THE SURRENDER OF LEE TO GRANT.—The surrender of General Lee was made at the house of a farmer named McLean, in Appomattox village, that house having been selected by General Lee himself at General Grant's request for the interview. General Grant went thither, and was met by General Lee on the threshold. The two went into the parlor of the house, a small room, containing little furnishing but a table and several chairs. About twenty Union officers besides General Grant were present, among them the members of the General's staff. The only Confederate officer with General Lee was Colonel Marshall, who acted as his secretary. General Lee, as well as his aid, was in full uniform, and wore a burnished sword which was given him by the State of Virginia; General Grant was in plain uniform, without a sword. After a brief conversation, relative to the meeting of the two generals while soldiers in Mexico, General Lee adverted at once to the object of the interview by asking on what terms the surrender of his army would be received. General Grant replied that officers and men must become prisoners of war, giving up of course all munitions, weapons and supplies, but that a parole would be accepted. General Lee then requested that the terms should be put in writing, that he might sign them. General Badeau says that while General Grant was writing the conditions of surrender he chanced to look up and his eye caught the glitter of General Lee's sword, and that this sight induced him to insert the provision that the "officers should be allowed to retain their side-arms, horses and personal property." This historian thinks that General Lee fully expected to give up his sword, and that General Grant omitted this from the terms of surrender out of consideration for the feelings of a soldier. Badeau says that General Lee was evidently much touched by the clemency of his adversary in this regard. The Confederate chief now wrote his acceptance of the terms offered and signed them. lie further requested that the cavalry and artillery soldiers might be allowed to retain their horses as well as the officers, to which General Grant consented, and asked that a supply train left at Danville might be allowed to pass on, as his soldiers were without food. The reply of General Grant to this was an order that 25,000 rations should be immediately issued from the commissariat of the National army to the Army of Northern Virginia. The formal papers were now drawn up and signed, and the interview which ended one of the greatest wars of modern times was over.
COLORED POPULATION AT EACH CENSUS.—The following will show the white and colored population of the United States, from 1790 to 1880, inclusive:
| —— Colored —— | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | White. | Free. | Slaves. |
| 1790 | 3,172,006 | 59,527 | 697,681 |
| 1800 | 4,306,446 | 108,435 | 893,002 |
| 1810 | 5,862,073 | 186,446 | 1,191,362 |
| 1820 | 7,862,166 | 223,634 | 1,538,022 |
| 1830 | 10,538,378 | 319,599 | 2,009,043 |
| 1840 | 14,195,805 | 386,293 | 2,487,355 |
| 1850 | 19,553,068 | 434,495 | 3,204,313 |
| 1860 | 26,922,537 | 488,070 | 3,953,760 |
| 1870 | 33,589,377 | 4,880,009 | None. |
| 1880 | 43,402,970 | 6,580,973 | None. |
ARCTIC EXPLORATIONS.—From 1496 to 1857 there were 134 voyages and land journeys undertaken by governments and explorers of Europe and America to investigate the unknown region around the North Pole. Of these, sixty-three went to the northwest, twenty-nine via Behring Straits, and the rest to the northeast or due north. Since 1857 there have been the notable expeditions of Dr. Hayes, of Captain Hall, those of Nordenskjold, and others sent by Germany, Russia and Denmark; three voyages made by James Lament, of the Royal Geographical Society, England, at his own expense; the expeditions of Sir George Nares, of Leigh Smith, and that of the ill-fated Jeannette; the search expeditions of the Tigress, the Juniata, and those sent to rescue Lieutenant Greely; further, all the expeditions fitted out under the auspices of the Polar Commission—in which the Greely expedition was included—and a number of minor voyages, making a sum total of some sixty exploring journeys in these twenty-seven years.
