Evening star., 1950-04-17
Virginians See
ModernMeetinq
0fLee and Grant
Appomottox House
Dedicated as Shrine
To End of Civil War
By the Assoeioted Press

hear once again how their grand.
fathers tasted the bitterness of 6
lost war.
The scene was the red brick
Mclean House, now restored tx
what it was that foggy Palm Sun.
day morning of April 9, 1865, wher
the Civil War-still America.
bloodieSt-came to its end.
They heard again how Gen. Lee
put on his gold-laced uniform
his sword and his gloves, and TOLD
his staff:
II am going to see Gen. Grant.
House Dedicated as Shrine.
The occasion yesterday was the
dedication of the surrender house
as a national shrine.
Although there were Northern
ers present, the day belonged less
to them than to the memory OF
the Army of Northern Virginia
which laid down its arms amid the
burgeoning oaks and locusts OF
this little county seat.
After the last of the oratory had
faded among the same trees
yesterday, the crowd milled about
quietly, loath to leave, moved
and maybe a bit puzzled at the
continuing tug of cause that has
been lost these IS years.
The symbolism of the day was
national unity, and another Grant
and another Lee were at hand to
cut the silken ribbons at the
doorway of the old home.
Grant and Lee Meet Again.
Yesterdays Grant was Major
Gen. U. S. Grant III of Washing
ton, D. c., grandson of the victory
Of Appomattox. The Lee was
Robert E. Lee Nv of San Francisco
25-year-old great-grandson of the
Virginian.
They laughed and smiled anc
wrote autographs for the chill.
dren and Bobby-soxers who clus-
tered around them. But Gen
Grant, returning a compliment
left the field early to his younger
companion.
The principal figure of the fete
was DR.. Douglas Southall Free
man, the Richmond editor who is
Lees greatest biographer.
It was DR.. Freeman who re-
told the story of the great sur
render in detail and with power
how Lee choked back his tears and
nodded while his men wept un-
ashamedly and Asked General,
General. Are we sur
rendered."
Lees Flag Is Displayed.
Beside DR.. Freeman as he spoke
were the stars and bars of a Con-
federate battle f1ag-no crisp 1850
sham, but a faded, ragged, and
bullet-torn veteran.
It had waved over Lees master
piece at Charlottesville, had seen
the high tide of the Confederacy
at Gettysburg, and had fallen
back slowly before Gen. Grants
brutal, remorseless pounding in
The wilderness.
After DR.. Freeman's death, he
said, the flag will be sent to the
Mclean House. To stay there
as a symbol of "the reconciliation
of gentlemen"
The Quantico Marine Band
marched as symbol of the North
ern forces to the ribbon-cutting
ceremony, and a contingent OF
v. M. I. cadets walked over with
young Lee from the direction OF
the Confederate leaders field
headquarters.
Battle Praises Restoration.
Virginia's Gov. Battle called the
ceremonies here commemorative
of mot the close of an internal
war but the real beginning of a
firmly united Nation which was
envisioned by our First President.
Speaking also on the program
was Senator Chapman. Democrat
of Kentucky; Mrs. William Hag.
gard, president-general of the
Daughters of the Confederacy
Mrs. Roy Kyle, president of thu
Virginia Federation of Garder
Clubs, and Newton B. Drury, di
rector of the National Park Serv
ice.
The Park Service then opened
the restored surrender house ane
the visitors thronged through tt
see the parlor where Gen. Gran
wrote out his terms and Gen. Let
accepted them. The surrender
room itself was bare of furniture
but there were pictures on dis.
play of what the room originally
contained. Most of these piece.
are in the Smithsonian Institu'
ton and Representative Abbitt
Democrat, of Virginia, who wa
master of ceremonies at yester'
days affair, made an unsuccessful
attempt to borrow them for thu
dedication.
The House itself was one bought
by Wilmer Mclean, an Alexandra
merchant who moved first tx
Manassas in search of peace ane
quiet, but when the first and Sec
ond battles of Bull Run were
fought over his property, he came
to Appomattox with his wife ane
family and bought the handsome
brick residence.
Six granddaughters of Mr.. Nc.
Lean were at the ceremony. They
are Mrs. Mamie Payne, 5831 NORTH
Washington boulevard, and Mrs
Leonidas Triplett, 2001 North Up.
ton street. Arlington; Mrs. Ethe.
Fox, Fairfax, Va; Mrs. Johr
Quynn. Frederick, Md; Mrs. Fin.
ney Lakin, Of Terra Alta, w. Va.
and Mrs. Louise Smith, of Phila-
delphia.
A great-grandson of Wilmer
Mclean, Melvin Mclean, 1856
Ames street NE, also was present
Rev. Miller to Speak
The Row w Pohert Miller roc.