house all his life. it might not have been accom-
plished with the certainty and exactness which
now make the work especially valuable Apoh,
half way from, the present Appomattox railroad
station I'D the old Iynchburg turnpike toward the
site of the surrender, is the first marking tap'et
announcing
ION this spot were established the headquarters
of Lieutenant General Ulysses > Grant, l. :" 49,
on the afternoon Of Anril g. 100
The next in order along the ROAD Is 'Ne "'o'' II"
teresting and reads thu
This tablet marks the site OF the mousse owhcu
and occupied by Wilmer Mclean In whch GENERA
L. S Grant L. S A.. and General Robert T.. Lee
c. s A.. met and agreed upon 'he terms Vi SUI
render of the Army of Northern Virginia on the
afternoon of Sunday, April .. 1865 The house was
taken down and removed to Washington u. C''
in 1893
A few rods further up the road the visitor comes
upon the site of the old courthouse, the s'ory Vi
.A,,c
which is told in the third tablet thus ,o,,.
"Here stood Appomattox Courthouse, buiit lSi-'
burned 1892
The ruins of the old building still TO be seen
ON the morning following the meeting between inc
generals in the Mclean house both OF them S'a''eu
out from their respective headquarters anu ioue VI"
horseback down the side Of the roau' "hc" was
extremely muddy. for the purpose OF a further In
terview They met about halfway. al a spot niue
north of the courthouse. on the west size OF 'h'
road Here is erected tablet with this inscrpton'
con this SPOT Lieutenant-Cicneral Ulysses -
Grant T. s. A., and General Robert H. Lee u .
| A. met on the morning Of April TO- 1860.
| Then the lines of both sides are marked Ihe hhe
Of Union outposts the morning OF SUNDAY apr"
o which crossed the road just beyond the meeting
| Mace. and that Of the Confederate outposts are
| noted about POO yards further on. The surrender
was contaminated by the Confederate troops inareh'
| ing south from their encampment ana passing IN
front of line formed By the First DIVISION OF inc
|
been badly cut up by the wheels OF the artiiiery
| the troops were drawn up on the east side OF the
| road in the field The Confederates ned tnrougn
| the space between the line and the road aiio
| stacked arms there. At point just, IN IRONY oi
nJr Peerss house, and almost across the roau IRON
the meeting place OF the two generals, Is tapie'
with the following inscriptions: 49,, -. A..
| Near this point established the ieit nana ,
of the First Division of the Fifth Corps AMY % %
the Potomac, the morning OF April H. iso,, ru
receive the surrender of the arms or the iniahuy
or The Army OF Northern Virginia ,.,
similar tablet marking the location OF the TEN
flank of the division Is planted apout 90 yat III
further north The spot from whion tne las, sI,o
| of the campaign was fired Is marked ny a tavis
| at a point about a hundred yards east from 'hs
.'Eron, This spot was fired the last SHOT from !he
| artillery of the Army OF Northern virginia OH '''
| morning of April o. 1850. ,o. tho fonous an
| Inme9liately after the surrender tne Famous az
nla tree was dug up by soldiers VINO saw ~ Naiu,
90 a relic They went down several ieet IN VIue'
10 secure the roots The site Of this tree Is aher
cards west OF the road and fo YARDS or so h ,t
81 inc courthouse. The tablet when mas pe''
oiaced there bears this inscription H.,
f"Near this spot stood the apple Tree unuer w"S ~
| General Robert +. Lee rested while awa'iis wy
return of a flag Of truce sent by MN 70 "e"e''
T. ( Grant on the morning OF April looo' ,o ~
THE records OF the War Department. W., WI r.
course OF great service In placing tness .ap. ,r
ts thought that the scene OF the surreiueI NY .i
!. has been accurately marked VIII be the opJeo.s
noint of many trips by veterans OF 'he val;
sst,m take an undiminshed interest III ieN i,
,hn scenes OF the great battle OF the reoei''o"'