Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-04-04
The Apple-Tree Story.

ParagraphS have recently been appear
Ing in newspapers that "a young apple
tree is to be planted to replace the old
apple tree under which Lee surrendered
to Grant at Appomattox."
This apple-tree legend survives the years
and all attacks upon it. 1t is such
pleasing legend, blending poetry and
tragedy, botany and arms. that people
persist in believing it. These fruit-tree
legends, the Grant apple tree and the
George Washington cherry tree, are
great deal harder than the fruit trees
themselves and live to a ripper age.
The apple-tree story has very little fact
to sustain it. Lee did not surrender under
an apple tree, but in the parlor, on the
right of the entrance, of the house OF
Wilmer Mclean. which sat back In a
big garden on the main street Of the viii
lage Of Appomattox, about one square
from the courthouse. Gen. Lee and his
military secretary. Col. Charles Marshall,
entered the Mclean house at 1:3O in the
afternoon Of April .. 1855. Gen. Grant
was already there, accompanied by Gems.
Sheridan, Ord. Ingalls,, Rawlins. Seth Will
liams, John G. Barnard. and Coils. Horace
Porter, Orville e. Babcock. Ely S. Parker.
Theodore s. Bowers, Frederick T. Dent
and Adam Badeau. The articles Of sur
render were agreed to. written and signed,
the conference was concluded at o'clock,
and at 4:3O Grant sent the dispatch to
Secretary Stanton announcing the sur
render Of the Army Of Northern Virginia.
An apple tree and an apple orchard
figure In the events leading up to the
surrender, and 1t may take some Of the
bloom OF the story to announce that
April, 1865, was a backward month,
and that at the time of the surrender
there was not q leaf or a blossom on
any trees around Appomattox Court
House.
April Z Grant was at Farmyille.
east of Appomattox. In the evening
he wrote to Lee of "the hopelessness
of further resistance on the part Of
the Army of Northern Virginia" Seth
Williams took the letter to Humphreys.
who sent it through the lines to Lee
Later the same evening Lee replied
that Though not entertaining the
opinion you express Of the hopeless
ness Of further resistance on the part
Of the Army of Northern Virginia.
reciprocate your desire to avoid use
less effusion of blood, and, therefore,
before considering your proposal. ask
the terms you will offer on condition
of its surrender" Grant replied the
morning Of April 8 that peace being
my great desire, there is but one con-
dition I would insist upon-name1y,
that the men and officers surrendered
shall be disqualified from taking up
arms against the government of the
United States until properly exchang-
ed" At midnight, April 8, Col. Whit
tier Of Humphreys staff brought to
Grant a letter from Lee proposing a
meeting at 10 am, April 9. on the old
stage road to Richmond between the
picket lines of the two ARMIES. Grant
surrender. Lee then requested an in
terview; Grant assented, and sent his
answer by Col. Babcock, who delivered
1T to Lee. whom he found resting by
the roadside in an apple orchard. The
result of this correspondence was the
surrender conference at McLean's
house. That is the apple-tree story.
The old orchard long ago disappear
ed, and the village of Appomattox has
very nearly disappeared. The court
house burned down something over
fifteen years ago, and a new one was
built at Appomattox station. on the
Norfolk and Western railroad, three
miles southwest of the surrender viii
lage.
Nevertheless. the Appomattox apple
tree story blooms perennially.