7th–9th April. Various locations in and around Farmville, Virginia. These represent the different camps of Grant and Lee, as their armies converge on Appomattox Station, and they play out the endgame. Grant is attended by General Rawlins and Lee by General Alexander. Couriers under flags of truce move between the two camps.
Grant finishes writing something and looks up at Rawlins, who is busy with some paperwork of his own. He senses, however, that Grant has something to say to him and puts down his pen.
Rawlins What is it?
Grant I’ve just written to Lee.
Grant I suddenly had a great mind to summon him to surrender.
Rawlins Goddamn!
Grant Listen to this: ‘General, the results of the last week must convince you of the hopelessness of further resistance on the part of the Army of Northern Virginia in this struggle. I feel that it is so and regard it as my duty to shift from myself the responsibility of any further effusion of blood, by asking of you the surrender of that portion of the CS Army known as the Army of Northern Virginia. Your obedient servant, etc., etc.’ Will that serve?
Rawlins Admirably.
Grant Really? I’m surprised, you generally have something or other critical to remark.
Rawlins Not this time.
The focus changes to Lee and Alexander, who is just finishing reading Grant’s letter to himself. Lee looks up at him. Candlelight.
Lee Well? What do you say?
Alexander Not yet, sir.
Lee You’re right. We haven’t yet come to that. We have too many brave men to think of laying down our arms. And our men, unlike theirs, still fight with great spirit.
Alexander No comparison, sir.
Lee Tomorrow morning I shall strike him such a blow … I’ll get you out of this.
Alexander No one here doubts it.
Lee All the same, I suppose it would only be courteous to reply. Will you take a letter?
He takes back Grant’s letter, which he refers to as he dictates to Alexander.
‘General, I have received your note of this date. Though not entertaining the opinion you express of the hopelessness of further resistance on the part of the Army of Northern Virginia, I reciprocate your desire to avoid useless effusion of blood and therefore, before considering your proposition, ask the terms you will offer on condition of surrender. Very respectfully’ – and so forth. Get that out as quickly as possible.
Back at Grant’s HQ, Rawlins stands to one side with Lee’s letter in his hand, as Grant is attended by an Orderly, who has prepared a mustard bath for his feet and a Medical Officer, who applies mustard plasters to his wrists and the back of his neck: Grant is suffering from one of his celebrated migraines. Rawlins looks up from the letter.
Rawlins Slippery. Very slippery.
Grant But correct. And at least he answered. I’d better write back before this migraine sinks its claws in and blinds me. Let me dictate it to you.
Rawlins sits at the little field desk, pen poised.
Erm … ‘Your note of last evening in reply to mine is received. In reply I would say …’ um … ‘there is but one condition I would insist upon, namely: that the men and officers surrendered shall be disqualified from taking up arms until properly exchanged. I will meet you at any point agreeable to you for the purpose of arranging definitely the terms upon which the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia will be received.’
Lee’s quarters. Candlelight. Lee takes the letter back from Alexander.
Lee And how would you answer that?
Alexander I would not answer it at all.
Lee Ah, but it must be answered. Let me see.
He reflects for a moment, then begins to dictate.
‘General, I received at a late hour your note of today. In mine of yesterday, I did not intend to propose the surrender of the ANV. but to ask the terms of your proposition. To be frank, I do not think the emergency has arisen to call for the surrender of this army, but as the restoration of peace should be the sole object of all, I desired to know whether your proposals would lead to that and I cannot therefore meet you with a view to surrender – but as far as your proposal may tend to the restoration of peace, I shall be pleased to meet you at ten a.m. tomorrow on the old stage road to Richmond, between the picket-lines of the two armies.’
Alexander I thought tomorrow morning …
Lee Yes. That’s right. Tomorrow morning we break out before dawn. By the time he reads it, we should be well on the way to the Blue Ridge Mountains, where I see no reason we may not hold out for twenty years.
Midnight. Grant is curled up, asleep on the floor under a thin blanket. Rawlins appears, clutching Lee’s letter and, none too gently, shakes him awake. Not far off, someone is banging out a patriotic tune on an old piano.
Rawlins How’s your headache?
Grant groans and sits up groggily, covering his eyes, as Rawlins lights a candle.
Here’s something to make it worse.
Grant reads the letter swiftly, then groans again.
