Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 21.djvu/367

 The Einlnni ,it Appomattox Courthouse. 359

with my pen, to Colonel Parker, who proceeded to copy General Grant's letter.

FOOD FOR STARVING TROOPS.

" While Colonel Parker was so engaged, I sat near the end of the sofa on which General Sheridan was sitting, and we entered into conversation. In the midst of it, General Grant, who sat nearly diagonally across the room and was talking with General Lee, turned to General Sheridan and said:

14 ' General Sheridan, General Lee tells me that he has some 1,200 of our people prisoners, who are sharing with his men, and that none of them have anything to eat. How many rations can you spare ? '

"General Sheridan replied: ' About 25,000.'

"General Grant turned to General Lee and said: 'General, will that be enough ? '

" General Lee replied : ' More than enough.'

"Thereupon General Grant said to General Sheridan, 'Direct your commissary to send 25,000 rations to General Lee's commissary.'

"General Sheridan at once sent an officer to give the necessary orders.

EXCHANGING OFFICIAL LETTERS.

" When Colonel Parker had completed the copying of General Grant's letter, I sat down at the same little table and wrote General Lee's answer. I have yet in my possession the original draft of that answer. It began : ' I have the honor to acknowledge.' General Lee struck out those words, and made the answer read as it now appears. His reason was that the correspondence ought not to appear as if he and General Grant were not in immediate communi- cation. When General Grant had signed the copy of his letter made by Colonel Parker, and General Lee had signed the answer, Colonel Parker handed to me General Grant's letter and I handed to him General Lee's reply, and the work was done.

CONTRASTS OF DRESS.

" Some further conversation of a general nature took place, in the course of which General Grant said to General Lee that he had come to the meeting as he was, and without his sword, because he