The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-10-22
RETOLD BY PORTER
Continued from Eighth Page)

. apple tree which was part Of en old
, orchard This circumstance furnished
the only ground for the Widespread re-
port that rne surrender occurred under
an apple tree, and which has been re-
peated in song and story. There may De
said OF that statement what Cuvier said
Of the French Academy's definition OF
crao-''brilliant but not correct"
Babcock dismountde upon coming
near. and as he approached Lee sat up,
with mis- feet hanging over the roadside
embankment. The wheels Of wagons, in
passing along the road. had cut away
the earth OF this embankment, and left
the roots OF the tree projecting. Lees
feet were partly resting on these roots.
Colonel Charles Marshal, his military
secretary, came forward, took the dis
patch which Babcock handed him, and
| gave it to general Lee. After reading
Ii the General rose and said ne would
ride forward on the road on which Bao-
| cock had come, but was apprehensive
that histilities might Begin in the mean
time upon the termination Of the tenn
porary truce and asked Babcock o write
a lin eto Meade informing him Of the
| situation. Babcock wrote accordingly,
| requesting Meade 10 maintain the truce
| until positive orders from Grant could be
received. To save lime II was arrang-
ed that a Union Officer, accompanied
| by one Of Lees officers, should carry this
| letter through the enmys lines. This
route made the distance to Meade near
| ly 20 miles shorter than by the rounda-
| bout way Of the Union lines. Lee now
| mounted his horse, and directed Col
J onel Marshal TO accompany him. They
| started for Appomattox Court House in
| company with Babcock, followed by a
mounted orderly. When the party
| reached the village they met one Of its
residents. named Wilmer Mclean, who
was told that General Lee wished to oc-
cupy a convenient room in some house
in the town. Mclean ushered him ;nto
the sitting room OF one of the first buses
ne came 10; but upon looking about, and
seeing that it was small and unfurnished
Lee proposed finding something more
commodious and better fitted for the oc-
casion. Mclean then conducted the
party to his own house, about the best
in the town, where tley awaited General
Grants arrival.
THE M'LEAN HOUSE.
The house had a comfortable WOODEN
porch with seven steps leading UP to Il.
A hall ran through the middle from
front TO back, and upon each side was
room having two windows, one in front
and one in rear. Each room had two
doors opening into the hall. The build
ing stood a little distance back from the
with iy, Ory+ ~ a
left on entering was sae for carriages.
and road way running to stable in the
read We entered the grounds by this
gate, and dismounted. In the yard were
seen a fine, large gray horse, which
proved to be General Lees favorite ami
mai, called Traveller" and good look
ing, dark colored mare belonging to
Colonel Marshall. An orderly in gray
was in charge OF them, and had taken |
off their brides 10 let them crop grass.
MEETING OF GRANT AND LEE.
General Grant mounted the steps, and |
entered the house. As he stepped into |
ths hall. Colonel Babcock, WHO had seen |
his approach from the window, opened |
the door of the rear rom on the left, in |
which ne had been sitting with General |
Lee and Colonel Marshall awaiting Cen |
eral Grants arrival. The General pass |
I'd in, and as Lee arose and stepped for |
ward, Grant extended his hand, saying, |
General Lee" and the two shook hands |
cordially. The members of the staff |
Generals Sheridan and Ord. and some |
othergeneral officers VINO had gathered |
in the front yard, remained outside, feel
ing that General Grant would probably
prefer his first interview with General |
Lee to be, in measure, private. In a
few minutes Colonel Babcock came to
the front door. and, making a motion
with his hat toward the sitting room.
sad: The General Says come in" 1t
was then about half-past one on Sun
day, the 9th OF April. We entered, and
found General Grant seated in an old
office arm chair in the centre Of the room
and General Lee sitting in plain arm
chair, with a cane seat beside a square
marble topped table near the front win
dow, in the corner opposite the door by
which we entered, and facing General
Grant. Colonel Marshall was standing
at his left, with his right elbow resting
upon the mantle-piece. We walked in
softly. and ranged ourselves quietly
about the sides Of the room, very much
as people enter a sick-chamber when
they expect to find the patient danger
ously ILL., Some found seats on the sofa
standing gainst the wall between the
two doors and on the few plain chairs
which constituted the furniture. but most
Of the party stood.
THE COMMANDERS CONTRASTED.
The contrast between the two COM
manders was singularly striking, and
could not fail 10 attract marked aten-
ton as they sat, six or eight feet apart.
facing each other. General Grant, then
nearly 4S years % age, was feet
inches IN height. with shoulders slightly
stopped. His hair and full beard were
nu,-brown wiki OUT trace OF gray in
them. He had on his single-breasted
blouse Of dark-blue flannel. unbuttoned
in front and showing q waistcoat under
meath. He wore an ordinary pair OF
top-boots. and his trousers inside. and
was without spurs. The boots and por-
tlons Of his clothes were spaterei with
mud. He had worn a pair OF thread
gloves Of dark yellow color. which he
mad taken off on entering the room. Hi.
felt "sugarloaf. seiff-brimmsd hat was
resting on mis- lap. He nad no sword o.
sash. and a pair of shoulder straps was
all there was about him 10 designate his
rank. In fact. aside from these. his uni
form vas ;hat OF a private soldier.
Lee, on the other hand was feet
an5 l inch in height, and erect for one
of his age, for ne was Grants senior
by Is years. His hair and full beard
we're si!ver-gray. and thick, except
that ne hair had become little thin in