Front parlour of the McLean house, Appomattox Court House.
Grant finishes writing, rises to his feet and hands his order book to Lee. He hovers for a moment, then resumes his seat as Lee, moving with all due deliberation, fetches out a pair of steel-rimmed spectacles, produces a spotless white handkerchief from another pocket, fastidiously cleans his spectacles, breathing on the lenses and wiping them vigorously, settles the spectacles carefully on his nose and begins to read. Everyone watches him, riveted. After a while, he looks up.
Lee I believe you may have omitted a word.
Grant I have?
Lee Yes. ‘Officers not to take up arms against the government of the United States until properly …’ Did you intend to use the word ‘exchanged’?
Grant Indeed, I thought I had.
Lee With your permission and if you will provide me with a pencil, I will insert the word.
Grant By all means.
He gestures to Colonel Parker who steps forward and hands Lee a pencil, with which he makes the necessary alteration. Then he resumes reading.
Lee Hm. ‘Arms and artillery to be turned over … This will not embrace the side arms of the officers, nor their private horses or baggage. This done, each officer and man will be allowed to return to their homes …’
He looks up, his expression brightening.
This will have a most happy effect upon my army.
Lee And I dare say upon the future history of our country.
Grant It is satisfactory, then?
Lee There is one matter I should like to raise.
Grant Yes?
Lee In my army it is not only officers who own their horses. Cavalrymen and artillerists do as well. Will they be permitted to retain their horses?
Grant Not as the terms are presently drawn up.
Lee No, I can see that’s been made clear.
He lowers his head sadly; Grant considers for a moment.
Grant I didn’t know private soldiers would own their animals. So … it’s my belief the last battle of this war has been fought; and since I take it most of the men in the ranks are small farmers who will need to put in a crop to carry themselves and their families through the winter, I will arrange it this way: I won’t change the terms as now written, but I will give instructions to my officers to let all those who claim to own a horse or mule take their animals home to work their farms.
Lee Thank you. This will have the best possible effect upon the men. It will do much towards conciliating our people.
Grant takes the order book back from Lee.
Grant Then may I have this copied?
Lee By all means.
Grant summons Parker again and hands him the order book.
Grant I’m going to ask you to make us two fair copies, Colonel. My hand is shaking.
Parker Yes, sir.
He sits at Grant’s desk and begins writing. A short silence ensues, broken by Lee.
Lee I have a thousand Federal prisoners, General. I should like to arrange their safe return as soon as possible.
Grant Certainly.
Lee I must confess, I have no rations for them. Nor for my own men, come to that.
Grant Ah. Let me arrange for rations to be sent across the lines at once. For, shall we say, twenty-five thousand men, is that enough?
Lee Oh, plenty, plenty, an abundance, I assure you. And a considerable relief.
Grant I was glad to hear you just now make reference to reconciliation. It seems to me that how we end our war today will still be felt a hundred years from now.
Lee I have no doubt you’re right, sir.