To his surprise, a troop of Union cavalry, joined by several Confederate troopers, was already at the chapel with brooms and shovels, cleaning out the inside even as they approached. The skirmish lines from both sides had slowly drawn closer, at last came together, and men were leaning on their rifles, sharing tobacco, smoking, chatting freely, watching as the generals from both sides approached.
As Lee rode up, a minute or so ahead of Grant, Phil Duvall came out and saluted.
"Sir, the inside was a bit of a mess. Chapel was abandoned. Unfortunately some Yankee troopers used it as a stable last year. I think we've got it fixed up, though."
Lee dismounted and walked to the entryway. It was a small Episcopal church and he took comfort in that. A cornerstone indicated it had been dedicated more than a hundred years before, in 1747. Several windows were broken. Within, there were clouds of dust as troopers, Union and Confederate, side by side, hurriedly swept the floors and took some pews, arranging them to face each other, a table in the middle, with two chairs, an inkwell and paper on the table.
He took a deep breath and waited.
Grant came riding up. He was mud-splattered, wearing the shell jacket of an ordinary infantryman, the only mark of rank the three stars on his shoulder. He was joined by a half dozen officers, most of whom Lee did not recognize, except for Winfield Scott Hancock, who gave a salute, which Lee returned.
The Union officers dismounted.
There was an awkward pause, then Walter and Ely Parker took over, offering introductions, the men shaking hands.
"Gentlemen," Ely finally said, motioning them into the chapel. They walked in, the dust having cleared with all the windows open, a cool breeze wafting in.
Grant walked over to the table in the center of the chapel and motioned for Lee to join him on the other side.
Grant cleared his throat nervously.
"General Lee, I am not sure if you recall. Back in Mexico, with General Scott, we met on several occasions."
Lee, taking off his hat, sat down, smiled, and shook his head.
"My apologies, General Grant, I am sorry but I do not recall you. I hope you do not take offense." "No, sir, of course not.
"Sir, I feel I should inform you that the president has personally looked into the case of your son, Rooney. He has already been paroled and should be home by now with your wife. The president apologizes for any distress this might have caused you by his capture and confinement He wished for me to express to you that the moment he heard of the situation he ordered his parole and release."
"Convey my thanks, sir."
Grant nervously cleared his throat again.
"Sir, I hope you accept my compliments that you and your men fought masterfully these last few months."
Lee did not reply for a moment and sighed.
"General Grant perhaps we should get down to the business at hand."
"Yes, sir, of course."
Grant motioned to Ely, who opened his haversack and drew out two sheets of paper.
"Sir, I've drawn up a draft of terms." He slipped the paper across the desk.
Grant looked at him carefully as Lee drew out his spectacles and adjusted them.
"Sir, I do not see this as an unconditional surrender as I have done so in the past The situation here is different. I have been in communication with the president these last few days."
He nodded over to Elihu, who stood in the corner of the room.
"These terms are a reflection of communications with President Lincoln, but also my own heartfelt convictions as well.
"Upon the signing of this document, you, sir, all your staff, all officers and men, are to be paroled until exchanged." Surprised, Lee looked up at him. "Paroled?"
"Yes, sir. We are bringing down a printing press from Frederick. It should be here later today, and the forms can be turned out. Each man is to sign his parole, once done he is free to go home."
Lee looked at him in surprise. He expected that by this evening his men would be marched north to prison or, worse yet, paraded in triumph through the streets of Washington.
"But there is one clause in here I feel I should tell you about now before you sign." "And that is?"
"The president, as of two days ago, has placed a ban on any further exchange of prisoners. You are paroled, sir. You and your men may go home, but you will not be exchanged for an equal number of our prisoners that you now hold or have paroled as well. In short, sir, you and your men are permanently out of this war. I want you to understand that. Go home, but it is over for all of you."
Lee sat back in his chair and hesitated. Traditionally, for the last two years, prisoners had indeed been held, but always there was the promise of exchange, an equal number of privates for privates, generals for generals. Once officially exchanged, the men were released, whether in a holding camp behind enemy lines, or back home ... and allowed to return to the fight.
"I must think on this a moment, sir," Lee said.
'Take your time, sir," Grant replied. "But, sir, if you refuse, we will be forced to fight this day, and tomorrow the surrender will be unconditional."
He hesitated, not wishing to push too far, but feeling he had to.
"Sir, I shall lay my cards on the table to you. To your left flank General Hancock has massed more than fifteen thousand men. General Sykes is behind you with fifteen thousand more. Grierson is on your right flank, and I have thirty thousand blocking your way in this direction. I force-marched my men throughout yesterday and deployed them out here. Many are already dug in. Sir, you are trapped. I promise you, that is not a threat or a bluff. I would not stoop to that. It is the reality of this moment."
Lee looked at the other Union officers, Hancock, leaning heavily on his cane, nodding in agreement, Elihu Washburne, standing the corner, nodding as well.
"I am here as a representative of the president," Elihu said, "as secretary of war. I will take an oath affirming the truth of what General Grant has just told you, and the promise, as well, that if we are forced to fight again, unconditional surrender will be the tragic result. Please, sir, that is not the wish of President Lincoln now."
