The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1894-02-15
The Valley Virginian.
CLIFTON FORGE, VA.
WALTON 4 VANNEMAN, Editors and Prop'rs.
THURSDAY. FEBRUARY Is, 1894
THE SURRENDER OF LEE.
Colonel Marshall tens ofthe Mem
orable Meeting of Grant
and Lee.

Colonel Charles Marshall, T.. 5. A., one
of the most prominent members of the
Baltimore bar, was the only witness OF
the closing scene of the civil war in
Wilmer McLean's house at Appomattox
As the military secretary of General Lee
9he accompanied his chief at the meeting
with General Grant to arrange the terms
upon which the Army of Northern Vir-
ginia awas to be.surrendered. Colonel
Marshall was Lees adjutant general, as
we'll as his military secretary.
At the banquet of Maryland Confeder.
ate Society, held in Baltimore on the
evening of the 10Th ult. Colonel
Marshall save the following version OF
the Surrender of the illastrious COM
mander, the first time. it is said, the
story was ever told from Confederate
standpoint:
When General Grant had written his
letter in pencil he took it to General Lee
who remain seated.
| General Lee read the letter and called
General Grants attention to the fact
| O4uU IC hclo Ullo CLu0I vi
the horses of the cavalry as if they were
public horses. He told General Grant
that Confederate cayalry-men owned
their horses and that they would need
them for planting spring crop. General
| G ant at ouce accepted the suggestion
and interlined the provision allowing
| the retention by the men of the horses
that belonged to them.
The terms of the latter having been
agreedto General Grant directed Colonel
Parker to make copy of it in ink, and
General Lee directed me to write his
acceptance.
Colonel Parker took the light table
upon which General Grant had been
writing to the opposite corner Of the
room, and [ accompanied him. There
was an inkstand in the room, but the
| ink was so thick that it was of no use.
I had small lockwood inkstand, which
always carried, and | gave it with my
pen to Colonel Parker who proceeded
to copy General Grants letter.
While he was so engaged [ sat near the
end of the sofa ON which General Sheri-
idan was sitting, and we entered into
conversation. In the midst Off General
Grant, who sat nearly diagonally across
the room and was talking with General
Lee, turned to General Sheridan and
said, General Sheridan, General Lee
| tells me that he has some 1900 of our
people prisoners, who are sharing with
! his men, and that none of them have
anything to eat. How many rations can
| you spare?n
| General Sheridan replied, 'About %,
C00." General Grant turned to General
| Lee and said General, will that be
| enough?'
General Lee replied: "More than
enough
| General Sheridan. ''Direct your com.
missary to send 25, 900 rations to General
| Lees coinmisary''
| General Sheridan at once sent an
| officer to give the necessary orders.
| When Colonel Parker had completed
the copying of General Grants letter, I
sat down at the same little table and
wrote General Lees answer.
| have yet in my possession the original
draft of that answer. 1t began:
II have the honor to acknowledge
/ General Lee struck out these words and
made the answer. read as it now appears.
| His reason was that the correspondence
ought not to appear as if he and general
Grant were in immediate communica>
ton. When General Grant had signed
the copy of his letter made by Colonel
| Parker and General Lee had signed the
answer, Colonel Parker handed to me
him General Lees reply, and the work
was done. Some further conversation of
a general nature took place, in the
course of which General Grant said to
General Lee that he had come to the
meeting as he was, without his sword
because he did not wish to detain Gen
eral Lee until he could send back to his
wagons, which were several miles away.
General Lee had prepared himself for
the meeting with more than usual care
and was in full uniform, wearing very
handsome sword and sash. This was
doubtless the reason of General Grants
reference to him.
At last General Lee took leave of Gen
eral Grant, saying that he would return
to his headquarters and designate the
4 officers who were to act on our side in
arranging the details of the surrender.
| We mounted our horses, which the Or
derby was holding in the yard, and
rode away, number of Federal officers
standing on the porch in front OF the
house looking at us.
When General Lee returned TO his
around him, to whom he announced
! what had taken place, and the causes
that had rendered the surrender neces-
sary
Great emotion was manifested by Off
GERS and men, but love aud sympath,
for their commander mastered every
other feeling.
According to the report of the chief O
ordinance less than 5000 armed me,
surrendered , exclusive of the cavalry
The others were present were unarmed
haying been unable to carry their ARM
from exhaustion and hunger. Man!
had fallen from the ranks during thu
arduous march, and unarmed men con
tinued to arrive for several days after thu
surrender swelling the number of parolet
prisoners greatly beyond the actual effec
tive force.
Specimen Cases.
i S. H. Clifford, New Cassel. Wis, wa
troubled with Neuralgia and Rheuma
tism, his stomach was disordered, hi
Liver was affected to an alarming de
gree, appetite fell away, and he was ter
ribly reduced in flesh and strength
Three bottles of Electric Bitters curet