Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 15.djvu/16

 XVI of the writing were made. He wrote very rapidly and did not pause until he had finished the sentence ending with 'officers appointed by me to receive them.' Then he looked towards Lee, and his eyes seemed to be resting on the handsome sword which hung at that officer's side. He said afterwards that this set him to thinking that it would be an unnecessary humiliation to require the officers to surrender their swords, and a great hardship to deprive them of their personal baggage and horses, and after a short pause he wrote the sentence, 'This will not embrace the side arms of the officers, nor their private horses or baggage.' When he had finished the letter he called Colonel (afterwards General) Parker, one of the military secretaries on the staff, to his side and looked it over with him and directed him as they went along to interline six or seven words and to strike out the word 'their' which had been repeated. When this had been done he handed the book to General Lee and asked him to read over the letter. It was as follows:

A C, V, April 9th, 1865.

General R. E. L, Commanding C. S. A.:

G, In accordance with the substance of my letter to you of the 8th instant, I propose to receive the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia on the following terms, to-wit: Rolls of all the officers and men to be made in duplicate one copy to be given to an officer to be designated by me; the other to be retained by such officer or officers as you may designate. The officers to give their individual paroles not to take up arms against the Government of the United States until properly [exchanged], and each company or regimental commander to sign a like parole for the men of their commands. The arms, artillery, and public property to be parked and stacked, and turned over to the officers appointed by me to receive them. This will not embrace the side-arms of the officers, nor their private horses or baggage. This done, each officer and man will be allowed to return to his home, not to be disturbed by the United States authorities so long as they observe their paroles and the laws in force where they may reside. Very respectfully, U.S.G,Lieutenant-General.

"Lee took it and laid it on the table beside him, while he drew from his pocket a pair of steel-rimmed spectacles and wiped the glasses carefully with his handkerchief. Then he crossed his legs, adjusted the spectacles very slowly and deliberately, and took up the draft of the letter and proceeded to read it attentively. It consisted of two pages. When he had reached the top line of the second page he looked up and said to General Grant: 'After the words,