The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1911-06-09
LEES SURRENDER
Dramatic Account BY Eye Witness OF
Closing Scene of War
(From General George H. Sharpe
Decoration Day Address,


I remember-and it was recalled to
me tonight in conversation, when the
name Of General Grant came up in
the course of conversation-the won
derful Scene that transpired in that
little place in Virginia on the 9th OF
April. 1865. 1t was late in the after
noon when it became known that
General Lee had sent for Grant 10
surrender TO him.
II was between > and 3 O'Clock when
we met in the little room in the house
where the surrender Of Lees army
took place under an apple tree. where
Grant and Lee met and exchanged a
few words. The surrender took place
on the left hand room OF that old
fashioned double house. The house
had a large piazza which ran along
the full length Of it. Ii was one OF
those ordinary Virginia houses with
a passage way running through the
center OF il. In that little room
where the meeting took place sat two
young men-one a great-grandson of
Chief Justice Marshall OF the supreme
court reducing 10 writing the terms
of the surrender or behalf of Robert
z. Lee: the other man Of dusky
couLtenance-a great nephew of that
celebrated chief Red Jackey-acting
under General Grant They TWO were
reducing 10 writing the terms OF the
surrender CT the army OF Northern
Virginia 20 tie army OF the Potomac.
Gathered round the room were sew
eral officers. OF whom vas one.
At some distance apart sat two
men: one the most remarkable man
OF his day and generation. The larg-
er and older OF the TWO was the most
striking in his appearance His hair
was white as the driven snow Thole
was not 4 speck upon his coat: noz 4
spot upon those gauntlets he wore,
which were as bright and fair as 2
lady's glove. That was Robert E.
Lee. The other was Ulysses s.
Grant. whose appearance contrastel
strangely with that OF Lee: his boots
were nearly covered with mud one
button of his coat-that is. he Dnt-
ton-hole was not where it should
have been, it had clearly gone astrav.
and he wore no sword. while Lee wes
faultlessly and fully equipped. The
/ conversation was not rapid ny any
means. Everybody felt the overpow-
ering influence of the scene. Every
one present felt they were witnessing
the proceedings between the TWO chief
actors in one of the most remarkable
transactions in this nineteenth cen
fury The words that passed between
Grant and Lee were few.
I General Grant. endeavoring 10 apoi-
ogize for not being fully equipped.
and noticing the faultless appearance
of Lee. while the secretaries were
/ busy. said: General Lee, I have no
sword: I have been riding all nighs.
/ And Lee. with that coldness Of ran
ner, and all the pride. almost haughti-
ness. which. after all. became him
wonderfully well. never made any re-
ply. but in a cold formal manner
/ bowed. And General Grant. II his
endeavor to take away the awkward
ness of the scene, said: Il don al
ways wear a sword, because q s1 ord
Is a very inconyenient thing" That
was a remarkable thing for him TO
/ say, considering that he was in the
/ presence OF one who was about 10
surrender his sword. Lee only bow
ed again. Another. trying to relieve
the awkwardness of the occasion. in
Quired:
General Lee. what became OF the
white horse you rode in Mexico? He
might not be dead yet, he was not so
old" General Lee bowed coldly, and
replied: 4 left him at the White
House on the Pamunkey river, and
have not seen him since" There was
one moment when there was a wills
pered conversation between Grant
and Lee, which nobody in the room
heard
The surrender took the form of cor
! respondence. The letters were all
signed in due form by the chief act
ors, in the presence of each other. FL
nally, when the terms OF the surren-
der had all been arranged. cold and
proud, General Lee turned and bowed !
to every person in the room on our
side. I remember each one of us |
/ thought he had been specially bowed !
to. And then he went out and passed |
down the little square in front OF the !
house, and bestrode that gray horse
that carried him all over Virginia.
]