Appomattox

Saturday, October 26, and this morning we are at leisure...do not have to be on the coach until 8:45! We drive to Appomattox Court House, Virginia...that is the name of the town where Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant on Palm Sinday, April 9, 1865.

Where did they sign the surrender? In the McLean home, pictured above. McLean lived at Manassas and the war started by his home there. He moved south, not only to be away from the battles, but he moved near a railroad as he was going to become a sugar speculator. This was a thriving town at the beginnng of the war, but by 1865, it had seen too many hard times.

The table in the left photo is similar to the one where the generals signed the surrender. The original was given to General Custer's wife and is now in the Smithsonian. Right photo shows the other side of the room.

The kitchen is in a separate building.

Slaves' quarters

Kitchen on the left; slaves' quarters on the right.

This is the road that Lee came down. McLean was out in front and invited him in.

A Confederate soldier visits with us.

The courthouse

A nearby cemetery where one Union soldier is buried.

He and a couple of the Confederate soldiers are unknown. The rest have names on the stones.

Lunch at a Bed and Breakfast, Historic Babcock House

We eat with Doug Spotswood, descendant of Governor Spotswood of Williamsburg, and Sandra. Doug is also a fraternity brother of our good friend, Pete Palermo, both alums of Occidental College.

We drive to Richmond and check into The Jefferson Hotel, a magnificent hotel. In the evening we dine in the hotel restaurant, Lemaire, with Dave and Joan Stephenson and Bill and Joni McDonald. The food and service are outstanding, but we mostly enjoy good camaraderie, visiting and sharing experiences. After dinner, Bob hurries to the room to watch Missouri play South Carolina. Going into the 4th quarter the score is 17 to 0, but South Carolina wins, much to Bob's dismay!

 

Statue of Thomas Jefferson, Governor of Virginia...

of course he later became third president of The United States

Bob pets the alligator by the stairs...there used to be a fountain and people brought small alligators from Florida and left them in the fountain. The fountain is no longer here and the alligators are not real...but the fascination of the alligators continues.

Bob and Liz ready to go to dinner in Lemaire

An alligator rests on the mantel of this sumptuous dining room near our table.

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