The Wandering Rebel
Appomattox Wanderings
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| In April, 1865 Appomattox Court House was a quiet town. For those not familiar with the naming, courthouse means county seat, or the town with the court house (5). Wilmer McLean was walking towards his home when up rode a a friend who was a Confederate colonel. The colonel asked if there was a place suitable for General Lee to meet with General Grant. McLean, who at the start of the war lived outside Manassas, showed the colonel a vacant house. When the colonel said he didn't think it would work, McLean offered his home.(6) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Surrender |
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| General Lee arriving 1st, entered the home and sat in the sitting room (8 & 9) on the main floor. General Grant arrived a short time later. He entered the home while his staff respectfully waited on the front lawn (10). Shortly, the staff was summoned into the room. General Horace Porter would remember "We entered and found General Grant sitting at a marble-toped table in the center of the room (11) and Lee sitting beside a small oval table near the front window (12). We walked in softly and ranged ourselves quietly about the sides of the room, very much as people enter a sick-chamber when they expect to find the patient dangerously ill." The two generals talked about Mexico, where they had met before, before moving on to a discussion of the terms of the surrender when Lee asked Grant to commit the terms to paper. After reading the terms, Lee informed Grant that the Cavalry and Artillery men in the Confederate Army owned their horses and ask that they be allowed to keep them. Grant agreed and Lee wrote a letter formally accepting the surrender. It was now a little before 4 o'clock. Lee shook hands with Grant, bowed to the other officers present and left the room. Outside he signaled for his horse to be brought up as a group of Union officers rose t attention. As he mounted the horse Grant stepped down from the porch and saluted him. He was followed by all the officers present. Lee raised his hat in a returned salute before riding off to break the sad news to his troops. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Rest of the House |
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| 13, 14, & 15. The Main floor
bedroom 16 & 17. 1st Upstairs bedroom 18 & 19 2nd Upstairs bedroom 20 Upstairs hall 21. Stairs to the upper floor 22, 23, & 24 Other Upstairs bedroom 25. Stairs to the lower floor. 26, 27, 28, & 29 Kitchen on the bottom level 30, 31, & 32. The Dining room, on the bottom level 34 & 35 The well, When General Lee arrived he asked for a drink from the well. |
