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

General Lees wOTd would, OF
course, settle the point, but you have
added General Grants Statement, in
his memoirs, and it may be well 10
give also the following correspondence,
which you published some years ago,
but which has been lost sight of in the
lapse Of time:
BUFFALO LITHIA SPRINGS. VA,
MARCH IL. 1881.
General [. S. Grant, New York.
Sir In friendly discussion be-
tween several gentlemen OF Northern
and Southern proclivities as to the
truth of history question arose
whether General Lee, at the surrender,
actually rendered and you received his
sword.
1t was mutually agreed that you
should be written to for decision.
There is no idle curiosity or desire
for notoriety in regard to this request,
and a reply from you would be highly
appreciated. Very Respectfully,
Il. d. JEFFRESs.
General Grant replied as follows,
on the bottom of the same sheet Of
paper:
Gederal Badeau's book, now ia the
hands of the printer, will give the
exact truth of the matter referred to in
this letter. There was no demand
made for General Lees sword, and no
tender of it offered. I. ). GRANT.
But you must pardon me for taking
issue with you when you say, in your
editorial correcting certain Northern
papers:
What Lee expected to do when he
went forward to meet Grant nobody
knows. The scrupulous care with
which he dressed himself, and his pre-
caution to put on his sword and sash
indicate that he wished to be prepared
for any contingency.
If Grant had demanded formal sur
reudcr and Lee had accepted his terms.
Lee would have swallowed the pill and
made the surrender of his sword to
Grant.
Now, the proof is abundant that
General Lee did not mean to "sur-
render his sword to Grant" In the
account of his interview with General
Lee, at the suggestion of the leading
| Generals Of the army, TO assure him
that they thought that the time for
surrender was approaching, II 1t had
not come, General w. N. Pendleton,
Lees chief of artillery and lifelong
friend, says that General Lee replied
to the suggestion: "Oh, no | trust
it has not come to that. We have yet
too many bold men to think OF laying
down our arms. Besides, if
| were t. say word to the Federal
commaLucr he would regard it as such
a confession of weakness as TO make it
the occasion Of demanding uncondl-
tional surrender-a proposal to "hich
| will never listen. | have resolved to
die first and that, if it comes to that,
we shall force through or fall in our
places. -
And in giving his own account OF
the surrender General Lee said, with
an emphasis that | can never forget,
that on going to meet General Grant
that morning he went resolved that
rather than submit to unconditional
surrender he would put himself al
the head of the remnant of his army,
and that they would cut their way
through or die in the attempt
He also said that he opened his
negotiations with General Grant by
saying: General, | deem it due to
proper candor and frankness to say
at the very beginning of this inter
view that | am not willing even to
discuss the terms of surrender incon-
sistent with the honor of my army,
which | am determined to maintain
to the last, and at all hazard"
To this Gen. Grant made gracious
answer, and the we'll known terms
were agreed upon.
1t seems clear, therefore, that Gen.
Lee not only did not propose to ten
der his sword to Gen. Grant, but that
he would have refused a demand for
it ; that while Grants terms were
generous, and his whole bearing
courteous and kind, yet he knew full
we'll that the terms proposed were the
only ones which Lee would accept
and he knew TOO we'll the mettle OF
the great chiefiain and the ragged
heroes who followed him not TO be
willing to accept their surrender on
almost any terms.
General Grant bore himself at
Appomattox with generous magma
nimity, and his conduct in protecting
Lee and his paroled army when
Andrew Johnson afterwards proposed
s.to make treason odious' by proceed
ing g to hang some Of the rebel lead
ers," enti,le him to the respect and
gratitude of all true Confedera,es, who
can never cease 10 regret that Gran'
the soldier ever degenerated into
Grant the politician.
Bu, we should see TO it that in this
as in all other cases, the truth o.
history is not sacrificed to sentmen,
and romance, and that we hand down
to future generations, not fancles, but
/ facts. WILLIAM JONES.
University Of Va, Jan. -, 1895
THE MOONSHiNE MuRDERERS