Baseball Quiz: Name the top ten on the all-time RBI list. [Hint:
One played in the 1800s.] Answer below.
April 9, 1865
My how time flies. Just 140 years ago the Civil War ended at
Appomattox Court House. By February of 1865 the
Confederacy was in freefall. President Jefferson Davis, in one of
his last ditch efforts, sent an emissary to Europe to offer abolition
in exchange for recognition and on March 25 the Richmond
Congress authorized arming the slaves. Union General William
Tecumseh Sherman was wreaking havoc on the South and now
marching northward. “Columbia! – pretty much all burned; and
burned good.”
For nine months, Generals Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant
slugged it out at Petersburg, VA, but by the middle of March
1865 Grant outnumbered Lee 115,000 to 54,000. If Lee didn’t
move out of his trenches he would be totally enveloped but if
Petersburg was abandoned, Richmond would fall. Lee tried to
break out but Union General Philip Sheridan beat him back at the
Battle of Five Forks (April 1); and on the next day Grant
penetrated the center of the Confederate defenses. Lee’s only
hope was to retreat and hook up with General Joseph Johnston
who was hanging on in North Carolina.
On the night of April 2-3, Lee’s army slipped out of Petersburg
and the next evening the Union entered Richmond. Lee had
failed to get his supplies from Richmond as originally planned
and his 30,000 or so men had to live off the land.
On April 6, General George Armstrong Custer led an attack on
the Confederate wagon train at Sayler’s Creek and realized he
had cut the Confederate army in half. Sheridan followed up and
8,000 of Lee’s forces were killed, wounded or captured.
On April 8, Custer and Sheridan came upon the main body of the
Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox Court House.
On the morning of April 9, Confederate General John B. Gordon
led his men into battle and the rebel yell was heard one last time.
But soon Gordon realized Union reinforcements were coming up
fast and all was lost.
General Robert E. Lee met with his senior lieutenant James
Longstreet and asked his advice. Longstreet responded, would
the sacrifice of the Army of Northern Virginia help the cause
elsewhere? “I think not,” Lee answered. “Then your situation
speaks for itself,” said Longstreet.
Two days earlier, April 7, General Grant had opened
communication with Lee.
General R.E. Lee,
Commanding C.S.A.
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 Confederate States army known as the Army of
Northern Virginia.
U.S. Grant,
Lieut.-General
Lee replied on the evening of April 7.
General: – I have received your note of this day. Though not
entertaining the opinion you express on 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 its surrender.
R.E. Lee,
General
Grant wrote back on April 8.
General R. E. Lee,
Commanding C.S.A.
Your note of last evening in reply to mine of same date, asking
the condition on which I will accept the surrender of the Army of
Northern Virginia is just received. In reply I would say that,
peace being my great desire, there is but one condition I would
insist upon, namely: that the men and officers surrendered shall
be disqualified for taking up arms again against the Government
of the United States until properly exchanged. I will meet you,
or will designate officers to meet any officers you may name for
the same purpose, at any point agreeable to you, for the purpose
of arranging definitively the terms upon which the surrender of
the Army of Northern Virginia will be received.
U.S. Grant,
Lieut.-General
Many of Lee’s forces were from the surrounding area of
Appomattox and were now going to their homes. From the
“Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant”:
“On the 8th I had followed the Army of the Potomac in rear of
Lee. I was suffering very severely with a sick headache, and
stopped at a farmhouse on the road some distance in rear of the
main body of the army. I spent the night in bathing my feet in
hot water and mustard, and putting mustard plasters on my wrists
and the back part of my neck, hoping to be cured by morning.”
Grant replied to Lee’s entreaty of late April 8.
General R.E. Lee,
Commanding C.S.A.
Your note of yesterday is received. As I have no authority to
treat on the subject of peace, the meeting proposed for ten A.M.
today could lead to no good. I will state, however, General, that
I am equally anxious for peace with yourself, and the whole
North entertains the same feeling. The terms upon which peace
can be had are well understood. By the South laying down their
arms they will hasten that most desirable event, save thousands
of human lives, and hundreds of millions of property not yet
destroyed. Sincerely hoping that all our difficulties may be
settled without the loss of another life, I subscribe myself, etc.,
U.S. Grant,
Lieutenant-General
The battle was still raging and communication with Grant among
the other Union generals was difficult owing to the circuitous
route Grant had to take to meet Lee at Appomattox Court House
without passing directly through Lee’s lines. Lee sent a note to
Grant indicating he would surrender. Grant writes in his
memoirs:
“When the officer reached me I was still suffering with the sick
headache; but the instant I saw the contents of the note I was
cured.”
