The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1893-12-13
GEMS. GRANT AND LEE.
When the Latter Surrendered
tothe Union General

" ok mas Decl Hniclcl on pAVJcSt
Of unusual interest that was undertaken
BY the War Department some months
ago, involving the marking Of the ini-
poriant spots al and around the old AP-
pemattox Court House connected With
the surrender Of Lee TO Grant in 1865.
Nlsjor Davis, the head Of the board, has
at last succeeded in having all the points
Of interest at AppOmattOx marked in
permanent manner.
This is done by means Of elst irOn
tablets that are fastened TO iron posts five
feet long. They are sunk into the ground
a sufficient depth to secure stability, and
bear the tablets, which are about three
feet long by two high, in a slanting posi-
tion, on line with the eye. The letters
are p inches high and stand out in good
relief so that they can be read some dis
tanee oil. A contras. in black and white
paint gives them great legibility.
The tablets start at the station where
the new court house is nov located.
About half way to the Site Of the surren-
der is the first marking tablet, announ-
chg:
"On this spot were established the
headquarters Of Lieutenant General L.
5. Grant, L. : A, on The afternoon of
April 9, 1865"
The next in order along the road IS the
most interesting. reading thus
This tablet marks thesite ofthe house
owned and occupied by Wilmer Mclean
in which General L. :. Grant, Us 4
and General Bobert +. Lee, C. ;. A, met
and agreed upon the terms of surrender
Of the Army Of Northern Virginia, on the
afternoon OF sunday, April ., 1865 The
house was taken down and removed 10
Washington, d. C., in 1888"
There is a curious anachronism in this
tablet that will be rectified later. When
the Mclean house was taken down, it
was thought that it would be taken to
Chicago, but the plan of the syndicate
that purchased the entire site of the
surrender wss changed and it was decid-
ed 10 remove the building to Washing
ton. Up to date, however, the material
has not been removed, though the house
has been taken down. Thus the tablet
is not quite correct, bat if the material Is
not taken away soon new tablet viii be
east that Sill De accurate.
\ few rods further up the read the yis-
itor comes upon the site OF the old court
house, the story Of which is told in the
third tablet, thus;
Here stood ApPOmattox 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 McLssn
house, both Of them started on, from
their respective headquarters and rode
on horseback down the side Of the road,
which was very muddy, for the purpose
Of a further interview. They met about
half way at spot little north Of the
court house, on the wss. side ofthe road.
Here is a tablet erected to this effect:
"On this spot Lieut.. Gen. Ulysses ;.
Grant, l. : A., and Gen. Robert T. Lee,
{. :. A, met on the morning Of Apr.
10, 1861
At a point jus. in front Of Dir. Peers
house, and almost across the road from
the meeting place of the two generals is
a tablet as follows:
Near this point vas established the left
flank of the first division OF the fifth
corps, Army Of the Potomac, on the morn
ing Of \ pTii II, 1865, to receive the sur
render Ofthe arms or the infantry Of the
Army Of Northern Virginia"
A similar tablet marking the location
Of the right flank OF the division Is plant
ed about 2O0 yards further north.
The interesting question Of the spot
from which was fred the last shot Of
this remarkable campaign is settled By
the location Of a.iablet at point east
from the road, about : hundred yards
disisnt and hAlf as Ear behind the Peers
house, which reads:
From this spot was fired the last shO;
from the artillery Of the Amry of North
srn Virgins, on the morning Of April 9,
1865.
Immediately after the surrender the
famous apple tree that figured 50 largely
in the transaction vas dug ~ by soldiers
who saw it, immense value az = relic.
They vent down several feet in order 10
secure the roots intact. The site Of this
tree Is therefore al that eau be market
to-day. Il stood few yards west OF the
road, and 400 yards or 50 north Of the
court house. The tablet that has been
placed there bears this inscription
Wear this spot stood the apple tree
uder which Gen, Robert L. Lee reeted
while awaiting the return Of flag Of
tuce sent by him to Gen. L. s. Grant on
the morning Of april Q, 1855
It is thought that the scene Of the sur-
render. nov that it has been accurately
marked, will be the objective poin, Of
many trips by veterans Of the war, who
take such g great interest in the gen
GRANNY NJ the sranas of fha s,reas reh..I