Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1915-04-09
FIFTY YEARS AGO.

As the years slip away from the
great epochs of history. epochs chang.
ing the whole course Of a Nation or
people, It is well to occasionally re-
vert to them that they may not pass
from the minds Of men. Fifty years
ago today the ragged, foot-sore and
dispirited remnant Of the Confederacy
was surrendered at Appomattox by
our immortal leader, General Robert
z. Lee. The meeting between Lee
and Grant and the arrangement OF the
terms Of surrender is thus described
by General Horace Porter Of the
Union army:
1T was then about half past one
Of Sunday, the 9th Of April. We en-.
tered, and found General Grant sit.
ting at a handicapped table in the
center of the room, and Lee sitting
beside a small oval table near the
front window, in the corner opposite
to the door by which we entered, and
facing General Grant. Colonel Mar
shall, 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 sick
chamber when they expect to find the
patient dangerously III. Some found
seats on a sofa and the few chairs
which constituted 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
43 years Of age. was five feet eight
inches in height. with shoulders
slightly stopped His hair and full
beard we're mug brown. without a
trace Of gray in them. He had on
a single.breasted blouse, made Of
dark blue flannel. unbuttoned in front
and showing a waistcoat underneath
He wore an ordinary pair of top boots
with his trousers inside. and was
without spurs. The boots and por-
tons of his clothes were spattered
with mud. He had had on pair OF
thread gloves, of a dark yellow color.
which he had taken 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 a private soldier.
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
become little thin in front. He
wore a new uniform OF Confederate
gray, buttoned up at the throat, and
at his side he carried a long sword
of exceedingly fine workmanship, the
hilt studded with jewels. II was said
to be the sword that had been present.
ed to him by the State of Virginia.
His top boots were comparatively
new, and seemed to have on them
some ornamental stitching of red silk.
Like his uniform, they were singular
ly 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
buckskin gauntlets lay beside him
on the table. We asked Colonel Mar.
shall afterward how II was that both
he and his chief wore such fine tog.
gerry and looked so much as II they
had turned out 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
contrast by explaining that when
their headquarters wagons had been
pressed so closely by our cavalry q
few days before and II was found thet
would have to destroy all their bag
gage, except the clothes they carried
on their backs, each one naturally Sc
lected the newest suit he had ant
sought to propitiate the god of de
struction by a sacrifice of his second
best"
After briefly discussing the condi
tions, General Lee suggested that thu
terms be put in writing Grant call
ed for his order book opened 1t OIL
the table and proceeded to do so.
While writing, he noticed the hand
eo,na sword that Lee pOSsessed, ant