Grant finally met Lee at the house of Wilmer McLean at
Appomattox Court House. Grant writes:
“When I went into the house I found General Lee. We greeted
each other, and after shaking hands took our seats. I had my staff
with me, a good portion of whom were in the room during the
whole of the interview.
“What General Lee’s feelings were I do not know. As he was a
man of much dignity, with an impassable face, it was impossible
to say whether he felt inwardly glad that the end had finally
come, or felt sad over the result, and was too manly to show it.
Whatever his feelings, they were entirely concealed from my
observation; but my own feelings, which had been quite jubilant
on the receipt of his letter, were sad and depressed. I felt like
anything rather than rejoicing at the downfall of a foe who had
fought so long and valiantly, and had suffered so much for a
cause, though that cause was, I believe, one of the worst for
which a people ever fought, and one for which there was the least
excuse. I do not question, however, the sincerity of the great
mass of those who were opposed to us.”
The two superb leaders worked out the terms of surrender, with the
Confederates allowed to keep their side arms and private horses,
which Lee knew would please his men greatly. As duplicates of
the letters were being made, Lee remarked his men were in
desperate need of rations and Grant ordered that the Confederates
be supplied with ample food.
Grant cabled Washington at 4:30 P.M. on April 9, notifying them
of Lee’s surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia. Grant:
“When news of the surrender first reached our lines our men
commenced firing a salute of a hundred guns in honor of the
victory. I at once sent word, however, to have it stopped. [‘The
war is over; the rebels are our countrymen again.’] The
Confederates were now our prisoners, and we did not want to
exult over their downfall.”
General Joshua Chamberlain, who received the surrender on
behalf of Grant, recalled the moving scene:
“Before us in proud humiliation stood the embodiment of
manhood: men whom neither toils and sufferings, nor the fact of
death, nor disaster, nor hopelessness could bend from their
resolve; standing before us now, thin, worn, and famished, but
erect, and with eyes looking level into ours, waking memories
that bound us together as no other bond; – was not such manhood
to be welcomed back into a Union so tested and assured?
“When the head of each division column comes opposite our
group, our bugle sounds the signal and instantly our whole line
from right to left regime, regiment by regiment in succession,
gives the soldier’s salutation, from the ‘order arms’ to the old
‘carry’ – the marching salute. Gordon at the head of the column,
riding with heavy spirit and downcast face, catches the sound of
shifting arms, looks up, and taking the meaning, wheels superbly,
making with himself and his horse one uplifted figure, with
profound salutation as he drops the point of his sword to the boot
toe; then facing to his own command, gives word for his
successive brigades to pass us with the same position of the
manual – honor answering honor. On our part not a sound of
trumpet more, nor roll of drum; not a cheer, nor word nor
whisper of vain-glorying, nor motion of man standing again at
the order, but an awed stillness rather, and breath-holding, as if it
were the passing of the dead! …How could we help falling on
our knees, all of us together, and praying God to pity and forgive
us all!”
It was Palm Sunday. On Good Friday, April 14, 1865, President
Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, dying the next day.
[Sources: “A Great Civil War” Russell F. Weigley; “The Growth
of the American Republic” Samuel Eliot Morison, Henry Steele
Commager and William E. Leuchtenburg; “Personal Memoirs of
U.S. Grant”]
Stuff
–Congratulations to North Carolina and Baylor for winning the
men’s and women’s NCAA basketball championships.
Regarding Illinois – UNC, you were looking at 7 or 8 NBA
ballplayers on the court…pretty impressive. And as an ACC
man, as much as I hate the Tar Heels I always pull for the
conference. But can you believe Illinois took 40 threes? [Hitting
only 12.]
Mark R. had the good point that he had to pull for Carolina in the
end because it represents a red state, while Illinois is a blue one.
–But looking ahead to next season, ESPN’s Andy Katz has his
early line.
