The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-10-19
Mrs. N. V. Randolph Complains of
the Way a Mistake Was Rectifed
THE LEE GRANT SWORD INCIDENT
She Was Hstonished at the Use of n
Letter Before the United Daugh-
tors Of the Confcderacy at Pitts
burg-Social and Personal

| 4
cd president of the Grand Division being
present Mrs McCuloh IS now visiting
| her relative, Mrs. J. Taylor Elyson.
| Mrs. Norman Randolph called the meet
! ing especially that the members OF the
! chapter might have an opportunity 10
meet their new president, who IS THOR
oughly charming.
Before the business routine was entered
! upon, Mrs. McCuiIoh made very happy
address which confirmed her audience
in their first feeling that the selection OF
The Grand Division was a wise one. MIS-.
! Kate VIM next read the minutes OF the
| Petersburg meeting, after which came
| the matters which most deeply interested
! those present. 1t seems that, al the
meeting Of the Grand Division Mrs. K 7.
! Meade read a letter from Mrs f. j.
! Brooke Gay Bentley, OF lNichmOnd) mead
of the Harrisonburg chapter. as follows.
THE SWORD MISTAKE.
Several months ago tho Philadelphia
chapter. General Dabney Maury's CHAP
teri Mrs Halsey daughter Of General
! Maury, being its president, passed
series Of resolutions. one Of which com
| mended the magnanimity of Grant on re-
/ fusing General Lees sword al Appomat-
| tox That was bad enough and l telt
! Ike SAYING something at the time. Now
/ the Richmond chapter has made tie same
mistake, and 1 feel that 1 must speak
| Grant never had the opportunity TO
| this magnanimity Tor the very good rea-
/ son that General Lee never offered him
| his sword. The terms of the surrender
were that the officers were TO retain their
| side arms. Lee retained his and did not
make the mistake of rendering 10 Grant
| q thing he most expressly stipulated he
| would keep. ! understand that Grant in
/ his book denies that Lee ever offered his
! sword. ] never expect TO SEQ the book, 50
cannot verify this. But Colonel Charles
| Marshall, Colonel Walter Taylor, General
! Fitz Lee Rev. J. william Jones and Mrs.
| S. =. Lee have all claimed t.
in the April Harper IS an account OF
! the closing scenes at Appomattox Court
/ house. written by General Forsyth. OF the
! Northern army, and he makes no refer
! ence TO the sword incident which lie
/ would have done had IL been true
so please give my love TO my sister
! Daughters Of the Oonfederacy ana ask
! them TO be sure Of these facts when they
pass and print resolutions.
The aiiusion regarding the Richmond
! Chapter refers 10 the letter sent, on mo-
| tionsof Mrs. Randolph. 10 Sedgwlck POST
| Grand ARMY of the Republic I'm connec-
! ton with their courteous offer OF an es-
| cort for The remains of the Daughter OF
| the Coufederacy." Mr.. Randolph in this
| connection made the following eXpiara-
| ton: ..,..........
| MRS RANDOLPH PROTESTS
Daughters Of the Confederacy:
Three weeks ago ! presented for your
| approval or disapproval a letter written
| by me thanking sedgWick Post "for the
| generous act extended 20 woman VINO
! had no favors to confer the broken
hearted mother OF the daughter OF the
| Confoderacy." / read tho letter three
| times. asking for criticism. Miss Bent-
! ley, sister Of Mrs. Brooke, president OF
! the Harrisonburg Chapter. desired the
I change Of the word generous TO That oil
| courteous. which II was decided not 20
do. There was not one Of my chapter
who put I'm a protest on the incorrect
| statement that General Grant would not
| accent the sword Of General Lee 1hat
night after the matter had gone 10 ihe
| press Miss Bentley discovered one mis-
| take too late for me TO rcctify 1t. Tor
| three weeks 1 have been lNiug as over
a powder magazine. expecting an expo
I sion from some quarter but must say
did not expect to be wounded ~ inc
| house of my friends So you can
| imagine I was astOnishcd al Mrs Mcant'
president Of the Petersburg Chapter. re-
| coivine a letter from Mrs. Brooke, which
| she desired Mrs. Meade 90 read at the
! convention dcuOuucing the statement
made by the Richmond Chapter As IL
was I was president. and am sincerely
glad that the hundred or more CONTEXT
| Ferate women who were there Wi-l nave
| the fact impressed upon them that me
| little story so often told, which showed
! the generosity of Grant and the bravery
| OF Lee for could there have been
| drawer thing chad it been necessary
! than that the man who had worn ihat
! sword so bravely should have iu defeat
rendered IL TO his enemy, AS token that
! hone was gone and could there have been
| a more generous act, when the man VINO
! for years had tried 90 accomplish this
| surrender. should have declined to receive
| this token ] have thought OF TINS
| scene many times. and pictured our gem
| cral. bearing himself SO proudly ana
| feeling his cause so glorious, even n
| defeat. that il was no humiliation To
! tender his sword. but as history says,
! there was no necessity therefore, IL
| was not done" My heartfelt little story
and the scene I had pictured is "a thing
| Of the past and Daughters OF me Con-
| federacy I stand before you corrected.
But before / close / would Ike 10 say
one word for the Philadelphia chapter
upon whom the same condemnation has
! fallen. with love This chapter was
| organized Dy Mrs Sue Maury t1lacy
J daughter os General Dabney Maury She
surely ought TO have known better but
! Ike myself and my daughters, who were
| present didn't. and has been by some
/ more severely criucizcd for euio-
| gizing notOnly General Grant. but the
| flag. But is mot this tho nag-whicn
| we should never have given Up, as sc
| OF Virginia PUT more stars I'm DO than
| the whole North tosethcr-borne boy the
| sons OF the veterans who for four years
| fought against g.? is 81 not no has That
! our own General Wheeler saved lrom de-
| feat az Santiago? Then the Philadelphia
| Chapter must surely be pardoned Tor the
| eulogy This little band OF Confederate
| women have. while honor'ng the flag
/ OF the country, been brave enough 10
| stand up for the flag we -of the South
| love so dearly. and can never forget, and
/ they wear 10 always. And last Memo
| rial Day they placed on the l0ng-forgot-
| ten graves OF our prison dead buried
| I'm Philadelphia. the first token OF re-
! membrane and love, "A laurel wreath.
! tied with the red, white and blue, the
, colors Of the Daughters iof the COnied-
eracy.
MRS. BROOKE DEFENDED.
As Mrs. Randolph concluded Miss
| Bentley, who was the one member or the
CHAPTER who made any definite protest
against the sending Of the letter, arose
and with earnest dignity begged TO be
allowed 10 exonerate her sister Mrs.
1 ,rfffur Ifaonurfa.rr o.,