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The most profound example of this was at Appomattox when General Robert E. Lee surrendered to President Abraham Lincoln. Out of his deep respect for this brilliant commander, Lincoln refused to take his sword in the traditional gesture of surrender, and ordered that Confederate officers were to be allowed to keep thier sidearms in expanding that respect. It was one of the most deeply moving occurrences to me of this war as this tragic episode of American history ended
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Umm, no Jim. Grant included/added a sentence to the paperwork regarding the allowance to let officers retain their sidearms. The sword was never ceremoniously offered by Lee and then refused by Grant (receiving and overseeing the surrender). There may be different versions of that account.
Interestingly, I do have a copy of a letter from a Union officer writing home the day of the surrender. He was bemoaning to his wife that he had the duty that day (A Sunday) and thanking her for the spectacles sent. It was apparently moments before news would reach the west. A letter maybe never sent. It is here in my family papers somewhere and I'm not remembering specifics well. Here he is. No direct relation here but associated through my dad's second wife first husband (his paternal family tree). He is evidentially writing at the very moment the surrender is taking place. I do hope the original (that did surface in turning dad's house inside out) was forwarded to other descendants of that family but another in the process was a bit lax in following through. I did get a copy of it though, on Vicksburg headquarters stationary.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_R._Warnock
As to etching, it isn't such a chore, nor something that couldn't have happened at any time. I bumped into some reunion information for the veterans associated with that but have not delved deeply into the Crater episode. An interesting search for someone to undertake, I'm sure. I'm having problems remembering what it was I was taking off to a young descendant for Christmas.
Ho ho ho
Glen