1. UConn
2. Duke
3. North Carolina…no way; May, McCants, Felton and Marvin
Williams are all going early.
4. Villanova
5. Texas
6. Gonzaga
7. Oklahoma
8. Wake Forest…everyone seems to be saying Chris Paul is
going…my main source says no. I say I’ll never forgive him if
he does enter the draft because he didn’t do anything!!!!! For
crying out loud, Chris, if you got us to the Final Four I would
have been “Hey, thanks for the ride. Good luck at the next
level.” But nooooooooo.
9. Boston College
10. Michigan State
–Baseball fans really are idiots. Barry Bonds was given a huge
ovation when introduced in San Francisco and Yankee fans
cheered more for Jason Giambi than Derek Jeter when his name
was called for the first time since his admission in grand jury
testimony that he has used steroids.
–Masters
And your EXCLUSIVE Bar Chat selection…Adam Scott.
Great to see Jack Nicklaus giving it a go following the tragic
drowning death of his 17-month-old grandson. It would be quite
a story if he could somehow make the cut.
Amateur Ryan Moore is one to watch. No amateur has finished
in the top ten since Charles Coe (T-2) and Jack Nicklaus (T-7)
both accomplished the feat in 1961.
Golf Digest asked Tim Seaman, a four-time U.S. racewalk
champion, to cover Augusta’s 7,290-yard distance as fast as he
could. But club officials wouldn’t allow him on the course so
Seaman walked a similarly hilly layout and completed the 4.14
miles in 28 minutes, 56 seconds. [This doesn’t include walks
between tees.]
At a press conference on Tuesday, Phil Mickelson was asked
about his gambling habit and he stuck by his claim he hasn’t bet
on anything since 2003 and the birth of his son. That’s not what
I hear.
–I didn’t realize at the recently completed Players Championship
that Bob Tway’s 12 on the par-3 island green 17th was the
highest score ever on the hole, besting Robert Gamez’s 11. In
case you missed it, Tway hit 3 wedges into the water from the
drop area just 90 yards away after plopping his tee shot into the
water. So he finally reached the green with his 9th and then
three-putted.
–Wow…be careful. There is a mountain lion on the loose at the
Pacific Grove (CA) Municipal Golf Course. Seems the elusive
one has been feasting on the deer that populate the course. This
is one place you don’t want to go into the woods looking for a
lost ball, know what I’m sayin’?
–Here’s a plug for the University of Pittsburgh’s Medical
Center. Golfer Greg Norman, who could have picked anywhere
in the world to have his back surgery, chose this hospital for the
procedure.
–Reebok CEO Paul Fireman and golf course designer Bob Cupp
have teamed up to build what just may be the world’s most
expensive golf course, the $130 million Liberty National that is
taking shape on an old toxic-waste dump site in Jersey City, NJ
across from Lower Manhattan and Wall Street. Going after the
Street’s heavy hitters, the course will have a ferry take members
from Manhattan to the course, a mere 12-minute ride. The first
12 members are going to serve as the board of directors.
There is a one-time $1 million initiation fee for the board, while
for corporations it is $750,000 plus annual dues and $500,000
plus dues for individuals. I’m going to have to pass. [Bloomberg
News]
–Baseball Update:
Through Tuesday’s contests, the Yankees’ Hideki Matsui had 2
homers and 5 RBI. I stick with my projection of 101 HR and
345 RBI for the season.
Detroit’s Dmitri Young clubbed 3 homers on Opening Day along
with driving in five. I would suspect he’ll finish the season with
a record 137 HR and 402 RBI.
Seattle’s Ichiro had four hits in his first two games and should set
another single season hit mark with 320. I also look for the
Mariners’ Richie Sexson to hit 116 HR and drive in 304
following his 2-game totals of 2 HR and 6 RBI.
The Cubs Derek Lee could have quite a year after his 4 for 6, 5
RBI performance. Look for Lee to hit .478 with 80 HR and 398
RBI.
Finally, you probably saw that Atlanta’s John Smoltz is back in
the starting rotation after dominating out of the pen the last few
seasons. But Smoltz gave up 6 earned runs in 1 2/3 innings in
his debut and I can now project he’ll finish the year 2-29 with a
24.58 ERA, thus killing his chances for the Hall of Fame.
As for my Mets and their brutal Opening Day defeat all I have to
say is….wait ‘til next year!!!!!!
