154th Anniversary of Lee’s By Professor Earnest Veritas Special Correspondent to – Eastern Theater –
The 154th anniversary of the surrender of the Army of Norther Virginia by General Lee was solemnized again at Appomattox Court House National Historical Park over the weekend of April 12 through the 14, 2019. General Lee met General Grant in the McLean house at 3 o’clock in the afternoon of Saturday, April 13. After their meeting, h walked across the wooden porch, went slowly down to the last ste and waited there as Traveler was brought around from behind the house. Lee pulled on his gauntle and quietly, almost absent-mindedly, softly smacked his right fist into his open left hand whi
he waited for the gray, dappled horse. General Grant and his sta had walked out of the two-story brick house behind General Lee and his aide-de-camp Colonel Marshall. General Grant waited on the steps for Lee to leave. N one was speaking; Grant’s staff lined up along the porch railing watching the moment unfold and knowing that history was being made. The substantial crowd was silent throughout the event.
America’s Monthl nder at Appomattox General Lee mounted and, as he turned about, saw General Grant raise his hat to him. Lee lifted his own in acknowledgment of Grant’s respectful gesture. With great dignity, he rode Traveler through the gate of the white picket fence that surrounded the yard; reined him about and turned toward the Confederate encampment. He rode slowly out of sight amidst the loud silence the crowd gathered at the fence along the lane that led to the Confederate camp. It was over. A silence hung over the spectators and no one spoke for a few minutes. The scene was repeated at 3 o’clock, on the afternoon of Sunday, April 14. The crowd was almost as large as the Saturday gathering and equally as silent. The gravity of re-creating the ef
fective end of the war and all th it meant seemed to be felt by all who saw it. Appomattox Court House National Historical Park was extremely busy with these two events and six other Living History programs. The programs included talks by Park Rangers and Living Historians in the park for the weekend, as well as non-firing programs such as camp life and drill demonstrations by both Federal and Confederate soldiers. Also delivered for visitor was the program “Appomattox: The Last 48 Hours,” presented by Thomas Jessee as General Lee and Curt Fields as General Grant. That program was done live on the front porch of the McLean house for spectators sitting in the front yard. There were 35 Ranger programs, five Historic weapons demonstrations, parole pass printing, and demonstrations conducted constantly throughout the weekend. Other numbers of interest about the 154th Appomattox are that there were: 35 Ranger-led programs given for 934 visitors; the parole pass demonstrations were attended by 1,001 visitors; the eight Living History programs drew 765 visitors; the
for the exhibits and the film “With Malice Toward None;” 30 volunteers worked at anything