Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1895-01-19

GENERAL LEES SURRENDER.
A letter trom Chase City, Va, to
the Richmond Dispatch says
have heard so many old Confeder-
ates express a desire to see the account
written by General Grant of the meet
ing between himself and General Lee
at Appomattox on the 9th Of April,
1865, that l copy the account from
personal Memoirs Of U. S. Grant"
published by G. l.. Webster & Co.,
New York, 1894, and send it to you for
publication. The book has been sell
dom seen in Virginia. l omit the cor
respondence which resulted in the sur
render. as all are familiar with it.
After the place of meeting had been
designated by General Lee and General
Grant notified OF it, Grant said
II found him at the house Of a Mr..
Mclean, at Appomattox courthouse,
with Colonel Marshall, one of his staff
officers, awaiting my arrival. The head
off his coIumn was occupying hill on
portion of which was an apple orchard,
beyond little valley which separated
| it from that on the the crest of which
| Sheridan's forces were drawn up in line
of battle to the south.
Before stating what took place be
tween General Lee and myself, | will
give all there is of the story of the
famous apple tree.
"Wars produce many stories OF iic-
ton, some OF which are told until they
are believed to be true. The war OF the
rebellion was no exception TO this rule,
and the story OF the apple tree is one
of those fictions based on slight
foundation OF fact. AS | have said,
there was an apple orchard on the side
of the bill occupied by the Confederate
forces. Running diagonally up the
hill was wagon road, which, at one
point, ran very near one Of the trees,
so that the wheels the vehicles had,
Oh that side, cut OF The roots OF this
tree, leaving a little embankment. Ger :
eral Babcock, of my staff, reported 10
me that when he first met General
Lee he was sitting upon this embank-
ment with his feet in the road below,
and his back resting against the tree.
The story had no other foundation than
that. Like many other stories, 1t would
be very good if it was only true.
II had known General Lee in the old
armv. and had served under him iu the
Mexican war: but did not suppose,
owing to the difference in age and
rank, that he would remember me:
while would more naturally remem
Der him distinctly because he was the
chief of staff of General Scott in the
Mexican war.
"When left camp that morning l
had not expected 50 soon the result
that was then taking place, and consc-
quently was in rough gerh. was
without a sword, as usually was when
on horseback on the field, and wore a
soldiers blouse for coat, with the
shoulder-straps of my rank to indicate
to my army who / was. When / went
into the house | found General Lee.
We greeted each other, and after shaS-
ing hands took our seats. | had my
staff with me, good portion Of whom
were in the room during the whole in
| terview
"What General Lees feelings were /
do not know. As he was man of
much dignity, with an impossible face
it was impossible to say whether he felt
inwardly glad that the end had finally
come, or felt sad over the result and
was too manly to show it. Whatever
his feelings, they were entirely conceal
ed from my observation :; but my own
which had been quite jubilant on the
recent of his letter, were sad and de-
pressed. 1 felt like anything rather
than rejoicing at the downfall ola foe
who had fought SO long and valiantly,
and had suffered so much for cause,
though that cause was, | believe, one of
the worst for which people ever
fought. and one for which there was the
least excuse. I do not question, how
ever, the sincerity of the great mass OF
those who were opposed to us.
| General Lee was dressed in full
uniform, which was entirely new, and
was wearing sword of considerable
value, very likely the sword which had
been presented by the State of Vir-
ginia; atall events, it was an entirely
different sword from the one that
would ordinarily be worn on the field.
In my rough travelling suit, the uni
form Of private, with the straps of q
Acknowledgement, must have con-
trasted very strangely with man so
handsomely dressed, six feet high and
of faultless form. Bat this was not the
matter that l thought of until after
wards.
"We soon fell into a conversation
about old army times. He remarked
that he remembered me very we'll in
the old army; and l told him that as G
matter of course / remembered him
pgrfectly, but from the differences in
our rank and years l had thought it
very likely that had not attracted his
attention sufficiently to be. remember
ed by him after such long interval,
Our conversation grew. so pleasant
that l almost forgot the object
of our meeting. After the con-
yersatioh had run on in this style for
some time, General Lee called my at
tention to the object of of our meeting,
and since that he had asked for tnls
interview for the purpose of getting
from me the terms / proposed to give
his army, 1 said that | meant merely
that his army should lay down their
arms, not to take them up again dur
ing the continuance of the war unless
duly and properly exchanged. He
said that ne had so understood my
letter.