150 Years Ago

The terms of the surrender were recorded in a document hand written by Grant's 

adjutant Ely S. Parker, a Native-American of the Seneca tribe, and completed around 

4 p.m., April 9. Lee, upon discovering Parker to be a Seneca remarked "It is good to 

have one real American here." Parker replied, "Sir, we are all Americans."

I would have never surrendered the army if I had known how the

South would have been treated. If I had foreseen the use those

people designed to make of their victory, there would have been no

 surrender at Appomattox Courthouse; no sir, not by me. Had I

 foreseen these results of subjugation, I would have preferred to die

at Appomattox with my brave men, my sword in my right hand.

 ~ 

Robert Edward Lee.

Note: 

• However, every major researcher along with autobiographer, Douglas Southall Freeman; Shelby Dade Foote, Jr.; Bruce Catton; are but a few that consider the quote a myth and refuse to recognize it. “T. C. Johnson: Life and Letters of Robert Lewis Dabney, 498 ff. Doctor Dabney was not present and received his account of the meeting from Governor Stockdale. The latter told Dabney that he was the last to leave the room, and that as he was saying good-bye, Lee closed the door, thanked him for what he had said and added: "Governor, if I had foreseen the use these people desired to make of their victory, there would have been no surrender at Appomattox, no, sir, not by me. Had I foreseen these results of subjugation, I would have preferred to die at Appomattox with my brave men, my sword in this right hand." This, of course, is second-hand testimony. There is nothing in Lee's own writings and nothing in direct quotation by first-hand witness that accords with such an expression on his part. The nearest approach to it is the claim by H. Gerald Smythe that "Major Talcott" — presumably Colonel T. M. R. Talcott — told him Lee stated he would never have surrendered the army if he had known how the South would have been treated. Mr. Smythe stated that Colonel Talcott replied, "Well, General, you have only to blow the bugle," whereupon Lee is alleged to have answered, "It is too late now" (29 Confederate Veteran, 7). Here again the evidence is not direct. The writer of this biography, talking often with Colonel Talcott, never heard him narrate this incident or suggest in any way that Lee accepted the results of the radical policy otherwise than with indignation, yet in the belief that the extremists would not always remain in office”.

Robert E. Lee's Surrender at Appomattox




Surrender at Appomattox, 1865




American Civil War Images to Ashokan Farewell

Inspired by Ken Burns' documentary series, "The Civil War", this video is a collection of American Civil War images set to the beautiful, stirring "Ashokan Farewell" by Jay Ungar. The rendition in this video is different from that in Burns' documentary—the copyright to the latter is held by Warner Music Group and not permitted to be part of the soundtrack for this video.

Old Train Coming - Memorial Day Civil War tribute

A video slide show of images and facts about the American Civil War, set to 'Old Train Coming', written and performed by my friend Jim Clare ( www.jimclare.org ).

American Civil War Tribute to the Fallen 

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See Also > 
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Robert_E._Lee