The National tribune., 1897-02-25
APPOMATTCx APPLE-TREE.
A Pennsylvania C0mrade is Sure That there
Was One.

A Pennsylvania COmrade Is sure Ihat tnere
Was One.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Gen. Grant,
in his Memoirs says: War produces many
stories of fiction, some of which are told
until they are believed to be true And the
story of the apple-tree is one of those fic-
tons based on a slight foundation of fact.
Gen. Babcock, of my staff, reported to me
that when he first met Gen. Lee he was sit
ing upon an embankment. with his feet in
the road below and his back resting against
an apple-tree. The story has no more founda-
ton than that"
1t may seem presumptuous In me to at
tempt to refute statement Of Gen. Grant.
As to the position Gen. Babcock reported to
have found Gen. Lee occupying l have
nothing to say; it does not reach the facts.
1t is the position Of the parties after Gen.
BabcOck came on the grOund--it was then
that saw them. Gen. Lee did not remain
sitting; and it is true that Gen. Lee, with
two others wearing the Confederate uni
form, and one in the blue of ours, with his
back to me-whom / supposed at the time
to be Gen. Grant-were standing under an
apple-tree Just before Gen. Lee passed up
to the Mclean house.
/ was at Appomattox just after the flag
of truce came in, attending to wounded
Confederate soldier. When through passed
down the road towards the rebel army. There
was an old building near the apple-tree, be-
side OF which there was spring. Stepping
aside to get drink, noticed four soldiers
under the apple-tree, not more than 40 feet
from me, on my left. There was q team of
six mules to a cannon standing in the road
to my front, and Immediately opposite the
apple-tree, which stood about ten feet back
from the road.
There is no doubt about this, for while
drinking had a fair chance to observe them
without seeming to be gaping. Gen. Grant
SAYS Gen. Lee had on a new uniform, and
was, when met by Gen. Babcock, sitting on
the ground. Gen. Lee was every inch a
soldier, a man of proud military bearing,
and taking into consideration the cause of
the meeting it seems almost beyond belief
that he should have been found in the posi-
tion mentioned, sitting on the ground with
his feet in the air, like truant school boy.
But let that pass.
There were few if any Union troops near,
but lots of Johnnies. In the afternoon | rode
by the place, and, to pass the mules before
mentioned, rode under the tree and broke off
twig rs a memento. The next day passed
by the place again, and to my surprise the
tree was gone, only few chips remained,
some of which / secured. Where the tree
went to l have no knowledge, but as the
C0nfederates were there, and we were not, it
is to be supposed they captured it, as hun
dreds of them must have seen their General
and Union officer under it, These are the
facts, and having given chips to my friends
and to 6. AR Posts, and told the story of
the meeting under the apple tree as it oc-
Cured, could not allow the misstatement
to go long without a protest. Evidently
Gen. Grants information never went beyond
the introduction.
Will someone who witnessed the meeting
let us hear from him Pc. G.. KITCHIN,
Surgeon, 155th Pa, Brumfeldville, Pa.