The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-03-13
THAT FAMOUS APPLE TREE
UrJer Which the Surrender of Lee
to Grant Did Not Occur.

to Grant Did Not Occur.
Athens. Ga, March 12.-Prof. Sylvia
nus Morris. Dean of the Faculty of the
University of Georgia Law School, has
recently had some correspondence with
Gen. John B.. Gordon. commander-in-
chief of the limited Confederate Vet
eraps, that throws some light on the
nuch-mooted question as to where the
surrender of the Confederate army by
Gen. Lee actually took place.
This correspondence was brought
about by a gift of a piece of wood to
the university museum by an old SOL
der named Richardson, who was in
the Army of Northern Virginia at the
time of the surrender and who, ac-
cording to his story. actually witnessed
the surrender himself.
When Mr.. Richardson brought this
little piece of wood to the university
authorities, he told Prof Morris that
it was a piece of the apple tree under
which Gen. Lee had surrendered his
army, and that he was present at the
time the tree was cut down and took
portion of it to preserve as a relic.
The statement of the old soldier
brought to mind at once the tradition
that has been handed down concerning
the surrender of Lee under the apple
tree, for as a matter of fact, the state
ment of history as to this matter is
that the surrender took place in a room
in the Mclean House at Appomattox.
Nevertheless, nine old soldiers out of
ten who were with the army at that
time, will tell you that the surrender
took place under an apple tree and
they refuse to believe that the other
statement is in any way correct.
Prof. Morris, believing that there
must have been something upon which
these old soldiers based their firm
statements as to the part the apple
tree played in the surrender of Lees
army, wrote the following letter to
Gen. Gordon:
Hon. John B. Gordon, Atlanta, Ca
My Dear Sir: Please excuse me for
this trespass upon your time. l am
familiar with the accounts of the ar
rangements of the terms of surrender
between Gems. Lee and Grant at APP
pomattoX, which took place in a house
near the village. | presume it is cor
rect, as Col. Marshall. the only Con-
federate other than Gen. Lee, who was
present, approved the account. l think
it Is by Adam Badeau. There is a
persistent tradition among the old SOL
diers that Gen. Lee surrendered I'M
der an apple tree. / imagine that he
made some announcement, had some
order read or that something was done
In the open, and perhaps near tree,
which meant to his army surrender. l
have piece of the alleged tree, do
mated by soldier, who claims to have
cut 1t himself, to the museum. He
wishes it labeled and inscribed. I am
at loss what to write on it, If YOU
can help me, l shall much appreciate
your kindness. Respectfully, your
friend and admirer
Sylvanus Norris
To this letter Gen. Gordon replied
as follows:
Mr.. sylvapus Morris, Athens, Ca
My Dear Professor: Yours received
Both Gen. Longstreet and myself were
present in the room when the formal
surrender took place at Appomattox,
as was also Col. Marshall The ac-
count, therefore, which states that only
Col. Marshall was present is incor-
rect. The apple tree incident is a
romance. No surrender took place, ex-
cept 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 appropriate 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 l am, sincerely yours,
]. b. Gordon.
Thus it appears that the old SOL
diers, while not being correct in the
statement that the surrender took
place under the apple tree, are still in
measure correct as the apple tree
did to them have a significance. When
the two generals met there it was to
the soldiers the evidence of surrender
and they have ever since regarded it
as the place of the surrender.
The piece of wood properly inscribed
will be placed in the museum and with
1t the copies of this correspondence
which settles in an authentic way a
point of controversy.