The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1893-11-30
GEMS. GRANT AND LEE.
Where the Latter Surrendered to the
Union General

Where the Latter Surrendered to the
Union General
Work has just been finished on pro.
Ject oFunusual interest that was under.
taken by the War Department some
months ago, involvn. the marking of the
important spots AT. and around the old
Appomattox courthouse connected with
| the surrender Of Lee to Grant in $50
During the carly summer, it was suggest
cd 10 Secretary Lamont bv Mr.. kirklcv
one OF the members OF the board havinc
IN charge the publication Of the records
Oil war, that it was time now to mark
these spots, if it was ever to he done. as
tho landmarks arc fast being oblteratel
by tho passage Of years. The Secretary
saw the Importance Of this, aud immedi-
ately gave orders to have The idea carried
out. Since then. Major Davis, the head
OF the board has heen working hard, and
has at last succeeded in having all the
points of interest at Appomatto1 marked
in permanent manner
CAsT-IEoN TABLETS.
This is done hy means Of ca.t-iron tab
lets that are fastened to iron posts five
feet long. They are sunk into the ground
Il sufficient depth to secure stability, and
bear the tablets. which arc about three
feet long by two high in 4 santing posi-
ton, on line with the eve The letters
are two and quarter inches high, and
stand ont III good relief, so that they can
be read some distance Off. A contrast in
black and white paint gives them great
legibility.
The. work of ascertainlng the exact spot
was not an easy one, and without the aid
of Mr. Peers, who is now clerk of the
County Court, and has resided in the vi
entity all his life it might net have been
accomplished with the certainty and cx-
actness that make the work especially
valuable.
The tablets start at the station where
the new courthouse is now located. There
they are merely sign-boards with arrows
pointing in the direction of the old court
house, which stood about three miles
from he railroad The road that con-
meets it with the station is the old Lynch
burg turnpike, ana runs in Il generally
northcrly direction from that station. The
troops of each side were cMcampcI on
both sides of this road The preliminary
tablets merely direct the visitor to The
courthouse.
GENERAL GRANTS HEADQUARTERS.
About half Way on the site OF the sur
render is the first marking tablet. an.
nonncinSi
ION this spot we're established the
headquarters Of l.icutcnant General Clys
scs S. Grant, L. s. A., on the afternoon
Of April 9TH, 1850.
The next along the road is The most in
tcrcsting, reading thus:
''Ihis tablet marks the site of the house
owned and occupied hy Wilmer Mclean,
in which General /. :. Grant, L. S. A.,
and C;rncra Robert L. Lee, &. S. A., met,
and agreed upon the terms Q! SURRENDER
Of The \ rmy Of Northern Virginia, on the
afternoon of Sunday, April 9th, 1863. The
house was taken down and removed to
Washington, d. C., in 1893
There is curious anachronism in this
tablet that will be rcctiied later When
the Mclean house was taken down it was
thought that il would be taken to Chica
go, but the plan of the syndicate that
purchased the entire site Of the surrender
was changed, and it was decided TO re
move the building to Washington. Up to
date. howOvcr, the matcria. l'as nnt been
removed, though the house has hesn tax
en- down Thus Vie tablet is not quite
correct but if the material is not taken
away soan now tablet will he cast that
will be accurate.
ArroMATTOX COURTHOUSE
A few rods further up the road the Wis
tor comes upon the site OF the old court
house, Tie stor, of which is told i'll the
lhirLl lallet ihuS: