Evening star., 1914-04-05


near Manassas In 1861 Wilmer Mclean
lived to the northeast of the railroad
junction town of Manassas--that is, in
the direction Of Bull run. The Ram
blerS memory may be uncertain on this
point. but it is that the Mclean house
near Manassas is on the road which leads
toward Mitchel's and Blackburns fords.
Beauregard used that house as his head
quarters before the engagement at
Blackburn's ford July 1s, 1861. and be-
fore the historic battle which began be
tween Tyler's division of Mcdowell s
army and Evans demi- brigade near the
stone bridge, where the Warrenton pike
crosses Bull run, Sunday, July u, 1851
AT any rate, Wilmer Mclean, who was
a man of peace was living outside of
Manassas In that terrible July. He was
southern, but he wanted to get far away
from the sound and the scenes of battle.
Had he remained in that part of northern
Virginia he would have been In one Of the
reddest, most lood-drenched sections.
second only to those corpse-strewn and
Rhost-haunted regions across the Kappa
hammock. behind Fredericksburg, around
Salem Church, the Chancellor house, the
Church and then down around Spotsyl-
vania courthouse. So with the idea OF
getting far away from the strife OF civil
war, Wilmer Mclean moved to the
county seat of Appomattox county. down
in the neghborhood of Lynchburg and
Farmviile And it was in his house that
the surrender took place. This has al
ways seemed to the Rambler one of
the curious little things of the great war.
1t was in the paror on the right Of the
entrance to the Mclean house that Gen.
Lee, accompanied by his military secre-
Gary. Col Charles Marshall, met Gen.
Grant and his staff and signed the arti-
cles of surrender. About 1892 the Nc
Lean house was torn down with the idea
that it would be removed and rebuilt at
30 TN1r ut 90 hYff
the plan did not pan out. 1t being carried
no farther than the demolition OF the
house. For years the piles of brick and
lumber that had been the house lay rot
ting in the garden. That was the con-
dition of the place when the Rambler
visited it Several years ago a patriotic
society undertook to collect funds for the
purpose of restoring the house on its
proper site. but 1t has not been rebuilt
But few persons stray that way. Several
roads converge at this place. They are
rough roads. deep in stiff, red clay in
winter and spring, and sitting with dust
in summer.
There were two places called Appomat-
tox in 1865. One was Appomattox Court
House and the other was Appomattox
station, stopping point for trains on the
line of railway between Petersburg and
Lynchburg. 1t was at AppomattoX sta
tion that Sheridan's cavalry captured a
train of supplies from Lynchburg intend
ed for Lees furnishing army. These sup
plies stood between the Army of North
ern Virginia and starvation and the loss
Of them hastened the surrender
AppomattoX courthouse, around which
the Army Of Northern Virginia and the
Army Of the Potomac lay, where there
had been some fighting and what ap-
peared to be the final battle between
these armies lmpended. was three miles
10 the north of the railroad station of
AppomattoX. When the court building
burned the county seat was removed to
the railroad, and there today is thriv-
Ing village which bears the historic name
"AppomattoX.
Hundreds of acres on which the two
armies lay in April, 1865. are now COW
cred with tail thick pines. In a par
ticularly dark patch or gloomy piece of
pneland the traveller comes upon the
North Carolina monument. The inscrip-
ton on this monument. which gives glori-
Gus praise to the soldiers Of North Caro-
lin, has caused tense and bitter contro-
versy in the south. The inscription fol-
lows:
At this place the North Carolina brigade of
Brigadier General W. X. Cox of Grimes divi-
sion fired the last volley April g. 1855.
Major General Bryan Grimes of North Carolina
planned the last battle fought by the Army Of
Northern Virginia and commanded the infantry
engaged therein. the greater part of whom were
North Carolnsns.
This stone Is erected by the authority Of the
general assembly Of North Carolina in grateful
and perpetual memory OF the valor. endurance
and patriotism of her who followed with
unshaken fidelity the fortunes of the Cpnfederacy
to this closing scene. faithful to the end.
Erected April 3. 1905
North Carolina Appomattox Commissioned. A.
London. chairman; E. J. Holt. W. I. Jenkins
Cyrus S. Watson, A. d. McGnl.
On the opposite side of the monument
is that part of the inscription which
caused SO much controversy. and which
follows:
North Carolina-First at Bethel-Farthest to
the front at Gettysburg and Chickamauga-Last
at Appomattox.
During the year 1904 Gov Robert B.
Glenn of North Carolina determined to
secure three parcels of land on the sur
render ground for the purpose of erect
ing thereon monuments to North Caro-
lima troops. Col. George A. Armes, L.
S. A., retired, the owner of the land,
presented the lots to the state of North
Carolina. and was a guest of honor at
the dedication of the monuments He
was the only Union officer who had been
at Appomattox in 1865 present at
the monument ceremonies in uniform.
He made an address in which he told