The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1903-04-22

Lee concluded to surrender army,
and thereby resolved the destiny of
the Southern Confederacy, is certain
ly one Of the most important and
memorable single events of modern
annals. l. Is usual in history, and a
great satisfaction to the curious to
relate such events with minutenese,
attending to. the slightest circum-
stances The author has the best
evidence in the world for saying that
every account Of this interview which
has hitherto appeared in popular
publications contain no less than
four or FIVE distinct and remarkable
errors. Thus it has been popularly
reported that the first interview
between the two commanders took
place under an apple tree, which has
conse quently been crowned with his
.oric associations, and this is false.
'The fact is that in the morning OF
the 9th of April, after the correspon.
dence between the two commanders
had reached a certain point, General
Lee, with single member of his staff,
was resting under an apple tree,
when Col. Babcock, of Gen. Grants
staff, rode up under flag OF truce,
saying, that if General Lee would
remain where be was, General
Grant would come to him by the road
the latter was then pursuing. This
was the only interview under or near
the apple tree, and it may be men
toned here hat the following day
Col. Marshall, who attended General
Lee on the occasion was surprised to
find Federal soldiers hacking at the
tree and was amused at the idea of
obtaining from it mementoes of the
surrender.
"The Mclean residence was CON-
Portable farm house, with long por-
tico and convenient sitting room,
furnished after the bare st,le of the
times. The house was about half
mile distant from General Lees camp.
The Confederate commander was at
tended by one of his aides, Colonel
Marshall, who had been the constant
companion of General Lee in all his
campaigns, and was his private Sec
retary. With Grant there were seve-
raj of his staff officers, and num-
ber of Federal Generals, including
Ord and Sheridan, entered the room
and joined in the slight general con-
'versation that took place there. ;.
s'The inverview was opened with
ont the least ceremony. The story
has been frequently repeated that
General Lee rendered his sword, and
that Gsneral Grant returned it with
complimentary remark. There was
no such absurdity. General Lee
wore his sword, which was not his
usual habit, and on the exchange of
salutations, General Grant remarked,
I must apologize, General, for not
wearing my sword; it had gone off
in my baggage when I received your
note General Lee bowed, and at
once without further conversation
asked that General Grant would state
in writing if he preferred it, the
terms on which he would receive the
surrender of the army of Northern
Virginia. General Grant complied
by sitting at table in the room and
writing with 8 common lead pencil
the note that is now historic. Gene
raj Lee read the paper with quiet and
sober attention; there was no discus
sion of terms. The only remark he
made upon the pencilled note was to
inquire about the officers property
exempted from the surrender, stating
that most of the horses in the service
were owned by those using them.
There was no spectacular conclu-
sion Of struggle that for four years
had rocked the fields of Virginia; no
dramatization; the feelings of the
troops in this respect were magnani-
roorslv sparo6 hv the enepny There