The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1895-02-07

once more the myths of "the Apo
mattox apple tree" and "Grant re-
turning Lees sword" and has very
properly given General Grants own
account Of the scene, and that of
Colonel Charles Marshall, who accom-
panied General Lee as his military
secretary.
You might also have given General
Lees own account of the scene, as
given to company of gentlemen in
his own house, in Lexington, and en-
bodied in letter from Appomattox,
which (under the signature of" Viator')
l wrote the Dispatch several years after
General Lees death.
In that conversation General Lee
said, in answer to question: "No
sir We did not meet under an apple
tree, nor near one"
In reporting this conversation; which
was wildly impressed upon my men,
ory, and of which | made full notes
soon after it occurred, l was led into
an errer as to the place of the first
meeting by the statement of Mr..
George T. Peers, SO long the Clerk of
Appomattox county, and in every way
reliable gentleman.
He pointed out to me the exact
spot where he saw Lee and Grant
meet in an open field near Appomat-
tox court house, and although my
recollection at the time was that Gen
eral Lee stated that they first met in
the parlor of the Mclean house, upon
this positive testimony of Mr.. Peers |
stated that the meeting was in an
open field near hawthorn tree, and
that l had gathered some of the
thorns, which l proposed covering
with inmortelles from Lees bier,
which l should label ssThe ,horns Of
| Appomattox covered with the immor-
telles of Lees last, great victory
But soon after l became satisfied
that either misunderstood Mr.. Peers,
or that he was mistaken in supposing
the meeting which he witnessed was
the first meeting between Lee and
Grant. Their first meeting was, as
described by Colonel Marshall and
General Grant, in the parlor of the
Mclean house, and the meeting which
Mr.. Peers witnessed, and l described
in my letter to the Dispatch, was a
second meeting, which was al General
Grants request, and took place the
next day, the two Generals sitting on
their horses and conversing for about
an hour.
In speaking of the s historic apple
tree" upon one occasion, Colonel
Marshall quantity remarked The
meeting was in Mr.. McLean's parlor.
If there was an apple tree there, l did
not see it, You have stated correctly
that the only historic interest con-
nected with an apple tree was that
General Lee rested for time under
the shade of an apple tree while await
ing the return of his messenger to
General Grant. Not only the whole
of that tree, trunk, roots and branches,
but all of the trees of the orchard were
carried off as relics, and many Of the
ragged "boys in gray made very
advantageous trades with the "boys in
btue," giving them pieces of the
historic apple tree" for sugar, coffee,
and rations generally.
And the demand for "Appomattox
APPLE was SO great that some OF our
gallant fellows determined to supply
it, and gathering ample material from
the orchards OF Chesterfield, drove a
brisk and very profitable trade on their
return to Richmond, with the North
ern relic hunters who swarmed into
the city. 1t would be curious to know
how many wagon loads of the his
toric apple tree" were scattered through
the North and are carefully preserved
to this day.
When DR.. John A. Broaddus, the
great scholar and theologian, would
have pleasant discussions with hi:
uncle, the versatile and beloved DR.
William F. Broaddus, upon the mean.
ing of texts of Scripture, the old man
would sometimes say: 81 expect yot
are right, John !; but | really can no
admit that interpretatlon-it would
spoil one Of my best sermons"
May II not be that these historical
myths die so hard because their de
struction would spoil some of ,ht
finest rhetoric and paintings and stat
uary which some of our brethren a
the North have? And certain of III.
young orators and writers at the Soutl
would suffer in like manner.
The sword scene was, of course
equally a myth, as you have abun
dainty shown, but it may be we'll ,'
add the exact words Of General Lee
in the conversation to which | hav.
referred.
One of the gentlemen present asked
"General Grant returned you you
sword, did he not, General?" Tht
old hero, Strengthening himself up, re
piled in emphatic tones: "No. sir
he did not. He had no oppor,unit
of doing So l was determined tha
the sIdc-asms of officers should b
exempt by The terms Of surrender
: and, oi course, did not offer him mine
+ All that was said about a sword Wa
,ha, General Grant apologized to m
for no: wearing his own sword, sayin