PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Officials at a small Civil War museum made an intriguing discovery while sifting through storage: A document long treated as a photo reproduction of the terms of Gen. Robert E. Lee's surrender appears, upon closer inspection, to contain actual signatures and date to 1865.
Museum officials believe they have one of the three original documents signed by representatives of the Union and Confederacy in Appomattox Court House, Va., on April 10, 1865, a day after Lee's surrender.
The National Park Service historian at Appomattox said it's more likely a souvenir copy signed by the same men at that time--still a significant discovery, he said, even if it's not an official copy. |