The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-01-20
General Lees account OF the sur.
render Is retoId here by Rev. Or. j.
William, Jones

E & During General II. r. Lees preSidenc,
or washington College q think 1t was II
November. 1869. party OF gentlemen
Ners pnrtaking OF that graceful hos
pitaIity which he was wont to dispense
when 1Ion. John Randolph Tucker, wilt
was one OF the company. said to him
"Goncrai we do not wish to seem Il
ohtI-ude upon your confidence, and We
there have been so many accounts o
the surrender that VIC would be yer!
much eratind If you would give you
own version of that memorable event
iThe general very pleasantly replied
that he would be glad to do so, ant
proceeded in his characteristic, simple
nipnncr to give liz the story of Apo
ihattox. which was of such deep Interest
that | could now recall from memory
the substance. and in most cases the
very words OF his narrative. But an
not forced to trust to my memory as
made full notes that night, and wrote
on. the story afterwards for the 1tich-
raond Dispatch.
Before giving General Lees narrative
however, | give just few details. AZ
To-, tho break up at Petersburg, and the
sad retreat to Appomattox, the situation
OF Lees army on the Sth of April was
desperate indeed. Seven thousand eight
hundred and n!nety-two G.Ss2)-Generei
Lee himself gave the unprecedented. nan
farnfshcd Confederates with arms IN
their hands were surrounded by eighty
thousand 10000 well-equpped, weil-fed
enemies with large achievements COM
ing up. That night General Lee mad a
conference at which Longstreet, ana COT
don Commanding the infantry. PEN
dieton, chief of artillery, and F1tz Lee,
commanding the cavalry, We're present.
It was agreed that Gordon and fitz
y oI
next morning, and endeavor to break
through the enemy on the road to
Iynchburg, and that II they succeeded
Ipongstreet should follow and the army
ri,,sh forward to Dynchburg: but II this
attack failed then negotiations for sur
render should follow.
Gordon and F'itz Lee made the attack
viii, their accustomed gallantry. Sheri-
dams people were driven back about
Il mile and half. and two pices of his
artillery were captured, al If only
Sheridan had barred tie way the sur
render would not have occurred mat
day at Appomattox. But when Gordon
and F'itz Lee had driven Sheridan
back they ran up against the army OF
the James. 1000 strong, under that gal
liant soldier. General ord.
On That Fateful Day.
Colonel Charles S venable, of General
Lees staff. in speech at the great
Lee Memorial Meeting in Richmond,
1870. gives the results so clear
~ that I quote in full what he says as
follows:
Z eat 9 o'clock on the morning of
that fatal day. General Lee rode for
ward. still hoping that he might
break through the countless hordes OF
the enemy. which hemmed us IN
Hating q short distance in rear OF
our vanguard, he sent me on to Cen
eral Gordon to ask him If he could
break through the enemy. found Cen
eral Gordon and General Fftz. Lee on
their front line in the dim light OF the
morning. arranging an attack. Cor
don's reply to the message / give
the expressive phrase of the gallant
C;eorgian) was this: Tell General
lee ! have fought my corps to
I FRAGILE. and I fear I can do nothing
unless + am heavily supported by
sLongs,reets corps When bore this
q message back to General Lee, he said:
Then there is nothing left me but
to go and see General Grant and
would rather die a thousand deaths
Convulsed with passionate grief, many
were the wild words which we spoke,
as we stood around him. Said one,
j ooh General. what will history say OF
the surrender of the army In the
field? He replied, Yes, l know they
! will say hard things OF us; they VIII
not understand how we were over
swhelmed by numbers: but that Is not
the question. Colonel; the question Is:
lis it right to surrender this army!
If it Is right, then l Will take All
sof the responsibility Fellow so!diers,
though he alone was calm. in that
ha
great captain underwent the throes
OF death. for his grand old army
surrendered, and for his people so
soon to lie at the mercy of the foe;
and the sorrows. OF this first death at
apnomattox Courthouse, with the af-
flictions which 'lell upon the devoted
South. weighed upon his mighty heart
10 its breaking, when the welcome
messenger came from God TO trans
late him to his home In heaven.
Not Under Apple Tree.
Will. awaiting Grants reply Lee
,.ostea on some rails under an apple
tree where the staff officer who brought
GRANTS reply found him. TINS IS the
origin of the story 80 widely Pup'. .o.
and believed that tho two generals '''el
under an apple tree,
The soldiers of the two armies not olils
Mt IN. root and branch, the tree u'ue1
which the surrender was supposed "
t,a,,a occurred. but carried off also inc
whole o, the small orchard OF apple .feeo
IN which this particular tree stooo. Ap-
nonattox apple tree" was In great ue.
mand by the relic hunters, and some oi
the returned Confederate soldiers, wheh
tb.v got to Richmond, determined to make
= few greeneacks by supplying the de-
fnand. Accordingly they drove hrisR
trade with pieces OF apple tree cut from
orchard. around Richmond. and II "oula
Se a curious speculation TO decide no"
rnany tons Of "Apponattox apple tree
were scattered through the country. A
gentleman present when General Lee was
irving his account Of the surrender. SAID:
ssYou met under an apple tree, did you
not, General?" He replied. No sir;
we did not We met III Mr.. McLean's
pa-lor. Ii there was an apple tree there
/ did not See It.
General Lee said that when he went
to meet General Grant he was accom-
nanted only by his military secretary, Col.
Charles Marshall: that General Grant had
with him members OF his staff, and Gem
erals Sheridan and Ord, and perhaps
bt.ers were In the room during the in
1crview He said that he had left orders
Nth Iongctrect and Gordon to hold their
Commands IN readiness, as he was de-
terrnined 70 put himself at their head.
ana cut his way out, or die in the at
tempt IL satisfactory terms We're not
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