The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-11-28

been working hard, and has at last sue
ceeded in having all the points of interest
at AppomattoX marked in permanent
manner
tablets that are fastened TO iron posts
five feet long. They are sunk into tn e
ground ii sufficient depth to secure
stability aud bear the tablets, which are
about three feet long by two high, in a
slanting position, ON a line with the eye.
The letters are two and quarter inches
high and stand out in good relief SO
that they can be read some distance off.
A contrast in black and white paint
gives them great legibilty.
The tablets start at the station where
the new court house is now located.
There they are merely signboards with
arrows pointing in the direction of the
old court house, which stood about three
miles from the railroad. The road that
connects it with the station is the old
Lynchburg turnpike, and runs in a gem
orally northerly direction from the sta
ton. The troops of each side were en-
camped ON both sides of the road. The
preliminary tablets merely direct the
visitor to the court house.
About half way to the site of the sur
render is the first marking tablet,
announcing: ION this spot were estab-
lished the headquarters of Lieut-Gen.
.. u,
noon April, 1866"
The next in order along the road is the
most interesting, reading thus: This
tablet marks the site of the house owned
and occupied by Wilmer Mclean, in
which General u s. Grant, US. A., and
GeneralsRohert E. Lee, C.S. A., met and
agreed upon the terms of surrender of
the Army oil Northern Virginia, on the
afternoon of Sunday, April 1866"
A fnw rods further tho the
visitor 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 1912;
burned 1892 The ruins of the old
building are still to be seen.
On the morning following the meeting
between the generals inssthe Mclean
house, both of them started out 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 a little north of the
court house, on the west side of the
road.
Here is erected tablet to this effect
On this spot Lieut.. Gen. Ulysses S..
Grant, U.S.A., and Gen. Robert E. Lee,
1861
Then the lines of both sides are
marked. The line of Union outposts on
the morning of Sunday, April 8, crossed
the road just beyond the meeting place,
and that of the Confederate outpOsts is
noted about 200 yards further on. The
surrender was consummated by the
Confederate troops marching down
towards the south from their encamp-
ment up the road, and passing in front
of 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,
facing west, SO that the lie flank was
to the south. The Confederates filed
the road and stacked arms there. At q
point just in front of Mr.. Peers's house,
and almost across the road from the
meeting place of the two generals, is
a tablet, as follows: Near this point was
established the left flank of the first
division of the fifth corps, Army of the
Potomac, on the morning of April H.,
arms of the infantry of the Army of
Northern Virginia" A similar tablet
marking the location OF the right flank
of the division is planted about 200 yards
farther north.
The interesting question of the spot
from which was fired the last shot OF
the remarkable campaign is settled by
the location of a ia blet at point east
t rom the road, about hundred yards
distant, and half as far behind the Peers
house, which reads:
From this spot was fired the last shot
from the artillery of the Army of North
ern Virginia on the morning of April
1866. F."
Immediately after the surrender the
famous apple tree that Figured SO largely
in the trasaction was dug up by.~soldiers
who saw it's 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 few yards
west of the road, and 400 yards west of
the courthouse. The tablet that has been
placed there bears this inscription
Near this spot stood the apple tree I'M
der which Gen. Robert E. Lee rested
while awaiting the return of flag OF
truce sentsby him to Gen. q. S. Grant on
thesmorning of April 9, 1865. Washing
ton Star.