Lee glanced at Judah, who looked over at Elihu and then back to Lee and nodded an assertion.
"Then I believe it is my duty to sign," Lee replied softly.
Grant smiled.
'Thank you, sir. I think you are as weary of the fighting as I am. Let us end it this day."
"Several favors, please," Lee asked. "Certainly."
"Many of the mounts belong to the men themselves. May they please take them home with them. Fall harvest is about to come in, and it would be a tremendous help if they could return with their horses and mules."
"Of course."
"Officers to retain side arms. That is a traditional mark of rank and will help to maintain order as well if any men might rebel against this surrender."
"I understand."
"Finally, it humbles me to ask this. Some of my men have not eaten in two days." Grant smiled.
"Our own supply wagons are stuck in the mud, but I promise I shall see what I can do."
"I have enough rations on the canal boats," Hancock interjected. "I will have them brought up with all possible speed."
Grant motioned to Ely, who quickly added in the extra provisions on the two copies of the document.
A minute later Ely carefully slid the document over to Lee, who scanned it one last time, took up a pen from the inkwell, and without hesitation signed it. He passed it back to Grant. The second copy was signed, both of which Grant now countersigned, and then there was a long silence.
"Once the printing press is up and paroles printed out and signed, your men will stack arms. That done, you and your army are free to march out of here and back into Virginia. I think we can make those arrangements by late tomorrow."
"General, I think I shall return to my men," Lee said. "I must break the news now and see to their welfare."
Grant stood up, hesitated, then extended
his hand, which Lee took.
Lee walked out, staff and officers following, mounted, and rode off.
"He didn't offer you his sword," Elihu said as the room emptied out.
"Nor should he, nor would I have taken it," Grant said softly. "He is an honorable man and I would have been ashamed to take it. Elihu, we fought him for two years, perhaps this final action by him has saved this country after all. He may keep his sword."
Elihu looked over at Grant and smiled.
"I know I shouldn't ask, but how's the headache?"
"What headache?" Grant said with a grin. "It disappeared the moment I saw that white flag."
Grant stepped out of the chapel, all order having broken down around it. Hundreds of men, Union and Confederate gathered around the outside.
As Lee mounted, he looked around and offered a salute, every man returned it. He set off at a slow trot, riding back to the South.
8:00 P.M.
“General Lee?"
It was Walter Taylor standing in the doorway of the vestry that Lee now used as his headquarters.
Walter knew he had been asleep for several hours, and Lee, a bit embarrassed, stirred and sat up. "Yes, Walter."
"Sir, a messenger just came from General Grant. He requests that you meet him back at the chapel, you and Secretary Benjamin."
"I'm coming."
Lee stood up, brushed himself off, and almost picked up his saber and side arm to snap on, then left them in place. Outside the church Traveler was waiting, Benjamin already mounted.
The two rode off together, Walter and a dozen cavalry troopers providing escort.
The encampment area was quiet, as it had been throughout the day. The men were so exhausted that the shock of what had transpired this day had caused a complete collapse. Men had simply lain down in the fields and gone to sleep. With the coming of evening a few managed to get fires going, but there was little to cook until something absolutely remarkable happened.
At first it was just one or two, then a few dozen, and then by the hundreds; Yankees had crossed the field, drifting into the camps, shyly pulling out a few pieces of hardtack, a tattered bag filled with coffee, a little bit of salt pork or a chicken snatched from some farmyard. They sat peacefully together, chatting away, comparing notes of who had fought where. Officers were doing it, too, especially the West Pointers, seeking out classmates and comrades from so long ago.
As Lee's party approached the chapel, Grant was leaning against the doorway, smoking a cigar, and he stood up formally as Lee dismounted. The two stood silently for a moment, neither quite sure of protocol, and finally Lee offered a salute, which Grant returned.
"Sir, I felt we should talk," Grant said and he motioned Lee to the door, then looked back at Judah Benjamin. "Just the four of us. The secretary of war waits inside."
The table in the room was set about with four chairs, a coal oil lamp in the middle and a few candles by the altar shedding the only light. Souvenir hunters had been busy throughout the day in the abandoned chapel. It was reported Phil Sheridan had snatched the table the surrender had been signed on, while others had hauled out pews, even a couple of the stained-glass windows. The table between them now was a rough-hewn affair, carried over from Grant's headquarters, as was the lantern and candles.
A pot of coffee, still warm, was on the floor, and Elihu produced four tin cups and poured the drinks as the small group sat down.
"I think we need to talk," Grant said, opening now without any nervous preamble.
"I agree, sir. And again my thanks for the generosity shown to my men this day."
Grant unconsciously let his hand drift to his breast pocket, which contained the missive from Lincoln: "Let them down easy," had been written not once, but twice, in his directives not only to negotiate the surrender of Lee but to discuss broader issues as well.
"General Lee," Grant continued, "I realize there is a difference in our ranks. I command all of the armed forces of the United States of America now in the field, while you but command the Army of Northern Virginia."
