Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-01-15
LEE AND GRANT At APPOMATrOx.
Account by Col. Charles Marshall In an Ad.
dresa Made Mt IkaItImorc. Ian. ~. 1891.

Account by Col. Charles Marshall In al Ad.
dress Made mt Baltimore, Jan. 10, 1891.
SO General Lee then returned to the
front and with General Longstreet pro-
ceeded to a small orchard on the foot
OF the hill on which the line OF battle
was formed. where he awaited the reply
OF General Grant. He sent a formal re-
quest for n suspension OF hostilities into
the Federal lines. AS he was much ia
tigued. a rude couch was prepared under
an apple tree. upon which he reclined
until the approach Of a flag OF truce from
the Federal line In our front was an
nounced.
Soon afterwards Colonel Babcock. Of
General Grants staff. was conducted to
the presence OF General Lee and deliv-
cred to him the following letter:
April .. 1866.
General II. L. Lee. Commanding Con-
federate States Armies:
Your note OF this date Is but this mo-
mert Ql so a. NJ received. In conse-
quence OF my having passed from the
Richmond and LynchDGrg road 10 the
Farfnville and ~Lynchburg road. / am at
this writing about four miles west OF
Walkers Church, and viii push forward
to the front for the purpose of meeting
you. Notice sent to me on this road
where you wish the interview to take
place will meet me. 4. s. GRANT.
Northumberland.
Colonel Babcock told General Lee that
he had been sent forward by General!
Grant with instructions to make any
arrangements for the meeting hat Cen
eral Lee desired within the Federal or
Confederate lines.
General Lee directed me to accompany
him, with one orderly. and Immediately
mounting his horse rode with Colonel
Babcock toward Appomattox Courthouse,
We passed through an infantry force
in front Of the village. and General Lee
directed me to find a suitable place for
the meeting. ! rode FORWARD and asked
the first citizen I met to direct me to
a house suitable for the purpose. | learn
ed afterward that the citizen was Mr..
Mclean, who had lived on the battle
field of Bull Run. but had removed to
~Appomattox Courthouse TO get out OF the
way of the war. Mr.. Mclean conducted
me to an unoccupied and unfurni he'd
house. in n very bad state Of repair. ]
told him that 1t was not suitable, and
he then offered his own house, to which
he conducted me.
] found a room suitable for the purpose
in view and sent back the orderly who
had accompanied me to direct Gtie,Al
Ice and Colonel Babcock 10 the houie.
They came IN presently, and Colonel
Babcock saii that. as General Irant was
approaching on the road In front Of the
house. II would only b. necessary for
him 70 leave an orderly 10 direct : IN
to the place Of meeting.
THE MEETING.
General Lee. Colonel Babcock. AMI my
self sat In the parl0r for about half an
hour. when 4 large party Of moIl ed
men arrived. 'and In a few minutes Gen
eral Grant came into the room. accom-
panied by his stanf and a number o. Fed
eral officers Of rank. among whom wss
General Ord and Genera, Sherilan.
General Grant greeted General Lee very
civilly. AMI they engaged In conversation
for "A short time about their former ac-
quaintance during the Mexican war.
Some other Federal Ulcers took pvt in
the conversation. watch was term mated
by General lee saying 10 General c. "a,
that he had come 20 discuss the ta'ns
OF the surrender OF his ariny as 'ndica,al
in his note OF tina. morning. AMI h sus-
gcsted - General Grant to reduce his
proposition TO writing.
General Grant assented. and ColInei
Parker OF his stan moved e small table
from the opposite side Of the room aud
placed II by General Griit, who sat
facing General Lee.
When General Grant had written his
letter in pencil ne took it 10 General Lee,
who remained seated.
ran.r,f O.. vo".umftn ias.rr .,l saItNl
General Grants askelon to the fact hat
he required the SURRENDER of the a).'es
Of the cavalry as lf they were oIOiic
horses. He toll General Grant that Con-
fe1erate cavalrymeil owned their loracs,
and that they would need then for
planting a spring crop. General Grant at
once accepted The suggestion and in:er-
lined the provision allowing the retsnaon
by the men Of the horses that rel9nstd
to them.
The terms OF the letter having ben
agreed to. General Grant directed Colonel
Parker 10 make a 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. AMI
/ accompanied him.. There was an ink
SldUl III the room, Dul kNt HIN was ~
thick that il was OF no use. had a
Small lockwood inkstand which l always
carried. and l gave it, with my pen. TO
Colonel Parker, who proceeded to copy
General Grants letter.
RATIONS FURNISHED.
While he was so engaged / sat near
the end of the sofa on which General
Sheridan was sitting, and W. entered into
conversation. In the midst of It. Gen
eral Grant, who sat nearly diagonally
across the room and was talking with
General Lee, turned 20 General Sheridan
and said:
General Sheridan, General Lee tells
me that he has some Loo of our people
prisoners, who are sharing with his men,
and that none of them had anything to
eat. How many rations can you spare"
General Sheridan replied. About 25.O0."
General Grant turned 10 General Lee
AMI said; General, will that be enough?'
General Lee replied, More than
enough"
Thereupon General Grant said to Gen.
eral Sheridan: "Dlrect your commissary
10 send 1900 rations to General Lees
commlssary."
General Sheridan at once sent an Of
ficer 10 give the necessary orders.
When Colonel Parker had concluded the
copying of General Grant letter. l sat
down at the same little table and wrote
General Lees answer.
GENERAL LEES ANSWER.
I have in my possession the original
draft Of that answer. 1t began:
II have the honor to acknowledge"
General Lee struck out those words. and
mad the answer read as 1t nov appears.
His reason was that the correspondence
ought not to appear as II he and General
Grant were not in immediate communi-
cation.) When General Grant had signed
the copy OF his letter made by Colonel