ott's chief
of staff, and the head of his engineer corps, with Grant, the younger,
as a lieutenant and quartermaster. It never entered the wildest dreams
of either then that they should lead the armies of a divided nation
engaged in mortal combat. Now they had only pleasant recollections of
each other, and they talked of the old days, of Contreras, Molino del Rey,
and other battles in the Valley of Mexico.

They sat down at a plain table, and then came in the straightforward
manner characteristic of both to the great business in hand. Colonel
Marshall supplied the paper for the historic documents now about to be
written and signed.

General Grant, humane, and never greater or more humane than in the
hour of victory, made the terms easy. All the officers of the Army of
Northern Virginia were to give their parole not to take up arms against
the United States, until properly exchanged, and the company or
regimental commanders were to sign a like parole for their men. The
artillery, other arms and public property were to be turned over to the
Union army, although the officers were permitted to retain their side
arms and their own horses and baggage. Then officers and men alike could
go to their homes.

It was truly the supreme moment of Grant's greatness, of a humanity
and greatness of soul the value of which to his nation can never be
overestimated. Surrenders in Europe at the end of a civil war had always
been followed by confiscations, executions and a reign of terror for the
beaten. Here the man who had compelled the surrender merely told the
defeated to go to their homes.

Lee looked at the terms and said:

"Many of the artillerymen and cavalrymen in our army own their horses,
will the provisions allowing the officers to retain their horses apply to
them also?"

"No, it will not as it is written," replied Grant, "but as I think this
will be the last battle of the war, and as I suppose most of the men
in the ranks are small farmers who without their horses would find it
difficult to put in their crops, the country having been swept of
everything movable, and as the United States does not want them, I will
instruct the officers who are to receive the paroles of your troops to
let every man who claims to own a horse or mule take the animal to his
home."

"It will have a pleasant effect," said Lee, and then he wrote a formal
letter accepting the capitulations. The two generals, rising, bowed to
each othe