"Yes, that is true."
"But I would like to enter into negotiations to end all fighting, to end this war. The president in a memo sent to me yesterday reaffirmed my authority to do so in a military sense, and he asks if you would consider such a proposition."
Lee sat back and shook his head.
"General Grant, I have no authority to do so. You are right, I command the Army of Northern Virginia, which has laid down its arms this day. As for the other armies in the field, I have absolutely no authority to speak for them."
"As I knew you would reply," Grant said.
"Then why ask?"
"Sir, I think I should explain a few things that now confront us both." "Go on."
"As I told you this morning, you and all your men will be paroled home. I offer as well to you my personal pledge that, once home, no one will bother or molest you or your men. The president made that clear in his memo to me. As far as he is concerned, your war is over, or should I say, our war against you; Obey the laws of the United States of America, and nothing more will be done to any of you."
"And as I said before, that is most generous."
"And yet the war continues."
"I have no control over that."
"I think you do, sir."
Lee shook his head and remained silent. , "I shall share with you the rest of the memo sent by the president."
He looked over at Elihu, who nodded in agreement.
"We are to help you and your men return to Virginia. Even now my engineers are completing a bridge at Edwards Ferry. You can march out, once disarmed, and stack your colors before crossing the river. I suggest you then take your troops to Richmond and there disband them."
He took a deep breath.
"The day after you return to Virginia, I will move my army across the Potomac as well, but advance no farther than the Rappahannock River, occupying the positions held by our armies prior to the Chancellorsville campaign. This I do as a military necessity to shield Washington, but also to position myself for an advance on Richmond."
Lee nodded, looking straight at Grant.
"And then?"
"Sir, if the Confederate government does not seek a general armistice leading to their disbandment at the end of thirty days, I am ordered to drive straight on Richmond. I will also detach one corps to occupy Shenandoah Valley and, if need be, destroy any material of military worth."
"Please, sir, define military worth?" Lee asked.
"The fall harvest, all barns, railroads, everything clear down the valley to Tennessee. I will do the same as I advance toward Richmond."
"I see," Lee replied, shaking his head. "A new kind of war, isn't it, General Grant?"
"A kind of war that will become necessary if your goveminent does not see reality and disband. I will regret it, sir, but I will order it without hesitation.
"We do not need to play any bluff games with each other, General Lee. You have absolutely no forces left in Virginia, other than some militia. Once I start this next campaign I shall be in Richmond within the week.
"I regret to say this, but I am ordered to carry my campaign forward with full and absolute vigor. That means my army will live off the land as we advance. We will cut a swath fifty miles wide and destroy everything in our path."
Lee sighed.
"General Grant, so far, this war has been fought with a certain degree of civility, with respect to the property rights of civilians."
"That is war, this new kind of war," Grant replied, and there was a sharpness to his voice. "I do not like it any more than you do. It is the prayerful wish of our president that the terms of surrender granted here today will send a positive message across the South. We want peace, we wish it as much as you, and we can have it with honor. But if there are some who wish to continue the fight, then utter devastation will be the result.
"I am not sure that you heard the news from Atlanta today," Grant said.
&n
bsp; "No, sir."
"Sherman has soundly defeated Bragg again, near Kennesaw Mountain. We received word that your president is finally relieving Bragg and replacing him with Joe Johnston, but it is too little too late. Sherman declares that his armies will start the bombardment of Atlanta within days; in fact, he is holding back until I authorize him to do so. He believes he can take the city in a matter of days.
"If your resistance continues, he has already suggested the plan to burn Atlanta to the ground, tear up the railroads, and then march from there straight to Savannah, again living off the land, destroying most of Georgia in the process."
Lee glared at Grant.
"Sir, I saw a certain compassion in you this morning. Your words now challenge that first assumption."
Grant leaned forward and stared at Lee intently.
"Sir, we are soldiers. We have seen nothing but hell the last two years. You know and I know your cause is lost. To me, the wasting of but one more life would be a sin. Yes, there has been a threat offered, but also a hope, a hope that you and I can work together to end this terrible slaughter and return peace to our land. Sir, I must repeat, any more deaths will be a sin, and they will rest upon your soul and mine."
Lee, a bit flustered, took up the cup of coffee Elihu had offered and looked down as he took a sip. Then he looked up.
"I believe you," Lee said.
Grant signed, sat back in his chair, and nodded his thanks.
"But I repeat, I have no authority beyond that of the Army of Northern Virginia," Lee replied.
"Gentlemen, may I interrupt?" Elihu said and he leaned forward, placing his hands on the table.
Grant nodded his assent, and Elihu looked over at Judah.
"I hope you don't mind that I call you Judah," Elihu said. "The rules of diplomatic protocol forbid me from addressing you by your title since we have never recognized the legitimacy of your government."
Judah smiled.
"Of course, Elihu."
'The generals have had their words. I think you and I should now share a few thoughts."
"And your thoughts are?" Judah asked.
Never Call Retreat - Civil War 03 Page 53
