The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-04-09
VETERANS RECALL
 LEES SURRENDER JUST 49 YEARS AGO
Members of Grand Army Ex- change "Reminiscences at
 Headquarters.
Thomas w. Flint Tells How Orderly Drove Out From Court House With
 TidinOS.

AAAAA9Ss
 Veterans of the Civil War gathered in the G. A. R. rooms in the Sturde- want building today to exchange, with unusual zeal, "reminiscences of the Civil War. Tor today is the 18th an niversary of the surrender of Lee to Grant at the Apponatox court house, the end of the Civil War.
 While no single Bridgeporter could be found at Headquarters today who was on the scene of the. surrender, at the Mclean house, there were several who were stationed almost within a stones throw of the scene, and the stories of these men were eagerly sought by their comrades.
 George Sanger, for some time the acting leader of the Wheeler & Will son band, was on the scene of the sur render the second day after. He was connected with the headquarters band.
 The story. of Thomas W. Flint, a member of Co. K, 39th Mass. Inf, was one of the most interesting related at the headquarters today. He is a brother of the late Harry I. Flint of this city,f the latter having been a member Of the First Conn. Cavalry.
 Thomas W. Flint was stationed less than half mile away from the Court House, with his command, and all ex- pected an engagement On the morn ing of April the men were up bright ana early, eXpeCCln8 Ludt Lee, WHO was completely surrounded, would make an effort to break through The command was moved forward slowly. with frequent halts. They were very close to the Court House, with their arms stacked, andeIying down, when Union orderly rode out from the Court House, from the direction where Eney expected to encounter tl1e Con federates. ss -
 Well, it's all over. boys!" he shout
 Flint says his comrades couldn't realize the full import of the orderly 8 message.
 They couldn't bring themselves to believe, at once. that the war was over. Tired with months of campaigning, exhausted and forIorn, they took new heart when they espied, over the top of a clunap of trees, white flag hut- tering the light breeze.
 As they received an order for a further advance, the northerners saw the staff officers of General Grant, but could see no southern officers nor men.
 Mr. Flint says that a detachment of the First Connecticut Cavalry was with General Grant when he went to the Mclean house to meet Lee, but he does not know whether his brother was included in the escort.
 Lieut.. Stacey w. Hall of Co. D, Ninth New Hampshire Infantry, was at Berksvi1le, three miles from Appo- matox when the surrender took place.
 Next day his command was moved up to Appomatox. He saw thousands of muskets piled up. He saw prison CTS marching by for hours, yet only one-fourth of the Confederate prison5 CTS passed him. he says.
 In the flow of "reminiscences ex- changed among the Grand Army men today, it was brought out that there are only 3 surviving commissioned of fcers in Bridgeport and vicinity; of all who figured in any part of the Civil War.
 It is a peculiar coincidence of the Civil war that R. D. Mclean was the owner of a home at Manassas, <Va' where the first battle of the war took place. ~-Mr. Mclean and his family were living there when the battle or Bull Run took place and their home was in the center of the field of ac- ton Thinking to remove his loved ones from the zone of the fighting, Mir Mclean moved to the house at Appomattox. There the McLeans re- mained in peace and security until the close of the war, when as their home had been on the field of the opening battle, their very residence became the scene of the action which practically ended the great conflict Of those who participated in the memorable conference at the Mclean  house but six survive The principal actors in that tragic drama have long since answered the last call The surviving staff officers who were pres ent at the conference are Gen. Mi- chael Sheridan, of Washington. broth CT of the famous Gen. Philip Sheri- dan and Col Asa A. Paine of Wilkes Barre These two met in Washing ton last week for the first time since the close of the war.
 -4r,er Gen. Horace Porter of New York, Col w J. Wynne of Albany, Capt Carl Baclus of Kansas City, and Colonel Whitaker of Washington. If these officers are alive next year on the Both anniversary of the surrender they intend to hold a reunion in Washington and possibly to visit the scene of the surrender.
 Tonight at the meeting of Elias Howe post, No. 3, c. A. R., there will be many interesting stories from vet erans concerning their experience | SI1rraf1d