Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1910-06-01

| propose to receive the surrender of
the army of Northern Virginia on the
following terms, to-wit: Rolls of the
officers and men to be made in dupli-
cate, one copy TO be given to an of
ficer designated by me, the other TO
be retained by such officer or officers
as YOU may designate The officers
to give their individual paroles not
to take up arms against the govern
ment of the United States until
properl. exchanged, and each com
pany OF. Iegimental commander sign
a like parole for the men of their
commands The arms, artillery and
public property to be parked and
stacked and turned over to the officers
appointed by me to receive them.
This will not embrace the side arms
of officers nor their private horses or
baggage. This done, each officer ana
man will be allowed 10 return TO
their homes, not to be disturbed by
United States authority, so long as
they observe their paroles and the
laws in force where they may reside
Very respectfully,
U. S. Grant,
Lieut.. general
In the meantime General Lee had
taken a chair near a table in the
center of the room. General Grant
rose as he finished writing, and hand.
ing the note to General Lee, took a
chair near and facing him General
Lee read the note silently, moving a
little TO let the light fall directly up
on the writing. Then he5 turned
around to the table, wrote the follow
i'm note of acceptance and handed il
to General Grant:
Headquarters, Army Northern Va.
April 9, 1865
General
! received your letter of this date
containing the terms of the surren.
der OF the army of northern Virginia.
as proposed by you. AS they are sub
stantially the same as those ex-
pressed in your letter of the sth In
slant. they are accepted. | will pro
coed to designate the proper officers
to carry the stipulations into effect.
r. f. Lee, General.
Lieut.. General U. s. Graut.
At this supreme moment of the sur
render. consnmmated in the silent
reading of the terms by General Lee,
and the silent reading of the accept
ance by General Grant, not word
was spoken.
When General Lee handed TO Gen
eral Grant his note of acceptance for
the latter to read, General Dent took
a step nearer to General Rawlins, ana
whispered "Rawlins, this is histor-
ic." Then going back nOislessly TO
the fire place, General Dent took
from the mantel what he thought was
a piece of paper, but what was IN
fact a torn pit of pasteboard box.
and with a pencil hastily sketche0
the positions of the persons in the
room. General Lee was the first TO
break the silence, by referring to the
very liberal terms, which gave to his
officers their horses, and which was
not mentioned in General Grants
note of the Sth.
yes, General, you viii want all OF
your horses. and the terms are to IN
cIude the horSes belonging to your
men Also" said General Grant 'They
will need them when they get home
in blowing and putting in their crops.
General Lee had not expected this,
and he thanked General Grant with
much feeling, saying that it would
have a good effect upon his army
Then General Grant added: J
will have two copies made OF these
papers. one for you and one for me
Colonel Marshall and Colonel Parker
can copy them now. and we viii sign
them" Colonel Marshall and Colonel
Parker sat down at the side table, the
former making two copies Of Gener .
Lees note, and Colonel Parker max
ing two of General Grants.
They were then read aloud, Gener
al Grant holding the original of MS
terms, and General Lee holding the
original of his acceptance, while Mar
shall and Parker read from the
copies The signatures We're imr:eor
ately affixed. at the same time, eacn
" ing a separate pen.
While the papers were being copied
General Ord, General Adam Badeau
Quartermaster General ingalls,. Com
mis- airy General Morgan, with others
of General Grants staff came in, and
We're also present during the read
ing and signing of the papers.
The pens used in the signatures. &c
the official copies we're retained as
mementos by Parker and Marshall
The table was afterwards purchased
from Mr.. Mclean BY General Sher1
dan, who presented it to Mrs. Custer
wife OF General Custer.
This vas the surrender OF the arms
of northern Virginia on Sunday, the
9Th day of April. 1865. and just one
week after General Lee began his re
treat from Petersburg and Richmond
The terms were offered and accepted
without discussion or change, and the
brief, business like. yet impressive
cereponv occupied less than one
hours time.
OF the surrender twenty year:
later. in bis personal ;Aemoirs. Gen
erai Grant writes. "When pHf ul5