Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1915-07-23
146TH lNSTAllMENT.
The Surrender of Lee.
Interesting Details of tho Event.

146TH INsTALLMENT.
The Surrender of Lee.
| Interesting Details of tho Event.
We copy from the City Point cor
respondent of the New York Times the
following particulars of the surrender
Of General Lee. The letter is dated
April 18th:
l am able to lay before you the
highly interesting and important de-
tails Of the surrender through the
courtesy Of Col. Tai. P. Shaffner, the
eminent telegraph engineer who was
an eyewitness Of the whole scene.
1T will be recollected that Gen.
Grants first letter to Lee was dated the
7th (Friday), the day Of the battle Of
Farmville and the correspondence was
kept up during the following day and
up to II O'Clock on Sunday, as already
published. In response to General
Grants letter, General Lee appeared
on the picket line Of the second corps,
Miles's division with a letter address
ed to Gen. Meade, requesting a ces-
sation Of hostilities while he consid-
cred Gen. Grants terms Of surrender.
Gen. Meade replied that he had no
authority to accede to the request, but
that he would wait two hours before
making an attack. In the meantime
Gen. Grant sent word to Gen. Meade
that he would be up in half an hour
and the matter was turned over to
him. A flag Of truce proceeded to
Appomattox Courthouse shortly after
noon and at about o'clock p. m, the
two generals met at the house Of Mr..
Wilmer Mclean. Gen. Lee was at
tended by Gen. Marshall, his adjutant
general; Gen. Grant by Col. Parker,
one Of his chief aides de- camp. The
l two generals met and greeted each 9TH
er with dignified courtesy and proceed
ed at once to the business before them.
Gen. Lee Immediately alluded to the
conditions Of the surrender, charac-
terized them as exceedingly lenient and
said he would be glad to leave all the
details to Gen. Grants own discretion.
Gen. Grant stated the terms Of pa
role, that the arms should be stacked,
the artillery packed and the supplies
and munitions turned over to him, the
officers retaining their side arms,
horses and personal effects Gen Lee
promptly assented to the conditions
and the arrangement of surrender was
engrossed and signed by Gen. Lee at
( $50 o'clock.
Gen. Lee asked Gen. Grant for an in
depreciation of the phrase personal
effects" and said many Of his cavalry
men owned their own horses. Gen.
Grant said he construed it to mean
that the horses must be turned over
to the United States government.
Gen. Lee admitted the correctness and
justice of the Interpretation, when
Gen. Grant said he would instruct his
officers to allow these men who owned
their horses to retain them as they
would need them for the purpose Of
tilling their farms. Gen Lee showed a
great sense of qualification Of such a
generous consideration, and said it
would have very good effect. He sub
sequently expressed hope that each
soldier might be furnished with GER
tificate Of his parole, as evidence to
prevent him from being forced into the
army until regularly exchanged. Gen.
Grant assented to the suggestion and
the printing presses were soon put
to work to print the documents re-
quired.
In regard to the strength of his
army, Gen. Lee said he had no idea of
the number Of men he would be able
to deliver up. There had been so
many engagements and such a heavy
loss by desertion and other causes
within the last few days and the re-
treat so rapid that no regular morning
reports had been made since leaving
Petersburg, but it is generally be-
lieved by the best informed officers
that Lee surrendered eighteen or
twenty thousand men. or the army,
horses, wagons, and there is yet no
| COuul SCll. lLCC illOi oSh'
Grant that his men were short Of pro-
visions whereupon Gen. Grant order
ed $4,000 rations to be distributed to
them Thus subsequently ended the
interview. Both generals were the
impersonation Of dignity and courtesy
in their bearing. Lee is in fine health
and though apparently impressed with
the vital effect and Importance of the
act he was performing, he was cheer
full and pleasant in his demeanor The
house where the stipulation was sign
ed was n fair brick structure with
neat grounds and quite neatly fur
nished The room in which the inter-
view took place was a comfortable
parlor about Is by 20 feet and adorned
by the usual furnishing common to the
average Virginia houses.
| Both generals were in full uniform.
Lee wore a very fine sword. Grant
the day before with the intention of
being gone only few hours, but on
the contrary, being gone all night.
When the two generals first met
they were attended only by the staff
officers already mentioned but during
the interview several of our officers
entered and were introduced to Gen.
Lee, who received them cordially and
made no objections to their presence.
They were Maj Generals Ord and
Sheridan, Brevet Maj. Gen. Ingalls,,
Brig. Generals Williams, Rawlings and
Barnard and Lieut.. Coils. Parker,
Dent. Badeau, Bowers, A. G. A. Por-
ter, Babcock, and Capt. Lincoln. Tai.
F. Shaffner, Esq. was the only civil
ian present.
1t should he said that Gen. Grant
had anticipated the surrender for sew
eral days and had resolved beforehand
not to require the same formalities
which are required in a surrender be-