The Columbus journal., 1903-06-24
Declined TO OntrudO.


attempt upon the rebel batteries at
Secessionville." said . member of .
Rhode Island Grand Army post, an
incident occurred which tended to en-
liven for q moment our depressed spir-
its. Notwithstanding our sad surround
ings. Our wounded were being
brought from the battlefield to be
cared for in a large old building which
stood near headquarters, and which
gave evidence of having been used in
former times for storing the products
of the plantation on which We were
camping. Those whose wounds prov
ed to be fatal were laid on the grass
outside, preparatory to burial. There
was a large fig tree near this tempo
rary hospital, under whose friendly
shelter some of the soldiers who were
unprovided with tents were accustOm-
ed to spread their blankets at night to
avoid the heavy dews. The night In
question proved to be dark and rainy,
and the ng tree was hastened to
as usual, by one after another OF our
tired soldiers, who were glad to ex-
change the tolls and exposure OF that
eventful day for its leafy protection.
'The first who entered drew back
with a horrified look. saying that a
dead man had been laid under the
tree, and at the same time expressing
his determination not to dispute pos
session. Each man who arrived sub
sequently. after . statement of the
case. preferred exposure in the rain
to such companionship. But the mat
ter assumed q different aspect next
morning, when it was found that one
of our boys had struggled in, tired aad
worn out, and, stretching his mosquito
net, had gone to sleep. The net in
creased the effect of an unusually
pale physiognomy. which startled the
late intruders into the belief that they
beheld q corpse. se."-Washington Star.
The Appomattox Apple Tree.
The Appomattox apple tree fades
and withers from time to time, but
never dies. 1t is a perennial. Here
1t is blooming out again. An old SOL
der presented to the University Of
Georgia q piece of wood which he
said came from the tree beneath
which Lee surrendered to Grant, stat
ing that he was present at the time
the tree was cut down and took a
portion of it to preserve 1t as a relic. +"
The dean of the faculty. believing
that there must have been something
upon which was based the widespread
belief that the surrender took place
under an apple tree, wrote to Gen.
Gordon on the subject. He stated
that he was familiar with the history
of what occurred IN the Mclean
house and knew that the articles of
surrender were signed there. but he
wanted to know how the apple tree
came into the story. To his letter
Gen. Gordon replied rs follows:
Mr.. Sylvanus Morris. Athens, Ga:
Dear Professor: Yours received
Both Gen. Longstreet and myself
were present in the room when the
formal surrender took place at Ap-
pomattox, as was also Col. Marshall.
The account. therefore, which states
that only Col. Marshall was present
is incorrect. The apple tree Incl
dent is q romance. No surrender
took place except in the room of the
Mclean house. The only connection
of the surrender with the apple tree
is the fact that Gen. Lee and Gen.
Grant met there for . few moments
and agreed upon the place for formal
meeting. Probably the most appro-
pirate inscription you could place on
the piece of wood would be to the
effect that it was taken from the
apple tree near which Gems. Lee and
Grant met prior to the surrender.
With best wishes, I am. sincerely
yours. J. b. GORDON.