Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1909-02-03
{Continued from first page

commander, and cried, Lee to the
rear An old soldier seized the
bride of the horse, and said, Gen
eral Lee, if you don't go back, we
will not go forward. - A little Ia
ter General Lee placed himself again
in front of his troops to lead the
charge; but brave General Gordon
,of Georgia said to him; These are
Eirginians and Geogians who have
never failed. Go to the rear, Cen
eral Lee"
Then Gordon turned to the men
and said, 1Must General Lee lead
this charged All the troops cried
out: mo, no, we will drive them all
back if General Lee will go to the
rear"
Gradually Lee was pushed from
Spotsylvania Courthouse and shut
M in Richmond and Petersburg.
Throughout the hard winter 1854
e5. his troops suffered 'acutely,, and
j many of his soldiers had nothing to
eat except parched corn. Confede-
rate money was worthless. Flour
was worth from two hundred to
three hundred dollars barrel; corn
forty dollars abushel; sugar, ten dol
lars per pound: and calico, thirty
dollars per yard.
At last in April, 1865, his lines
were so thinned out by sickness and
.desertion. that. Lee was forced to
abandon Petersburg and then Rich
mond., He led his army South,
-hoping to reach North Carolina, but
!. Grant blocked his way. Finally, at
Appomattox Courthouse, : on the
ninth of April, 1865, Lee decided
that the time had4come for him to
stop-further bloodshed. He sent . a
{, note to Grant requesting an inter
view with reference to the surren-
derso the army. They met at the
home of Mr.. Wilmer Mclean at
Appomattox c Courthouse General
N, zee was ushered into the room on
the left of the hall as you enter and
about one O'Clock was joined by
General Grant, his staff, and Gener-
ais Sheridan and Ord. Grant sat
at marble topped table in the cen-
ter of the room, Lee at small oval
- Rio neayrbe front window.
.,:.Grant, not yet forty-three years
old FIVE feet eight inches tall, shoal-
ders slightly stopped, hair and beard
now brown, wearing dark blue Han
mel blouse unbuttoned, showing
vest beneath: ordinary top boots,
trousers inside: dark, yellow thread
gloves; without spurs or sword; ana
nd marks of rank except Generals
= shoulder, straps.
: lice fifty eight years old, SIX feet
tall. hail. and beard silver gray; a
handsome uniform of Confederate
oray buttoned to the throat, with
three stars on each side the turned
down collar, fine top boots with
handsome spurs, elegant gauntlets,
and at his side asplendid sword.
5 With magnificent physique, not
3. a pound Of superauous flesh, ruddy
cheeks, bronzed by exposure, grave
and diganiiied, he was q focus for all
ewes. Generals Lee and Grant had
met once, eighteen, years before,
when both were fighting for the
same cause in Mexico one an engl-
neer officer on the staff of Scott, the
commanding general; the other a
Subaltern of infantry in Garland's
brigade. After pleasant reference
to that event, Lee promptly drew
attention to the business before
them"
The terms of the surrender were
arranged. The soldiers were to go
home with the understanding that
they were not again to take mp arms
against the Uni+ed States.
Grant acted the part of a gentle
man towards Lee. He furnished
Lees half-staved troops with pro-
visions, and afterwards recommend
ed to the United States government
!; that Lee be pardoned and restored
to citizenship. Grant did not take
Lees sword.
In speaking of Grants behavior,
Lee afterwards said; No man could
have behaved better than General
Grant did under the circumstances" "
It was sad and touching scene
when Lee rode back to his troops
after he had surrendered. They
pressed around him eager to touch
his person or his horse, and they
: shed tears of sorrow and anguish.
He turned to his men and said:
Men we have fought through the
war together; have done my best
for. you; my heart is too full to
say more"
The next day he issued farewell
address to the army of Northern Vir-
ginia and closed it with these words:
: BY the term of agreement, officers
and men can return to their homes