General Lee had been waiting for Gen. Grant. The room was at the left of the doorway of the house, which was reached by a high stoop, with benches on each side of the doorway. When Grant arrived and met Lee Grant introduced his officers to Lee and Lee's aide.
Gen Grant took a seat at the table in the center of the room; Gen Lee sat near the front window. Grant took out a manifold book, placed in 3 carbons and begun to write. Most people think the surrender was written on one piece of paper and signed by Lee; it consisted of two letters, one written by Grant and the other-accepting the terms- was written by Lee. After Grant had written the terms, he stepped over and handed them to Lee, who put on his spectacles and after reading the terms, handed them back to Grant, saying they were satisfactory.
After Lee had handed his acceptance to Grant, he said "General Grant, I would like to ask a favor-if our positions were reversed- I would do it for you. My men are starving, will you give them rations?" "How many are there?" asked Grant "Twenty thousand" replied Lee. Grant commanded his aide to prepare an order for 30,000.
-General Ely Samuel Parker, USA
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