THE BATTLE OF WATERLOO.—The battle of Waterloo was fought June 18, 1815, between the allied British, Netherland and German troops under Wellington and the French under Napoleon. On June 16 Napoleon had attacked the Prussians under Blucher at Ligny and forced them to retreat toward Wavre, and Marshal Noy at the same time attacked the British and Dutch forces at Quatre Bras, but was forced to retire after an engagement of five hours. Napoleon's object, however, which was to prevent a union of the Prussians with Wellington's main army, was partially gained. The latter commander, having learned the next morning of Blucher's repulse, moved on to Waterloo expecting that the Prussian commander, according to previous arrangement, would join him there as speedily as possible. On June 17 Napoleon also moved toward Waterloo with the main body of his army, having directed Marshal Grouchy with 34,000 men and ninety-six guns to pursue Blucher's command toward Wavre. Both armies bivouacked on the field of Waterloo, and the next morning Napoleon, confident that Grouchy would prevent the arrival of the Prussians, delayed attack until the ground should become dry, a heavy shower having fallen on the day previous. The forces under Wellington occupied a semi-circular ridge a mile and a half in length, and the French were on an opposite ridge, the two being separated by a valley about 500 yards wide. The plan of Napoleon was to turn the allied left, force it back upon center, and gain possession of the enemy's line of retreat. To draw off Wellington's attention to his right, French troops were sent about 11 o'clock to attack the chateau of Houguemont, which the English had fortified. After a more than two hours this was still in the possession of its defenders. About 1 o'clock a Prussian corps under Bulow was seen approaching on the French right, and Napoleon, finding it necessary to send 10,000 men to check their advance, was obliged to change the plan of battle. He therefore ordered a fierce attack upon the allied center. Wellington massed his troops there, and the battle was obstinately maintained for five hours, with varying success to the participants, both commanders hourly expecting re-enforcements. Wellington was waiting for Blucher and Napoleon for Grouchy. The French at last were gaining ground; the allied troops in the center were wavering under Ney's impetuous onslaughts, General Durutte had forced back the left, and Bulow's troops on the right had been forced to yield the position they had taken. Now, however, there were rumors that Blucher's army was approaching and the allies again rallied. At 7 o'clock Napoleon, despairing of the approach of Grouchy, determined to decide the day by a charge of the Old Guard, which had been held in reserve. At this stage the advance of Prussian horse on the allied left forced back General Durutte's troops, and the Old Guard formed in squares to cover this retreat. Ney's division surrounded, made a gallant struggle—their brave leader still unwounded, though five horses had been shot under him, heading them on foot, sword in hand—but were forced to give way. The Old Guard held their ground against overwhelming numbers. Finally, when five squares were broken, the Emperor gave the order to "fall back." The cry "The Guard is repulsed" spread consternation through the French army and threatened to turn retreat into precipitate flight. Napoleon, seeing this, reformed the Guard in order to give a rallying point for the fugitives. Failing in this, he declared that he would die within the square, but Marshal Soult hurried him away. The heroic band, surrounded, was bidden to surrender. "The Old Guard dies, but never surrenders" is the reply popularly attributed to General Cambronne, and with the cry of "Vive l'Empereur!" the remnant of the Guard made a last charge upon the enemy and perished almost to a man. The forces of Blucher being now upon the field, the rout of the French was complete, and the Prussians pursued the fleeing troops, capturing guns and men. There is no doubt that the failure of Grouchy to come upon the field caused Napoleon to lose his last great battle. It was subsequently asserted that this marshal was bribed, but there seems to be no real foundation for so base a charge. The trouble was that he had been ordered by Napoleon to follow the Prussians toward Wavre and thought it necessary to follow the strict letter of his instructions. Before he reached the village the main body of the Prussian force was on its way to Waterloo, but one division had been left there to occupy his attention. Engaged in skirmishing with this, he paid no attention to the advice of his subordinate generals who, hearing the terrible cannonading at Waterloo, besought him to go to the aid of the army there. Napoleon believing that he was either holding back Blucher's forces or was hotly pursuing them, did not recall him to the main army, and the decisive battle was lost. Grouchy was summoned before a council of war, but the court declared itself incompetent to decide his case, and nothing further came of it.
OUR NATIONAL CEMETERIES.—National Cemeteries for soldiers and sailors may be said to have originated in 1850, the army appropriation bill of that year appropriating money for a cemetery near the City of Mexico, for the interment of the remains of soldiers who fell in the Mexican War. The remains of Federal soldiers and sailors who fell in the war for the Union have been buried in seventy-eight cemeteries exclusive of those interred elsewhere, a far greater number.