And this just in….Pittsburgh will win 14 games all year. 14-147
(with one rainout not made up).
–38 minor leaguers were suspended for violating baseball’s
steroids policy. 8 are from the Seattle Mariners’ organization.
Frankly, I didn’t realize Starbucks was now into distributing
‘roids with its coffee and scones.
–75 years ago, Jimmy Dewar, 33, came up with the “best darn-
tootin’ idea” of his life, in his own words: the Twinkie. Dewar
thought to use the banana filling instead of exterior icing to make
the cake easy to carry. [Today’s vanilla filling is a result of
World War II and a banana shortage.] 500 million are packed in
America’s lunch boxes each year.
–Former NBA star Shawn Kemp, star of the show “Who’s Your
Daddy?” was arrested in Seattle on suspicion of marijuana and
cocaine possession.
–Dave H. first alerted me to the story of the poor Chinese
delivery man who was found alive after being trapped in a Bronx
elevator for about 80 hours. Ming Kuang Chen, 32, had just
made a delivery in a high-rise apartment complex when his
elevator got stuck between the 3rd and 4th floors. No one heard
his screams, including through the security alarm system.
Chen delivered the food at 8:30 pm on Friday and he was almost
immediately reported missing by his employer, the Happy
Dragon restaurant. So cops descended on the tower and searched
almost all 870 apartments, peered into elevator shafts and looked
at video of the elevators and yet still somehow missed him….
because they stupidly didn’t think to look into the stuck elevator
itself. Chen was trying to sit in front of the camera but to no
avail. Finally, on Tuesday morning security workers heard the
elevator alarm and summoned firefighters. Chen was in
surprisingly good shape after his ordeal. No word on if he ate
Chinese or Burger King’s new double omelet monstrosity as his
first meal, it being morning and all. [New York Daily News]
–The following is for my British readers. Just want you to know
I’m following the Premier League standings. Talk about a top
three…check this out.
1. Chelsea…25 W 1 L 5 T
2. Arsenal…20-4-7
3. Manchester Utd. …19-2-10
And in Scotland, once again it’s the Rangers and Celtic.
Rangers…24-1-6
Celtic…25-4-2
[No better rivalry in all of sport, period, than between these two.]
–College baseball
1. Cal State Fullerton
2. Tulane
3. Georgia Tech
4. Nebraska….just had to give reader Ken S. his due
5. Texas
–Uh oh…. “Dogs blamed for killing farm animals.” From the
pages of my High Plains Journal it seems that “roaming dogs
have killed a 1,600-pound Angus bull, three cows and two goats
within the past two months in western Owen County (Indiana).”
Owen County Sheriff Harley Melton found four dogs at one
residence that he suspected might be involved.
“They were laying in the yard, not doing nothing,” Melton said.
“At that time, we didn’t see anything wrong. We have to see
these things happening. I can’t be a vigilante out there shooting
every dog I see.”
Of course you realize that right after Sheriff Melton left the
scene the dogs broke out the poker chips and beer.
But as for the bigger picture, stories like this may preclude dogs
from being in the running for “Animal of the Year” honors in
2005. True, it’s early but let’s face it; the elephants who aided
the cleanup effort following the tsunami have a lock on the
award.
Top 3 songs for the week of 4/8/72: #1 “A Horse With No
Name” (America) #2 “Heart Of Gold” (Neil Young) #3 “The
First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” (Roberta Flack…Clint’s ‘Play
Misty for Me’)
Baseball Quiz Answer: Top Ten all-time RBI –
1. Hank Aaron….2,297
2. Babe Ruth…….2,213
3. Lou Gehrig……1,995
4. Stan Musial…..1,951
5. Ty Cobb………1,939
6. Jimmie Foxx….1,921
7. Eddie Murray…1,917
8. Willie Mays…..1,903
9. Cap Anson……1,880
10. Mel Ott………1,860
11. Carl Yastrzemski…1,844 [Remember Big Yaz Bread?]
12. Barry Bonds………1,843 [Booooo!! Booooooooooo!!!!!]
17. Rafael Palmiero……1,775 [Booo! ….if you believe Canseco]
Next Bar Chat, Tuesday.