Grant It looks as if the old man means to fight.
Rawlins Goddamn old buzzard! Did not intend to propose surrender? Of course he did!
Grant Please don’t shout.
Rawlins Cunning old bastard’s trying to get better terms! He’s trying to trap you into making a peace treaty. You said nothing about that, you asked him to surrender. He asked your terms. You told him. Now he wants to arrange a peace! Never seen anything so underhanded! It’s a positive insult!
Grant Oh, Rawlins, it amounts to the same thing. He’s only trying to get let down easy. Why don’t I meet him in the morning? We can settle the whole business in an hour.
Rawlins No! He deserves no reply whatever. He don’t think the emergency has arisen! That’s cool of him, I give him that, but it’s a goddamn lie! If he hasn’t seen the emergency yet, let’s show him one and he’ll surrender. He has to surrender! By God, it’ll be surrender or nothing!
Grant You got to make some allowances, he’s in a very trying position. He has to obey his orders, but it all comes down to exactly the same. Why don’t I meet him, I’ll get him to surrender.
Rawlins No! You have no right to meet General Lee to arrange peace terms. That’s the sole prerogative of the President or the Senate. Your only business is to capture or destroy Lee’s army.
Grant I have to answer him something.
Rawlins Leave him to stew in his own juices.
Grant covers his eyes again.
Grant The smallest sound or light is blinding me.
Rawlins You want me to stop that piano?
Rawlins What is that tune?
Grant No use asking me. I only know two tunes. One’s ‘Yankee Doodle’ and the other isn’t.
Rawlins Get some sleep. I’ll shut them up.
Grant I’ll send the old man an answer in the morning. I can’t do it now, I can’t think straight.
Rawlins And you’ll give him hell?
Grant Yes, yes.
Dawn is breaking. Alexander rushes in to see Lee.
Alexander Dispatch from General Gordon. He says he’s fought his troops to a frazzle and has no chance to break through. He says he’s facing a solid wall of blue no less than two miles wide.
For the first time, Lee seems visibly shaken; he lowers his leonine head.
Lee Then there is nothing left for me to do but to go treat with General Grant. I would rather die a thousand deaths.
Alexander What will history say, General?
Lee They will say hard things of us, I know. But I will take all the responsibility.
Alexander I can answer for the artillery. They still have as much fight in them as ever.
Lee No, the trouble is lack of infantry.
He sighs profoundly.
How easily I could be rid of all this! I have only to ride along the line.
But it is our duty to live.
Alexander If it were to come to this, my idea was to scatter in the bushes.
Lee What would you gain by that?
Alexander Delay. We would take to the woods and scatter like partridges or rabbits. Two-thirds of us could get away and regroup to fight again. Guerrilla warfare. We could hold out for years.
Lee reflects for a moment: then slowly and deliberately shakes his head.
Lee Suppose I accept your suggestion: our men would have no food and be under no discipline. They would have to plunder and rob merely to procure subsistence. The country would be overrun with lawless bands. How many years might it take to recover? It won’t do. You young men can go bushwhacking if you like.
Alexander Of course you’re right, sir. Forgive me.
Lee We should write to General Grant.
Grant, on his side of the stage, is surrounded by members of his staff. The Courier arrives and hands him a dispatch. Grant flinches, clearly still suffering from his migraine, takes the document and reads. He pales and clenches his teeth; then, expressionless, he hands the letter to Rawlins. Meanwhile, Lee and Alexander have disappeared.
Grant You’d better read this one aloud, General.
Rawlins ‘General, I received your note this morning on the picket-line, whither I had come to meet you to ascertain definitely what terms were embraced in your proposal of yesterday with reference to the surrender of
this Army. I now ask for an interview in accordance with the offer contained in your letter of yesterday for that purpose. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Robert E. Lee, General.’
Stunned silence. Then one of Grant’s staff takes off his hat, waves it and calls for three cheers. Three ragged cheers; then everyone breaks down in tears, with the exception of Grant, who eventually speaks, dry as a bone.
Grant How will that do, Rawlins?
Rawlins Oh, I think that will do.
Grant Would you believe it, my migraine has entirely vanished.
He takes the letter back from Rawlins and contemplates it for a moment.
Let him choose where he wants to surrender. And we’ll get it done today.