letter
date: label: associated date
content: 1865 04 10
name: label: referenced
content: Lee, Robert E.
label: producer
content: Whitaker, Edward Washburn
notes: label: Description
content: This letter certifies the authenticity of the Appomattox towel which was later given to Elizabeth Bacon Custer, widow of General George Armstrong Custer.
label: Description
content: The letter reads:
label: Description
content: Head Qrs. 3rd Cav. Div., Appomattox C.H. Va., April 10, 1865
label: Description
content: I hereby certify on honor that this towel is the truce used by Capt. Simms of Grnl. Longstreet's staff bearing message to Gen. Custer asking cessation of hostilities and to arrest the charge which the 3rd Cav. Divn. was in the act of making on the center of Lee's army at 9 A.M. yesterday. This truce was sent out under the direction of Gen. Lee himself and is the first and only one used asking immediate cessation of hostilities that a conference may be held Gen. Grant who arrived on the field many hours later.
label: Description
content: E.W. Whittaker, Lt. Col. 1st Ct. Cav.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
setName: label: See more items in
content: Political History: Political History, General History Collection
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Elizabeth B. Custer
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: PL.039766
label: catalog number
content: 039766
label: accession number
content: 124419
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Letter
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: overall: 8 in x 5 in; 20.32 cm x 12.7 cm