low without doubt, Gen. Sheridan sent Col. Newhall with a dispatch to Grant, advising him that the surrender was awaiting his arrival. The articles of surrender were executed in the McLean house in the little village of Appomattox Court House, where it had been arranged by Sheridan, Gordon and other officers, that Gen. Grant and Gen. Lee should meet at 1:30 p. m. Col. Charles Marshall was the only Confederate officer with his chief, while Maj.-Gens. P. H. Sheridan, E. O. C. Ord, Rufus Ingalls, Seth Williams, John G. Barnard; Brig.-Gen. John A. Rawlins, chief of staff; Cols. Horace Porter, Theodore S. Bowers, Frederick T. Dent, O. E. Babcock, Ely S. Parker and Adam Badeau were with Gen. Grant. At 4 p. m. the terms of surrender were concluded, and Gen. Grant started for Washington City without having entered the enemy's lines. Having endeavored to bring the war to a close with as little humiliation as was possible, the terms proposed by Gen. Grant had created a rather pleasant sentiment among the Confederates. Lee's officers tried to arrange the formal surrender so that their men should stack their arms in their own camps, which would necessitate the victors going for them. Such a plan was not consistent with the dignity of the occasion, and it was then agreed that the Confederates should march out and lay down their arms and colors in the presence of a portion of Gen. Grant's army. This agreeable duty was sought after by so many of the officers and men, that it was necessary to decide by lot upon whom should fall this honor. Gen. Griffin's 5th Corps of Infantry (Capt. Powell Stackhouse) and Gen. Mackenzie's division of cavalry (Capt. Hads) were thus chosen, and Gen. Chamberlain (Capt. Stackhouse) was designated to preside over these proceedings. arms. The Confederates formed in line with their battle flags unfurled, approached with a slow step, and halted at "present In the intense quietness which prevailed, they faced the 5th Corps and Mackenzie's cavalry (Capts. Stackhouse and Hads), who stood at "shoulder arms." After dressing line and fixing bayonets, the Confederates advanced, stacked their arms, hung their cartridge boxes on the bayonets, and then sadly furled their flags and laid them down, some of them kneeling and kissing their colors in tears. It was then that the hearts of the victors went out to their late antagonists in deep sympathy. EMORY FISHER POST, NO. 30, G. A. R. The veterans of the Civil war organized this post July 19, 1877. The charter members were: George W. Arnold, Jacob M. Campbell, Virgil C. Elder, A. G. Fockler, J. M. Fockler, George W. Gageby, Irwin Horrell, William A. Kramer, Henry H. Kuhn, John H. Lenhart, Robert Litzinger, George F. Randolph, Frank H. Singer and George T. Swank. The Post purchased the ground and building which is now occupied by the Citizen's National Bank, and occupied it for several years, when it was sold and a new building was erected on the southwest corner of Locust and Park Place, opposite to the City Park. Here are also the headquarters of the Speer Orr Camp of the Sons of Veterans. CHAPTER III. THE COMMON SCHOOLS. Prior to the act of 1834 an education in the county of Cambria was to be gained only by attending private schools, which belonged to the masters who taught them, church schools, or under a tutor. The first school in the county is said to be one opened in 1800 by Rev. D. A. Gallitzin, in connection with his church at Loretto. The teacher was a Mr. O'Connor, who was succeeded by James Leavy in 1806. The second one is claimed to have been opened at Beulah in 1802 by the Rev. Henry George, a Baptist minister, and the third in Johnstown in 1805, as elsewhere noted. Tradition records that James Maloy taught the first school in Ebensburg in 1810. John Thomas, born in Ireland in 1794, opened a subscription school in the village of Munster in 1825. He received $1.50 per quarter for each pupil, and boarded among the patrons, some of his scholars coming six miles to attend the school. The first academy in the county, established in Ebensburg by the Act of March 27, 1819, was under the direction of fourteen trustees. This board of control consisted of Protestant and Roman Catholic ministers and laymen, who were: Demetrius Augustine Gallitzin, George Roberts, Abraham Hildebrand, James C. Maguire, John Murray, Moses Canan, James Maloy, Charles B. Seally, John Agnew, William O'Keefe, Cornelius McDonald, Richard McGuire and Samuel McAnulty. The charter provided that the state should pay $1,000 per annum for its maintenance, in consideration whereof five poor children were to be taught free of charge for a period of two years, so long as it would continue. The first effort which might be classed as one toward free common schools was the Act of 1809; however, its basic principle was so objectionable that it was known as the "Pauper School Act." Under the