The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1905-07-22
IcOpyrisht. 1906, BY c. L Klmer,l !

VI sSNkukuuuNSA AVkuSSA - y sANie
until convinced that the situatioA wa:
hopeless. Several letters had pasSet
between Lee and Grant during tn,
previous twenty four hours with ref
erenee TO surrender. Grant asked th,
surrender Of the Army Of Northern vir
ginia TO avoid further effusion Of
blood" Lee offered to treat for peace
The Confederates were hemmed il
as the lines stood, but there had beer
doubt In the minds OF Lee and his Off
GERS the night of April as to whether
the Army of the Potomac was all on
the field. 1t was decided at council
Of war that General John B. Gordon
and General Fitz Lee should attemp;
to hew path through Sheridan's
ranks on the west and lead the march
to Lynchburg.
Robert f. Lee in person repaired TO
the picket line the morning of the 9th,
hoping to meet Grant there for a con.
ference under flag Of truce. He
found awaiting him note from Grant
stating definitely that he Grant would
not treat for peace. Grant at the mo
ment was eight miles distant, and Lee,
having learned meanwhile that Gordon
and Fftz Lee reported strong columns
Of Federal infantry on their front as
well as Sheridan's cavalry. wrote ask
ing for an interview with Grant TO dis.
cuss terms of surrender.
The generals met about / o'clock at
the house of Wilmer Mclean, In the
village Of Appomattox, and the details
for the surrender Of the Army Of North
ern Virginia were arranged. The terms
were parole Of officers and men, with
the privilege Of going home. The pri-
vate property Of officers paroled was
not to be disturbed, and soldiers who
claimed horses were allowed to keep
them. 'They will need them to do
their spring plowing," said Grant. The
surrender embraced about 2S000 men,
but only about 5000 delivered up mus
kets. Fftz Lee withdrew his cavalry
before the surrender and reached
Lynchburg.
The historic Sunday, April 0, 1865,
closed with a friendly meeting between
the officers and soldiers who had fought
one another so zealously for four years.
The Federals shared their rations with
The southerners, who at times upon this
last march had lived upon raw corn.
On the 10th Lee made farewell ad-
dress and started for Richmond. Grant
set out for Washington the same day
to see the president, who had reached
there the day before, having left Rich
mond on the 9th.
On receiving the news of the surren-
der Of Lee. Jefferson Davis abandoned
Danville, the new capital of the Con-
fsderacy, and started south under a |
escort with considerable treasure |
IN specie He was captured at Irwins-
vile, Ca, May 10 and imprisoned at |
Fortress Monroe. The very last hope |
OF the Confederates, the army under |
General Joseph Z. Johnston, confront
ing Sherman In North Carolina, sur
rendered April 20. Other surrenders
followed, the last of Importance being
that of the transmississippi forces May
20. In all 175,000 Confederates were
released on parole.
While the surrender of Lee, virtually
the end Of the war, was hailed with
the widest rejoicing all over the north,
there was no unusual demonstration
among the victorious troops. General
Longstreet said that Grant refused TO
allow an artillery salute to signalize the
event. Lees surrender had long been
expected as q result Of the Petersburg
and was foregone conclu-
sion after the fall Of the city. And yet
1t took many days for the soldiers to
realize that all was over. Grants troops
in their old camps around
maintaining the usual dis
cipline, with outposts guarding against
possible forays by partisan bands.
News Of the assassination Of Lincoln
cast a pail over the army. No one
would believe 1t until It was confirmed.
1t has been stated that In after years,
even In old age, adults Of that period
distinctly the time Of day,
the spot where they were, their com
panions and what they were doing
when that awful shock came.
DISARMAMENT of government forces
began April 20, detached parties, rail
way and rendezvous guards being mus
tered out first. The troops around Ap-
pomattox marched TO the seaports and
were transported by water TO Wash
ington. Sherman's army marched from
Goldsboro, N. c., TO the banks Of the
Potomac by way of Richn6nd, Freder-
icksburg and Manassas. A grand re-
view took place on Nay % and Fl, the
a@nies parading on Pennsylvania ave-
nue., where they were reviewed by the
generals. President John
son and his cabinet III was on this oc-
casion that Sherman publicly snubbed
the secretary . war by refusing to
take his proffered hand when greetings
were exchanged by the officials at the
close Of the review.l
Meanwhile the Confederates were
walking home all over the south and
along the border. Thousands of them
didn't tarry for the formallty of giving
the parole and thousands hid their mus
kets for future recovery and, when