Evening journal., 1914-04-03
New News Of Yesterday
The Man Who Saw Lees
Surrender at AppomattOx
By Holland.

The recent death OF Joshua L. Cham
berlain brought to mind an incident in
his army career, really the last impor-
tant event in what was as brilliant and
heroic an army service as that OF any
man engaged on either side.
] was told in the summer of 1879,
when ] was in Maine, that sometimes
he was called Governor Chamberlain,
since he served three terms as governor,
the first being shortly after the close OF
the Civil War, and he was quite as often
called General Chamberlain, because his
friends knew that he was promoted upon
the field before Petersburg by General
Grant to a brigadierge generalship.
One August day in 1881 ] visited the
town Of Appomattox Court House. It
was a place in which, if the day was
warm, drowsiness would be sure to
overtake ono, not disturbed by any
sound of human industry. II seemed
incredible that this peaceful little ham
let consisting Of court house, a tav-
ern and few dwellings, could have been
the place which tradition win always
associate with the last act OF the Civil
War.
There were at that time a few men
living in the town who were there in
April, 1861. One Of these was a tavern
keeper. His name was Hicks. He was
the owner Of the apple orchard in which
II has been asserted that General Lee
surrendered to General Grant. Mr.. Hicks
knew better He took me to q neighbor,
man of scholarly attainments, named
Todd who lived in q red house at the
a.. al. ftnl Nfatt4 IL an
the brick house where General Grant
and General Lee met and little creek
which bordered the apple orchard. Mr..
Todd said;
"From my doorstep, from the very
place where we are now standing to-
eether, | aaw the closing scene OF the
war. The Confederates planted two
small cannon Just in front of these
steps. In those woods yonder ] could
see the Federal army or part OF u,
Mr.. Todd indicated with a wave OF his
hand the distant forest, not very
dense once, perhaps three-quarters OF a
mile from his doorstep.
81 saw the Union troops come out
from that forest and form the line OF
battle" he continued. II saw their com.
manding officer, not very distinctly, but
sufficiently so 20 make IL clear to ms
that he was preparing TO give battle
so that ] thought my wiser part as a
civilian would be 10 get into n place OF
safety re- soon as possible. One OF the
guns planted by the Confederate artil-
lery in front OF these steps was aimed
and discharged at the Federal line.
expected TO sec the commanding officer
lead a charge. Suddenly he stopped. H'
was giving the word of commend.
"The Union troops stood in thei
places and then ] saw that white flag
} which looked TO me like couple o
! bandkerchicfs tied together--was bcin,
carried forward rapidly from the Con
federate line. The next day the Con
federate troops were drawn up in lint
right there on the highway in front o
NV house. The line extended from
point lust beyond my house over tn
creek up 70 that little cottage on tn
| hills which. by the way, was the boy
hood home of man who gained grea
reputation as a negro minstrel, Da
Swecny.
eBy and by there rode up on hand
SOME horse an officer accompanied b,
troops and ] realized that he was ioI
maliv receiving the surrender Of wha
was lett OF Lees army. A moment
Glance showed me that he was the sam
officer whom I saw leading the troop
from out the woods the day before i
expectation OF battle. | afterwal
asked his name and found that he wa
General Joshua L. Chamberlain {
Maine"
Copyright, 1914, by Z. j. Edwards. a
rights reseryed).