Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1908-12-04

worked his way to within eight miles
Of Appomattox, when he was met by a
galloping horseman with letter from
Lee, saying he had concluded to surren-
der. Grant dismounted, and from a
grassy bank by the roadside he told
Lee to meet him at Appomattox.
"As General Grant got ON his horse
l asked him how his pain was.
DO you know he said, that pain
left me the moment / got that letter
from Lee"
Grant reached Appomattox at 10
o'clock in the forenoon and at once
was directed to the house where Lee
was waiting to receive him. General
Porter gave very detailed description
Of the incidents of the surrender, re-
producing from his personal notes all
Of the conversation between Grant and
Lee in Its exact language. He con-
trasted the appearance of the two gen.
erals.
Grant" said General Porter, "took
off a pair of dark thread gloves and
threw them and his hat on table In
the center of the room. General Lee,
who was sitting at table in corner
of the room, had removed pair of
fine buckskin gloves The two men
now presented a singular contrast,
General Grant, only 43 years of age,
was In the full vigor of life, of medium
height, with no superfuous flesh. He
was slightly stopped. He had on
pair of muddy, wrinkled top boots, and
he was actually dressed in the uniform
of a private soldier. There was moth
ing to indicate his rank, but the three
stars on his shoulder straps. He wore
no sword, no spurs, and was covered
with mud
General Lee was sixteen years older
than Grant, and his beard and hair
were silvered. He was dressed in a
handsome, brand-new Confederate uni
form. He wore fine new boots, worked
on top with figures of crimson silk. He
carried beautiful long, straight sword
studded with jewels which had been
presented to him by some ladies of
AASs@HAu Iuu SChI W Hill Dy one Oh Tie
blockade runners.
ITO look at these two men a stranger
might have thought General Grant was
surrendering to General Lee"
Lee opened the conversation with n
reference to their meeting years before
in Mexico. He was evidently in hur-
ry to have the formal details Of the
surrender arranged and had no great
relish for conversation. General Grant
wrote hasty draft of the terms Of
surrender and General Porter handed
it to General Lee
"Lee," said General Porter, "took
out large silk handkerchief and a
pair of steel-rlmmed spectacles, rubbed
the spectacles with the handkerchief
and read the rough draft with extreme
elaboration. He suggested an inter-
polation of one word. Grant agreed,
lead pencil, the very one I have here"
The children cheered as General Por-
ter held up the pencil, sharpened ut
both ends, and about half the full
length.
'"That was not the most expensive
pencil in the world" said General Por-
ter, "but it got in a great deal of fine
work that afternoon"
General Grant had no ink, and so his
secretary borrowed bottle from Lees
secretary, and with it copied the draft
Of the surrender into it's final and per-
manent form.
General Lee had no paper, and so he
borrowed a sheet from Grant, with the
Union army letterhead and on it his
secretary, Colonel Charles Marshall,
wrote the formal acceptance of Grants
terms. After the terms were agreed
on, put in writing and signed the party
moved out into the front yard.
II shall never forget how General
Lee looked as he stood with one foot ON
the step, about to mount his horse"
said General Porter. "He seemed OBJ
livious to everything. He looked out
blank1y and did not recognize our sa-
lutes He seemed the absolute picture
of despair"