authority of this act the children of poor parents might be sent to any school, the tuition for which the county commissioners were authorized to pay out of the public treasury, if the parent made affidavit that he was too poor to pay the same. It was not, of course, a success, and very little money was ever paid by the county, but some was accepted, as appears by this bill: Cambria County to Archibald Christy. Dr. To Bridget, 49 days... $1.44 1.47 The first substantial act authorizing the common school system was that of April 1, 1834, when the state appropriated $75,000 to assist the townships and boroughs in adopting it. It authorized the election of six directors at a special election to be held in September of that year; that one director from each district should meet with the county commissioners in November, and a majority thereof should determine whether a school tax should be levied. The first meeting of the directors and the county commissioners took place November 4, 1834. The latter were David Somerville, David Davis and Michael Leavy. The directors who met them were Daniel Brown for Cambria township, Henry J. McGuire for Allegheny, Robert P. Linton for Conemaugh, John McGough for Summerhill, Thomas Lilly for Clearfield, John McConnell for Susquehanna, and Jacob Rager for Jackson township. Richland township was not represented. All the members of the convention, excepting Mr. Rager, voted for an assessment of six mills to be levied and collected by the county for school purposes. On May 4, 1835, another meeting was held at the commissioners' office to determine what should be done for that year. David Davis and Michael Leavy represented the county. The directors were: Dr. J. Duane Stark, of Allegheny; William Wherry, of Cambria; Christian Good, of Conemaugh; Thomas Lilly, of Clearfield; Michael Kennedv. of Susquehanna; Philip Heading, of Richland; and Daniel Brown, of Washington. There was no director from either Summerhill or Jackson present on this occasion. The convention voted five for and two against levying a tax for that year. In accordance with the Act of Assembly, the convention fixed Saturday, May 23, for the people of the several districts to vote on the question whether any of the respective districts desired to increase the levy. The vote was to be taken at the several polling places, excepting that for Washington township, which was to be held at Brown's Mill. On May 2, 1836, the convention again met Michael Leavy and David Todd. On this occasion the directors were: Richard Scanlan, of Allegheny township; Moses Canan, Esq., of Cambria; Samuel Kennedy, Esq., of Conemaugh, which included Johnstown; Ephraim Crum, of Summerhill; Thomas Lilly, of Clearfield; John McConnell, of Susquehanna; John Murray, Esq., of Jackson; William Slick, of Richland, and John McGough, of Washington. Mr. Murray was chosen chairman, and Mr. Canan secretary. There was a unanimous vote for levying the taxes for this year, and the common schools for Cambria were fairly launched. No serious opposition has ever been made to the system. The records do not disclose the names of all the directors for 1834, but four of those from Conemaugh township were Robert P. Linton, Adam Cover, George Bheam and Edwin A. Vickroy. In the following spring Paul Benshoff and Peter Levergood were elected. At the latter election David Todd and William Wherry were chosen without opposition for Cambria township; Jacob Griffin and Philip Heading for Richland; Ephraim Crum and John Pringle for Summerhill township, and William Douglass and William Gifford for Susquehanna. Munster township seems to have elected six that spring, who were John Lucket, John McGough, Joseph Lilly, John Noel, Charles Kennedy and James Fenlon. On the 20th of April Washington township selected their directors at a public meeting duly organized, with James Fenlon, inspector; Robert Burgoon and Charles McManamy as judges, and Bernard McClosky, secretary. The vote was unanimous for Daniel Brown, William Brown, Samuel D. Lilly, William Hudson, John Fisher and Michael McCue. In 1836 William Todd and Richard Scanlon represented Allegheny township, and Charles Wilson and Samuel Good, Jackson. In the General Assembly for 1835 a concerted attempt was made to repeal the school law thus adopted; the repealing act passed the Senate and seemed to have the right of way in the House without much opposition until Thaddeus Stevens suddenly appeared and defeated its repeal in the greatest parliamentary fight ever made in our state. At this time there were but nine schools in the county. The first teacher in the public schools of Ebensburg was Randall Morton, born in Whately, Mass., in August, 1817. He now resides in Pittsburgh, where he and Mrs. Morton will celebrate their sixty-seventh wedding anniversary in August, 1907. In his ninetieth year, he enjoys excellent health and the com |