The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1908-10-17
APpOMArrOx COURT HOUSE as IT IS TODAY

Few Americans seem to be aware
of the fact that the Virginia village
that was the scene of one of the most
momentous events in our history
Lees surrender to Grants today
practically deserted place. A hand
full of people still live among the de-
caying houses of Old Appomattox
Court House, as it is now called but
the court house itself was burned to
the ground five years ago, and was
not rebuilt, the seat of the county
government being removed to Apo
mattox Station, which was rechrist-
ened as New Appomattox Court
House.
From the railway the traveller ap-
breaches this historic spot by three
mile drive over road of the red clay
that belongs to so many Virginia
landscapes, and from which no amount
of familiarity can take the mental as
ISOLATION of ensanguined ground. On
Saturday, April 9Th, 1865, Sheridan's
cavalry rode boldly over this same
road to their last skirmish with the
ragged and broken army of the South ;
but now log cabins nestle peacefully
in the bordering fields, and merry
darby children overflow into the big
outdoors. Soon the village struggles
into view, aud the pilgrim is on the
ground over which two great COM
manders, mounted respectively on
gray and bloodbay stations, once rode
to meeting that stopped such a flow
of brave men, life-b blood as has scarce
ly been equaled in all the worlds
history.
The deserted houses of the old town
are mostly grouped around the clump
of young trees that marks the site of
the burned court house. One of the
oldest and most interesting is the tav-
ern, standing on the stage road be-
tween Richmond and Lynchburg. 1t
was known in early days as Patter-
sons Stage House, and has fed and
sheltered many guest who helped to
make history.
Mr.. George T. Peers, aged seventy
FIVE years, county clerk of Appomat-
tox for forty-fve consecutive terms,
tells interesting stories of the old
town, his memory barking back to
the days when the horn of the stage
coach at the top of the hill announced
its approach, the long blast being
followed by series of toots, one for
each passenger, to tell the landlord
how many guests were coming.
At the end of the street stands Mr..
Peers residence. In the early days
of April, 1865, he was guest in his
own house, his host being General
Joshua L. Chamberlain, of Maine.
"The general was an ideal host, =
said- Mr-pser1.~--t brought bis
own food with him, and thus my
family tasted coffee for the first time
in many months.
The Peers house was in the thick
of stirring events. From its eminence
one could see much that happened in
the surrounding fields, and in its yard
were stacked the arms of the Army
of Northern Virginia. There was no
cheering during the solemn ceremony,
and not gloating word fell from the
lips of the Federals, whose faces seem
ed to show sympathy as they watch
ed the ragged Confederates give up
their weapons. One Confederate band
struck up as it retreated from the
yard, but General Chamberlain sent
an orderly to stop it. He was fore
stalled, however, by similar mes
sage from a Confederate officer.
The house where Grant and Lee
met was the residence of Wilmer Nc
Lean, and it was chance that gave it
Immortality. On the morning of the
surrender, General Lee met Mr.. Nc
Lean in the road, and asked his adj
vice as to the suitability of a neigh
boring house for peace conference.
Mclean protested, and offered his
own parlor. The two commanders
met there at about I o'clock, and the
conference lasted several hours.
The Mclean house, though des-
tined to immortality in history, met
an ignominious end in 1893. Its own
ers projected a scheme of moving it
to Washington, and to that end it
was pulled down, each brick and tim
Der being carefully numbered; but
the financial panic of that year so i'm
poverished the projectors that they
abandoned the plan, and the remains
of the building now lie upon the
ground in neglect and decay. -Mnn-
Sey'S Magazine.