The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1905-04-14
APPOMATTOX, APRIL 9,
1869.
Forty Years Ago Last Sunday
General Lee Surrendered
to General Grant.

v =
last Sunday, General Robert f.
Lee, commander of the COnfed-
crate army defending Richmond,
surrendered to Lieut.. Gen. Ulys-
SEES S. Grant. commander of the
Union army, investing the South
ern capital. The surrender meant
the practical end of the war. and
though there was fighting after.
wards, the back bone of the Con-
iederacy was broken.
March "a, 1865, General Grant
issued an order for com bined
movement or the armies operating
against Richmond, to take place
Oh March 80. But on March %
General Lee made a desperate
attempt to break through the
Federal lines on the Appomattox
River, and Fort Stedman was
captured by the Contederates,
only to be Immediately retaken.
March 81 and April l General
Sheridan defeated the Confed-
crates at Five Forks, which pro-
tected the South Side Railroad,
and thereby Lees communica-
ton with Richmond were severed
and he lost 5000 men. This was
the final blow. On the following
day, April 3, General Grant at
tackled along the whole front of
Petersburg, and OH the eveuin e
OF that day Doth Petersburg and
Richmond were abandoned. Gen
eral Lee retreated toward Lynch
burg, but was Intercepted by
Sheridan, aud Gu April 8, 1865,
surrendered his battle SCARED
aud weary army to General Grant
at Appomattox Court House.
The Confederate commanders
son, Robert L. Lee, Jr., in a
recently published biography of
his father, gives an interesting
picture of the latter's return to
Richmond after the surrender.
"A day or two later" he says,
my father started for Richmond,
riding Traveller who had car,
ried him so well all through the
war. He was accompanied by
some of his staff. On the way he
stopped at the house of his eldest
brother, Charles Carter Lee, who
lived on the Upper James. in
Powhatan Comfy. He spent the
evening in talking with his
brother, but when bed time came.
though begged by his host To
take tue room and bed prepared
for him, he insisted on going to
his old tent. pitched by the road
side, and passed the night III the
quarters he was accustomed to.
On April 18th he arrived in
Richmond. The people there soon
recognized him; men, women and
children crowded around him.
cheering and waving hats and
handkerchiefs. 1t was more like
the welcome to cOnquerer, than
to a defeated prisoner on parole.
He raised his hat i'll response to
their greeting and rode quietly
to his home. on Franklin Street,
where my mother and sister were
anXiOu>ly awaiting him. Thus
he returned to that private family
life for which he had always
longed, and became what he had
always desired to be--a peaceful
citizen in a peaceful land"
After his last attempt was
made with Gordon and Fitz Lee
to break through the lines of the
enemy, Colonel Veuable informed
General Lee that it vas not pos
sible. He said:
Then there is nothing left me
but to go and see General Grant"
When some one near him, hearing
this said:
"Oh. General, what will history
say of the surrender of the army
in the fieldw He replied:
"Yes; | know they will say
hard things of US; they will not
understand how we were over
whelmed by numbers, but that is
not the question, Colonel; the
question is, Is it right to sur
render this army? 1t it is right,
then l will take all the RESPONSE
bility."
And he did.
A recent writer in the Rich
mond Times Democrat gives an
account of the present condition
of the famous spot whereupon the
COnfederacy died.
81 am just back" he says,
"fIcm the "Surrender Ground"
as every one around here calls the
place where General Lee turned
over the flag of the Confederacy,
the hopes OF the South and the
remnant of his heroic army to
General Grant, April 9, 1865.
drove out from the depot four