In the subjoined list are given the names and locations of the National Cemeteries with the number therein buried, known and unknown. We have no means of knowing what cemeteries also contain the bodies of Southern soldiers:
| Known | Unknown | |
|---|---|---|
| Cypress Hill, N. Y. | 3,675 | 70 |
| Woodlawn, Elmira, N. Y. | 3,096 | —— |
| Beverly, N. J. | 142 | 7 |
| Finn's Point, N.J. | —— | 2,644 |
| Gettysburg, Pa. | 1,967 | 1,608 |
| Philadelphia, Pa. | 1,880 | 28 |
| Annapolis, Md. | 2,289 | 197 |
| Antietam, Md. | 2,853 | 1,811 |
| London Park, Baltimore, Md. | 1,627 | 168 |
| Laurel, Baltimore, Md. | 232 | 6 |
| Soldiers' Home, D. C. | 5,313 | 288 |
| Battle, D. C. | 13 | —— |
| Grafton, W. Va. | 634 | 620 |
| Arlington, Va. | 11,911 | 4,349 |
| Alexandria, Va. | 3,434 | 124 |
| Ball's Bluff, Va. | 1 | 24 |
| Cold Harbor, Va. | 672 | 1,281 |
| City Point, Va. | 3,779 | 1,374 |
| Culpepper, Va. | 454 | 910 |
| Danville, Va. | 1,171 | 155 |
| Fredericksburg, Va. | 2,487 | 12,770 |
| Fort Harrison, Va. | 239 | 575 |
| Glendale, Va. | 233 | 961 |
| Hampton, Va. | 4,808 | 494 |
| Poplar Grove, Va. | 2,197 | 3,993 |
| Richmond, Va. | 841 | 5,700 |
| Seven Pines, Va. | 150 | 1,208 |
| Staunton, Va. | 233 | 520 |
| Winchester, Va. | 2,094 | 2,301 |
| Yorktown, Va. | 748 | 1,434 |
| Newbern, N. C. | 2,174 | 1,077 |
| Raleigh, N. C. | 625 | 553 |
| Salisbury, N. C. | 94 | 12,032 |
| Wilmington, N. C. | 710 | 1,398 |
| Beaufort, S. C. | 4,748 | 4,493 |
| Florence, S. C. | 199 | 2,799 |
| Andersonville, Ga. | 12,878 | 959 |
| Marietta, Ga. | 7,182 | 2,963 |
| Barrancas, Fla. | 791 | 657 |
| Mobile, Ala. | 751 | 112 |
| Corinth, Miss. | 1,788 | 3,920 |
| Natchez, Miss. | 308 | 2,780 |
| Vicksburg, Miss. | 3,896 | 12,704 |
| Alexandria, La. | 534 | 772 |
| Baton Rouge, La. | 2,468 | 495 |
| Chalmette, La. | 6,833 | 5,075 |
| Port Hudson, La. | 590 | 3,218 |
| Brownsville, Texas | 1,409 | 1,379 |
| San Antonio, Texas | 307 | 167 |
| Fayetteville, Ark. | 431 | 781 |
| Fort Smith, Ark. | 706 | 1,152 |
| Little Rock, Ark. | 3,260 | 2,337 |
| Chattanooga, Tenn. | 7,993 | 4,903 |
| Fort Donelson, Tenn. | 158 | 511 |
| Knoxville, Tenn. | 2,089 | 1,040 |
| Memphis, Tenn. | 5,150 | 8,817 |
| Nashville, Tenn. | 11,824 | 4,692 |
| Pittsburg Landing, Tenn. | 1,229 | 2,361 |
| Stone River, Tenn. | 3,820 | 2,314 |
| Camp Nelson, Ky. | 2,477 | 1,165 |
| Cave Hill, Louisville, Ky. | 3,342 | 583 |
| Danville, Ky. | 346 | 12 |
| Lebanon, Ky. | 591 | 277 |
| Lexington, Ky. | 824 | 105 |
| Logan's, Ky. | 345 | 366 |
| Crown Hill, Indianapolis, Ind. | 686 | 36 |
| New Albany, Ind. | 2,138 | 676 |
| Camp Butler, Ill. | 1,007 | 355 |
| Mound City, Ill. | 2,505 | 2,721 |
| Rock Island, Ill. | 280 | 9 |
| Jefferson Barracks, Mo. | 8,569 | 2,906 |
| Jefferson City, Mo. | 348 | 412 |
| Springfield, Mo. | 845 | 713 |
| Fort Leavenworth, Kas. | 821 | 913 |
| Fort Scott, Kas. | 388 | 161 |
| Keokuk, Iowa | 610 | 21 |
| Fort Gibson, I. T. | 212 | 2,212 |
| Fort McPherson, Neb. | 149 | 291 |
| City of Mexico, Mexico | 254 | 750 |
THE CATACOMBS OF PARIS.—The so-called catacombs of Paris were never catacombs in the ancient sense of the word, and were not devoted to purposes of sepulture until 1784. In that year the Council of State issued a decree for clearing the Cemetery of the Innocents, and for removing its contents, as well as those of other graveyards, into the quarries which had existed from the earlier times under the city of Paris and completely undermined the southern part of the city. Engineers and workmen were sent to examine the quarries and to prop up their roofs lest the weight of buildings above should break them in. April 7, 1786, the consecration of the catacombs was performed with great solemnity, and the work of removal from the cemeteries was immediately begun. This work was all performed by night; the bones were brought in funeral cars, covered with a pall, and followed by priests chanting the service of the dead, and when they reached the catacombs the bones were shot down the shaft. As the cemeteries were cleared by order of the government, their contents were removed to this place of general deposit, and these catacombs further served as convenient receptacles for those who perished in the revolution. At first the bones were heaped up without any kind of order except that those from each cemetery were kept separate, but in 1810 a regular system of arranging them was commenced, and the skulls and bones were built up along the wall. From the main entrance to the catacombs, which is near the barriers d'Enfer, a flight of ninety steps descends, at whose foot galleries are seen branching in various directions. Some yards distant is a vestibule of octagonal form, which opens into a long gallery lined with bones from floor to roof. The arm, leg and thigh bones are in front, closely and regularly piled, and their uniformity is relieved by three rows of skulls at equal distances. Behind these are thrown the smaller bones. This gallery conducts to several rooms resembling chapels, lined with bones variously arranged. One is called the "Tomb of the Revolution." another the "Tomb of Victims," the latter containing the relics of those who perished in the early period of the revolution and in the "Massacre of September." It is estimated that the remains of 3,000,000 human beings lie in this receptacle. Admission to these catacombs has for years been strictly forbidden on account of the unsafe condition of the roof. They are said to comprise an extent of about 3,250,000 square yards.