The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1904-08-25
Sunshine Saved the sword..

you remember, perhaps" remarked
q veteran army officer to a New York
Post writer. the terms of surrender
which Grant prepared for Lee TO sign?
They were notable first for their terse-
ness. as they crowded into a dozen
lines what almost any one else would
have spread over as many pages, but
still more for the fact that they were
written IL Grants own hand-as. In
deed was substantially every one OF
his papers Of the whole war-and
while the party sat at the rendezvous.
Horace Porter, our present ambassador
20 France. was there as aid to the gen
eral. He tells me that at McLean's
house Grant, after GREETING Lee and his
secretary and exchanging a few SEN
fences of conversation with them, mo-
toned them to chairs opposite the cen
ter table and then seated himself and
began to write. If he had been send
ing 4 casual note inviting a brother Of
ficer to dinner he could not have been
less agitated, outwardly at least, and
yet he was bringing to an end a war
Of four years duration, one of the
stubbornest and blOodiest in modern
history, and one which, but for his
success, might have changed the whole
current Of human civilization.
"He had just closed a sentence, as
shown by the momentary cessation OF
the scratching on the paper, when a
little ray of light broke through an
opening between him and the confed-
crate officers and fell on Lees sword
hit. Ordinarily nothing would have
resulted from this. for at that stage of
the war the field uniforms and arms
were in a pretty battered condition on
both sides. So in preparing for the cul-
minating act In the drama that morn
ing Lee and his secretary had discard
ed their old toggery and dressed them
selves in the best they had, including
a jeweled presentation sword which
Lee probably never had out Of its case
before. The light falling upon it's or
namented hilt was reflected with a
piercing fash which struck Grant full
In the eyes. He had Just raised them
for an instant. Responsive to the fash,
they sought the details of Lees attire,
and down they went upon the written
sheet again. while there flowed from
the nib OF his pen the provision that
the confederates should be allowed to
wear home their side arms. 1t WAS
fine illustration OF the power OF mo-
mentary suggestion.
when 1t was all over and Lee was
riding off in the direction of his head
quarters, Grant issued a few routine
orders and then summoned ingalls, by
a nod and silently mounted his horse
and rode away in the opposite direc-
ton. ingalls, had ridden over with
him that morning, and they had been
engaged on the way in "reminiscences
of the men and adventures they had
both known In the Mexican war Por-
ter, youthful and full of enthusiasm.
believing that the first utterance of
his chief after this magnificent days
work would be of historic significance.
hastily mounted and rode after the
pair. Grant did not open his lips for
some minutes. Then. taking up the
thread Of the mornings chat, and with
faint smile creeping over his sun
burnt face, he said:
"By the way, ingalls,, do you remem-
Der the fellow who drove that shave
tailed mule In the baggage train of the
-th infantry the morning we went out
To relieve JOnes?"