The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-07-30
of the devastation and reported loss Of
| life can be secured.
The Appomattox Apple Tree.

NOul 1SScC VI SSoSSi ooy' --N' Wv 49,
nouncement, purporting to come from
Washington, D. c., that Gov. Woodrow
Wilson is to replace "the famous apple
tree near Appomattox court house, Va,
in which (meaning under whlch'o
Lee surrendered to Grant, long since
carried away piece by piece By souve-
mir hunters"
If there was ever an apple tree un-
der which Lee surrendered, there
would be no reason for replacing it ex-
cept to perpetuate the memory of the
darkest day in the history of these
Southern States; and why the Demo-
cratic candidate for the presidency,
who is largely indebted to the South
for his nomination, and who can not be
elected without the Southern vote,
should go out of his way to plant a
memorial of the South's woful disas-
ter, is incomprehensible to me. 1t
looks to me, one of the soldiers whom
Lee surrendered, to be not only ira
tional, but positively indecent Surely,
Woodrow Wilson is not fixing to throw
a sop to the South-hating Cerberus at
the North which stands in his way to
the White House!
But the apple-tree story is pure, or
impure, fiction. Lee did not surren-
der under an apple tree, or under any
tree, but in a house, sitting at table,
and after comforting with Grant. I
think you will do your readers a ser
vice by publishing the following ac-
count, given by Rev. ]. William Jones,
D. D., in his personal "reminiscences
of Gen. Robert E. Lee" He writes,
page 3O2:
"What followed is best given by Gen.
Lee himself in the conversation with
the company of friends referred to
above:
sHe said that he had for duty that
morning not 5000 men, and that, when
he learned from Gordon that there
was heavy infantry force in his front,
he decided to see Gen. Grant and as
certain the terms upon which he could
end the contest But, before going to
meet him, he left orders with Long
street and Gordon to hold their COM
mands in readiness, determined as he
was to cut his way through, or perish
in the attempt, if such terms were not
granted as he thought his army en-
titled to demand. He met Gen. Grant
between the picket lines, in the open
field, about 200 yards below Apo
mattox court house.
"You met under an apple tree, did
you not, general?''. asked gentleman
present. No, sir!' was the reply; we
did not meet under an apple tree, and
l saw no tree near. 1t was in an open
field not far fran the main road (This'
explodes the historic apple tree
about which so much has been said)
A gentleman, who was within a few
feet of the two generals when they
met, pointed out to the writer the ex-
act spot. The apple tree, which was
cut to pieces, and even the roots of
which were dug up and carried off by
relic hunters, was fully a quarter OF
a mile from the place of meeting, and
the only historic interest that could
be attached to it was that Gen. Lee
rested under it's shade few minutes
while waiting for the return of his
flag of truce. The only tree anywhere
near the place of meeting was a small
locust-thorn, which is still standing,
about 20 yards from the spot"
The volume 1 quote from was put
into the hands of the primer in 1874,
and published in 1875.
While we are exposing falsehood, it
may be, we'll to add to the foregoing
DR.. Jones statement, Immediately fol-
lowing, of Gen. Lees reply to the sug-
gestion by some one, in the same con-
versation, that Lee offered to surren-
der his sword to Grant, and that Grant
declined to take it. The author pro-
ceeds to say:
Gen. Lee said that, when he met
Gen. Grant, they exchanged polite salu-
tations, and he stated to him at once
that he desired a conference in refer
onoo to tho Snhiect matter of their cor