The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1935-03-29

" toga was a great event. and there
have been great events in our history
since the War of the Revolution; but
the greatest was that which occurred on April 8,
1855, at the little village of Appomattox. when
General Lee met General Grant and the question
of the indissoluble union Of these States passed
into history. never to be revived"
Those were the words of a man who was not
only an eyewitness TO but an active participant
in that greatest event" He was Col. Charles
Marshall, aide-de-camp. military secretary and
assistant-general on the staff Of the Confed-
crate commander from 1862 to 1865 and the
quotation is from his collected papers which were
edited by distinguished British soldier Maj
Gen. Sir Frederick Maurice, and published by
Little Brown and company under the title OF
IAN Aide-de-Camp of Lee" The quotation con-
tinues:
Perhaps the most impressive feature of that
occasion was the fact that there American sol
diers met together, who dealt with each other
as American soldiers. If the officers Of General
Grants army had been instructed how to act;
IL they had learned their parts; If they had
been taught by the greatest actors how TO play
them, how TO act at a time when one or the
loftiest souls that God ever sent upon earth was
humbled, how to act so as to show their respect
and veneration they could not have done better
than they did They could not have done better
because they and behaved as American sol
diers; they loved their enemies and they did good
TO those who hated them"
Such Is the tribute of one who wore the Gray
to those who wore the Blue on that historic April
day 20 years ago and 1t is a striking bit of evil
dence of the essential spirit which will be for
ever associated with the name Of Appomattox.
Although three years were yet to elapse before
one of the principal actors in its drama should
use the exact phrasing of LET Us have peace!"
yet that thought runs Ike golden thread
through the dark fabric of the days Of useless
bloodshed and blighted hopes Immediately pre-
ceding the climax. through the letters which
passed between Lee and Grant as the inevitable
end drew near.
Since the story of Appomattox properly begins
with that correspondence, it is appropriate to
take fnto account those foreshadowing events in
telling the story of Appomattox By the end OF
March. 1865. it was apparent that the Confed-
eracy was Lost Cause indeed. Slowly but
surely the sledge-hammer blows of Grants over
whelming forces had beaten down the resistance
of Lees fast-dwindling ranks of ragged men in
gray. The opening week Of April found both
Grant and Lee weary of war-Grant tortured
with headaches and heart-sick over the slaugh-
ter he had been forced to bring about; Lee. all
hope of victory gone. weighed down with the
responsibility that his for finding some way
to save his starving army.
Richmond had been lost. The Confederate gov
eminent was in flight Lees only hope was to
escape from the trap that Grant and Sheridan
and Meade were closing around him and try to
Join forces with Gen. Joseph Johnston. On April
Ewelrs corps was surrounded at Sailors
Creek and surrendered. and after this disaster
Lees Arrny of Northern Virginia was reduced
TO two corps under the command of Generals
Longstreet and Gordon They retreated through
Farmville closely pursued by Grants in
blue.
On April Grant sent Lee his first letter, ask
ing the surrender of his army.
Still confident of the fighting ability Of his
men and believing it possible to save the rem
nant of his army. Lee wanted to continue the
struggle. But his officers prevailed upon him TO
open negotiations. The result was a letter to
Grant asking the terms he would offer on condi-
ton of the surrender of Lees army.
To this Grant replied
General.-Your note of last evening In
reply to mine of same date. asking the con-
dition on which will accept the surrender
of the Army of Northern Virginia. is just
received In reply. l would say, that peace
being my great desire, there Is but one con-
dition | would insist upon; namely. that the
men and officers surrendered shall be dis
qualified for taking up arms against the gov
eminent of the United States until prop
erly exchanged I viii meet you, or viii des-