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ISSUE NUMBER 1646 THE TOWN CRIER APRIL 2017

Lincoln’s Advent of Total War
By Bill Hunt
Article 27
With the hope of Confederate supremacy of arms and the dream of Southern Inde-
pendence now hopelessly doomed, Gen. Lee sends Gen. Grant a note. This note,
one of nine exchanged between the two generals in the last remaining few days of
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the war; April 7 through 9 of 1865, requests a meeting to discuss conditions and
terms for that of a potential surrender. Gen. Grant responds breaking rigid military
protocol, thereby allowing Gen. Lee, instead of himself, to choose both the place and time of their meeting.
Gen. Lee’s aide arranged for the two Commanders to meet at the private residence of a Mr. Wilmer
McLean, located near the Appomattox Courthouse.
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A mutual ceasefire is arranged and the two Commanders are to meet at 1pm April 9 , 1865. Gen. Lee, with
an aide arrives 30 minutes early, both attired in complete formal dress uniforms. Gen. Grant arrives 30 min-
utes late at 1:30 pm, dressed in a noticeably soiled field uniform and muddy boots with only his shoulder
bars indicating his rank.
After formal but pleasant introductions are exchanged, the two Generals are seated at different small
desks, each facing the other at somewhat of an oblique angle. In addition to several of Gen. Grant’s aides
and a Yankee correspondent from Harper’s Weekly, close to a dozen of the General’s LT. Commanders
are allowed to witness the proceedings. Among them are both Gens. Sheridan and Custer. Gen. Sherman
is not present, nor is he aware of the surrender taking place, as he is in N.C. attempting to track down and
capture or destroy Gen. Joseph E. Johnston’s army.
Gen. Grant, again intentionally violates strict military protocol for that of interviewing and or the debriefing of
an enemy commander. Instead of first dealing with the intended matter at hand, Gen. Grant begins by in-
dulging Gen. Lee into a friendly conversation as to their mutual military service in the Mexican American
War of 1845. Gen. Grant recalls having had a brief chance meeting with then Col. Robert E. Lee during the
siege of Mexico City. After several more minutes of additional friendly conversation, it is Gen. Lee who
brings their conversation back to that of their intended matter at hand; the conditions and terms of an ac-
ceptable and agreeable surrender of Gen. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia. Gen. Grant’s conduct on the
matter at hand exhibited extraordinary traits of magnanimity. He avoided making any statements that might
wound the feelings or imply the humiliation of a vanquished foe. Such conduct by Gen. Grant was noble.

In part, the conditions and terms of the surrender document were as follows:
· The officers to give their individual parole not to take arms against the government of the U. S. until prop-
erly exchanged; and each company or regimental commander to sign a like parole for the men of their com-
mands.
· The arms, artillery, and public property to be parked and stacked, and turned over to the U. S. officer ap-
pointed by me (Gen. Grant) to receive them.
· This will not embrace the side arms (pistols) of the officers, nor their private horses or baggage.
· This done, each officer and man will be allowed to return to their homes, not to be disturbed by U. S. au-
thority so long as they observe their parole and the laws in force where they may reside.

At 4 pm, the surrender had been consummated and the articles signed. The following day, Gen. Lee, after
appealing to his faithful men to furl their Confederate battle flags and become good law abiding U. S. citi-
zens, he bids them an affectionate farewell and afterwards both they and he retire back to their homes to
begin life all over again . . . under twelve long years of horrific military occupation and reconstruction.
The End.
PS: I, too, bid my faithful readers and the entire staff of The Town Crier a most thankful and affectionate
farewell as this being my final article of Lincoln’s Advent of Total War, I wish to relinquish the privilege
given me of contributing a monthly article for publication to hopefully another more energetic and inspiring
writer.
We will all miss Bill’s wonderful articles and his ability to bring history to life !

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