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THE YEAR 1865

THE END OF THE WAR

571. Plan of Operations for 1865.-After having thrown his army almost completely around Petersburg, Grant was content to let the siege drag along, awaiting the result of Sherman's march through Georgia, and Sheridan's campaign in the Shenandoah valley. As the winter wore away, the confederate prospects became more and more desperate, Lee himself acknowledging that the rebellion was at the end of its tether. As the year 1865 opened, Grant recalled Sheridan from the Shenandoah valley, to move with his cavalry in and around Richmond, cutting the railroads and destroying supplies. He now planned two campaigns: (1) He directed Sherman to move northward through the Carolinas to the vicinity of Goldsboro, with a view of preventing reinforcements being sent to Lee, and also of preventing that general's escape, should he fly south; (2) Grant himself, with the army of the Potomac, now numbering 125,000 men, resolved on capturing both Petersburg and Richmond, and forcing the surrender of Lee's entire army.

NORTH AND SOUTH

572. Condition of the Confederacy. The condition of the confederacy at this time was pitiable in the extreme. Its finances were in utter ruin; a billion dollars of debt had been incurred without prospect of paying a cent thereof; food products were scarce; the condition of the people in every locality as regards food supply was desperate. The army was on short rations-some days Lee's army being almost without food. The prices paid for food and clothing and all articles of merchandise were fabulous. The confederate army was being deserted at that time by the thousands. The age limits of service in the southern army were now placed from fourteen to sixty, a fact which caused General Butler to remark that "the confederacy

was robbing both the cradle and the grave." The spirit which had kept the rebellion alive was rapidly disappearing. With starvation staring them in the face, many in both the army and the country were ready to give up the struggle.

573. Condition of the Union.-At no time since the beginning of the war did hopes run so high in the north; all felt that the end was in sight. While the draft had been resorted to in the north to force men into the union service, still the draft bill was of little value other than that it served to quicken the more honorable and loyal method of volunteer enlistment. Although Grant's losses. in the campaign against Richmond had been enormous, yet his ranks were soon filled up, and the army of the Potomac at the beginning of 1865 was in reality one of the most formidable veteran armies ever gathered together in the world. There had been years of gloom and despondency, of fault-finding, of discontent; there had been times when the fate of the union hung in the balance; but all this was passed, and the whole people, now that they had time to reflect, began to realize that the nation owed its very life to the genius and lofty patriotism of the patient, kindlynatured, great-souled Lincoln. An effort had been put forth by his opponents in November, 1864, to defeat his reëlection, George B. McClellan being the candidate against him. But the loyal north flocked to the support of the administration, and Lincoln was reëlected by the largest vote which a presidential candidate had up to that time received in the history of the republic.

574. Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address.-Once again, on the 4th of March, 1865, Lincoln stood on the east steps of the national capitol and delivered his inaugural address, closing with the memorable words, "Fondly do we hope fervently do we pray-that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled up by

the bondman's two hundred fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said, "The judgments of God are true and righteous altogether.' With malice towards none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan-to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves, and with all nations."

SHERMAN'S LAST CAMPAIGN

575. Sherman Marches North.-After resting his troops at Savannah, Sherman, on the 1st day of February, resumed his march. He now turned northward, through the Carolinas, with Goldsboro, North Carolina, as his objective point. His purpose was to devastate those states, carry the hardships of war to the very door of their inhabitants, and destroy the southern railroads leading into Richmond,thereby cutting off Lee's army from all chance of securing supplies from the south. He arrived at Columbia, the capitol of South Carolina, on the 17th of February, and found the city in flames. He at once directed his troops to assist in extinguishing the fire, but before the conflagration could be checked, all public buildings and workshops, and many large business blocks had been swept away. On February 18, Sherman received word that Charleston had been evacuated.

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576. Johnston's Army Repulsed.-While encamped at Columbia, Sherman learned that Lee had sent a detachment of his troops south to check the union advance, and further, that General Joseph E. Johnston had been recalled to take command of these troops. He accordingly moved rapidly forward toward Goldsboro. On March 16, he came upon a

part of Johnston's army near Averysboro, and defeated it. On the 19th of March, he met Johnston's whole force at Bentonville, and the confederate army again went down to defeat. On the 23d of March, Sherman reached his objective point at Goldsboro, four hundred twenty-five miles from Savannah, where he was joined by reinforcements under General Schofield, sent in from the Atlantic coast by Grant.

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GRANT'S LAST CAMPAIGN

577. Fort Steadman and Five Forks.-In the meantime Grant had been impatient to force the evacuation of the two besieged cities. By the last of March, he was ready for his final movement against the intrenchments at Petersburg. Meanwhile, Lee had been planning to escape, but before doing so he resolved to strike one blow, which he hoped would aid in his escape. Accordingly, on the 25th of

March he assailed the union line at Fort Steadman, but in the attempt he signally failed, being repulsed with fearful loss. Sheridan a week later (April 1) advanced to Five Forks, in Lee's rear, south and west from Petersburg. Here Sheridan was furiously attacked, but after a hard-fought battle, he forced nearly five thousand hungry and starving confederate soldiers to lay down their arms and become prisoners of war.

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cannonading was kept up until five o'clock on the morning of April 2, when Grant ordered a general assault upon the confederate left. The resistance was stubborn, but nothing could withstand the heroic charges of the union troops. Both Petersburg and Richmond were doomed to fall. Lee telegraphed from Petersburg to Jefferson Davis at Richmond that the two cities must be immediately evacuated. Davis received the dispatch while in his pew at church, and hastily flew south. He was afterward captured in Georgia and sent as a prisoner to Fortress Monroe, to be released on bail two years later, and, through northern leniency, never brought to trial. Lee, gathering together his now depleted army, sought safety in flight, hoping still to unite with Johnston's army and defeat Sherman's victorious western troops ere Grant could come to his assistance. The following day both Petersburg and Richmond were entered by the national troops.

579. Lee Surrenders at Appomattox- April 9.— Grant immediately ordered Sheridan to cut off Lee's retreat, and he himself followed close upon the heels of the confederate army. Much fighting took place between the fleeing and the pursuing armies. Lee was finally brought to bay near Appomattox Courthouse, where, on the 9th of April, 1865, he surrendered his entire army as prisoners of war.

By the terms of the surrender, Lee's men were to lay down their arms and give their pledge that they would not serve against the national government until regularly exchanged. Officers were permitted to retain their side-arms, private horses, and baggage. Grant also agreed that all privates in the cavalry and artillery should be permitted to take home their own horses since they would "need them for the spring plowing." Lee feelingly spoke of the pitiable condition of his men, stating that they had been two days without food. Whereupon, the magnanimous Grant at once sent a large drove of oxen and a wagon-train of provisions, as a free will gift to the confederate soldiers.

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