The Spectator., 1915-03-30

~~~~~~~-~~~~~~~~~~ ending of the war is Interestingly de- scribed by Horace Porter, brevet brig | adler general, as follows:
 Tt was then about half-past one of Sunday, the 9th of April We entered,
 and found General Grant sitting at
 handicapped table in the center of
 the room, and Lee sitting beside a small oval table near the front win
 dow, in the corner opposite to the door
 by which We entered, and facing Gen.
 eral Grant. Colonel Marshall, his | military secretary, was standing at his left. We walked in softly and
 ranged ourselves quietly about the sides of the room, very much as the
 people enter a ick-chamber when
 they expect to find the patient dan gerously i'll. Some found seats on
 the sofa and the few chairs which con-
 stituted the furniture, but most of the
 party stood.
 The contrast between the two
 commanders was striking, and could
 not fail to attract marked attention as
 they sat ten feet apart, facing each
 other. General Grant, then nearly forty-three years of age, was five feet
 eight inches in height, with shoulders | slightly stopped. His hair and full
 beard were nut-brown, without a trace
 of gray in them. He had on a single 1 breasted blouse made of dark-blue 1 flannel, unbuttoned in front, and show ing waistcoat underneath. He wore
 an ordinary pair of top boots. with his trousers inside, and was without spurs, The boots and portions of his
 clothes were spattered with mud He had had on a pair of thread gloves, of
 dark yellow color, which he had talk
 en off on entering the room. His felt
 sugar loaf" stiff-brimmed hat was thrown on the table beside him. He had no sword, and a pair of shoulder straps was all there was about him to designate his rank. In fact, aside from these, his uniform was that of private soldier.
 Lees Fine Presence. Lee, on the other hand. was fully six feet in height and quite erect for one of his age, for he was Grants senior by sixteen years. His hair and full beard were a silver-gray and quite thick, except that the hair had be-
 come a little thin in front. He wore new uniform of Confederate gray,
 buttoned up at the throat, and at his side he carried long sword of ex- ceedingly fine workmanship, the hilt studded with jewels. It was said to
 be the sword that had been presented
 10 him by the state of Virginia. His top boots were comparatively new, and seemed to have on them some or
 namental stitching of red silk. Like his uniform, they were singularly
 clean and but little travel-stained. On the boots were handsome spurs with
 large rowels. A felt hat, which in color matched pretty closely that of
 his uniform. and a pair of long buck
 skin gauntlets lay beside him on the table. We asked Colonel Marshall
 afterward how it was that both he and
 his chief wore such fine toggery and
 looked so much as if they had turned bout to go to church, while with us
 our garb scarcely rose to the dignity
 even of the shabby -genteel.' He strengthened us out regarding the con-
 trast by explaining that when their headquarters wagons had been
 pressed so closely by our cavalry
 few days before, and it was found they would have to destroy all their
 baggage, except the clothes they car ried on their backs, each one, natural ly, selected the newest suit he had, and sought to propitiate the god of destruction by sacrifice of his sec ond-best."
 Grant Writes the Terms. After briefly discussing the condi- tions. General Lee suggested that the terms be put in writing. Grant called, for his order book, opened 1t on the table and proceeded to do so. While writing, he noticed the hand some sword that Lee possessed, and he afterwards said that this set him to thinking that it would be an un- necessary humiliation to require the officers to surrender their swords and great hardship to deprive them of their personal baggage and horses, which caused him to add this sen tence:
 This will not embrace the side arms of the officers nor their private horses nor baggage"
 The terms as submitted by General Grant were:
 Gen. R. D. Lee. Commanding c. s. A.
 General: In accordance with the