Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-05-27
OLDAPPOMATTOXCH.
AeN DlKhl.S,ss ca Roach This
Fanels Polnlsi Interest
AEsTNc.PLlCg or COKFEDERLrVS
MlDtar& CumAlInJ lIly and tho
GrlTw OhlitsntM.
NO TIE SURRENDER GROUNDS"
The Mclean House Packed and
Ready for Renewal
hkluhUlAG hlSlUklGaL IABLElS.
Where 100000 Lee's Followers Last
Stacked Their Arms.
LOCATION OF TIKI APPLH.TREl.
Under Which General Lee Rested While
Awaiting q Flag Of Truce.
LEES FAREWELL ADDRESS.
He Bade Them Good-By, and Told Them
20 BE as True Citizens as They Were
Loyal Soldiers
LOCATION OF TIKI APPLE.TREE.
Under Which General Lee Rested While
Awaiting q Flag Of Truce.
LEES FAREWELL ADDRESS.
He Bade Them Good-By. and Told Them
TO BE rs True Citizens as They Were
Loyal Soldiers

APPoMATTox COURTHOUSE, May
26.-(Special.) IA sight-seer desiring TO
visit the surrender grounds and other
points OF historic interest at Appomattox
Courthouse would alight from the cars
~ Courthouse Station. on the Norfolk
and Western railroad. This was In 1866 a
mere railway station on what was then
known as the Southside railroad, and was
tho point at which General Grant landed
his troops on April and 8. 1856. TO head
on General Lee. who was retreating In
the direction OF Lynchburg via the
J-ynchburg and Richmond stage route.
which runs about three fourths OF q mile
north OF this place.
This little village is now the seat Of the
county, II has large, new. and hand"
some Courthouse and many beautiful pri-
waite residences, some SIX stores. two ho-
tolls and is quite nice place.
ROUTE TO THE OLD COURTHOUSE.
Tho traveller would take road leading
northeast. and after proceeding about half
q mile he would see at the first road
crossing an iron sign-board fastened 70 a
nestly-painted post some eight feet high
with hand or index raised and the in
scription: 'To Old Appomattox Court
house." He would experience no difficulty
In finding his way, as he would see at
each road crossing an iron sentinel poiRt-
ing him the way TO this historic and now
world-renowned point OF interest Pro-
ceedng on his journey down the OLD
stage road one mile and half from the
new courthouse. and about the same DIS
lance from the old, he Will find some
Nifty yards from the main road on the
right hand side under a large spreading
white oak. an iron tablet BIZ IL feet IN
size, fastened to an iron post about
feet high. with the following inscription:
"On this spot were established the head
uuarter9 of Northumberland u. =.
Grant on the afternoon of April Q, 1865.
The land upon which this tablet is erected
was then the property of Mr.. John Sears,
but now belongs To a syndicate In wash
ington, known as the Appomattox Land
Company. This company owns the sur
render grounds and indeed, nearly all the
land from old Appomattox Courthouse 10
The new Courthouse. and a few lots there.
CONFEDERATE CEMETERY.
The point OF interest is the Confederate
cemetery. which is situated in full view
of and upon q hill overlooking the old
courthouse. About half an acre of land
IS enclosed by a substantial plank fence,
which IL In q. good state OF preservation.
There are plain plank boards erected at
the heads OF the nineteen graves. In
tho month OF May. 1866, the few ladies
living at old Appomattox Courthouse and
vicinity met aud organized the Ladies
Memorial Association of Appomattox.
They had the remains Of the nineteen
heroes who had sacrificed their lives
upon their country's altar, taken up from
the various points at which they had
fallen in the battle and removed to this
place. and with impressive ceremonies re-
inferred In this spot.
aiEAD-B0ARDS CRUMBLINa AWAY.
They Ia their poverty at that time
were unable 10 erect anything but plain
plank boards at their heads. but they
wished 90 show their affection and re-
spect TO those who had 80 magnanimously
yielded their lives in their defence. on
May "a OF each year for q number OF
years they met and with loving hands
'und sorrowful hearts decorated with beau
tiful flowers and lovely wreaths the last
resting-p place OF those nineteen gallant
heroes, most OF them unknown, yet whose
ashes were as dear and sacred as the
nearest of kin. This annual decoration
was kept UP for a number OF years,
but By and by the leading spirits In
this movement had either moved away
from the community or gone TO their
eternal home, until finally 1t was discon-
unued. and now many OF those wooden
tablets have fallen, and unless some
lhing Is soon done TO perpetuate 1t, there
will be nothing left 10 mark the spot
where lies the remains OF those gallant
heroes. II would be a fitting tribute to
their memory N the matter could be
taken In hand and marble monuments
erected 10 their memory; or rather a large
marble shaft, with suitable inscription
An IL TO mark this spot.
THE HISTORIC SPOT.
Reaching the village OF Appomattox
Courthouse 10 the right Is the spot where
stood the large brick building in which
Generals Lee and Grant signed the terms
of the surrender. 1t was then the pro-
perry Of Wilmer Mclean, and IL is quite
renarkablo that this house was owned
by tho same man who owned the farm
upon which the first battle OF Manassas
WAS fought and who rcfugeed to this
place, After the war he sold II to MIR.
~. H. Ragiand ohce a prominent mer-
pomattox lady and who merchandised
lhero for a number OF years. He died a
tew years ago, and his widow sold
~ TO gentleman from Buffalo. n. ~.
tsho transferred IL 10 syndicate from
Washington known as the Surrender
House and Museum Company. They had
ahe house taken down In 1895. prepare
Tory To moving It 20 Washington, ID. c.,
e. be rc-erec,ed there for exhibition, sc.
a. d Aaa. 4.
Rome and II Stti remains at the OLD
iaee packed ready for removal with a
ta'id TO watch over 90 keep of depre-
paiors aud relic-hunters.
THE OLD COURTHOUSE SITE.
a NIUE further on 10 the spot where
t'"oc the old coUrt-house and here
Aid tablet with this inscription:
On THIS spot stood the old courthouse
AppomattoS county. erected in 1886,
destroyed by fire in 1892"
Iae conr'-house with all the records
80 DESTROYED by fire February /. 1854
~ mas always been a mystery how the
fcurt-house caught IRE. The Clerk went
tsane TO dinner leaving no one there.
uo was gone not over an hour. On his
'n the house was on fire, and 10 far
VHo 'hai nothing % importance could be
~1 eniaiing loss. In pec,iniary
s@ nloe disastrous TO the people than
~ Nnh al us ravages. and fear II
2. years before the people will entire
'siS' But again 20 the subject.
MORE TABLETS.
niue further on. beyond tho county
~ - an iron sign-board. upon neatly
'1 post upon which In plain raised
Ioee ~ are We worts: ITO tho surrender.
.rpands sfew feet from this Is a
tMet uet Ike those have Described,
Nth this inscription upon A:
Nsar this spot was established ths
.sI hank OF the First Division OF the
Firth Corps. Array Of tho Potomac. on
no morning Of April IL 1856. to receive
the arms Of the infantry at the Army Of
Northern Virginia"
Down the same road some two hundred
Yerds 70 another tablet situated msne
tWeav yards 70 the RIGHT of the road