alry and the Fifth Corps, hurried westward, determined to lose no chance of intercepting the fugitive enemy. Defeating and crushing an infantry force at Deep Creek, he struck the Danville railway at Jetersville, where he was joined by two of Meade's corps on the evening of the 5th. Lee set forward after dusk the same evening, swinging clear of Meade and Sheridan, and aiming to reach Lynchburg. Pursuit was pushed from Jetersville in the morning. Ewell, isolated and hotly assailed by continually increasing numbers, surrendered his force of more than six thousand men. The Confederate army that remained after large and small captures was hourly diminishing-weary, hungry, demoralized men continually falling out of the ranks. Its cavalry was worn out. Within a day's march of Lynchburg, Lee was loath to surrender; but the inevitable end came on the 9th of April at Appomattox.

CHAPTER XXX.

Visit to Richmond - Return to WashingtonReturn to Washington - Speech on - Orders to Weitzel.

Reconstruction

On the 4th of April, the day after Weitzel occupied Richmond, Lincoln was the guest of the General at his headquarters, the late Executive Mansion of the now vanishing Confederacy. Going up by steamboat from City Point, the President and a few personal attendants had walked from the landing, apparently without a thought of danger. On the same day he took a drive through the city, and was everywhere respectfully greeted, the colored population being jubilant over the presence of their "liberator." Next day he returned to City Point, and on the 6th and 7th visited Petersburg, examining with lively interest the fortifications as they had been left by the belligerents. Much of the 8th, as

some hours of the previous days, he spent in visiting the hospitals. In the evening he started on his return to Washington.

Mrs. Lincoln had suffered much anxiety during the President's prolonged stay on the James. Mr. Seward also had misgivings, and thought the President should be put on his guard, or at least more closely watched over by alert friends. It was of her own motion, however, that Mrs. Lincoln asked the Attorney-General, with others, to join him at City Point. That gentle

man (Hon. James Speed) gave the writer, many years after, these recollections of the occasion:

Mr. Lincoln, at the advice of personal friends, left Washington in order to get some rest. His wife and a few others went with him. Whilst he was at City Point his wife came to Washington, and addressed me a note requesting me to return to City Point with her. When I received the note, being behind in my official business, I was very loth to go, but determined to consult Mr. Seward, who occupied a room in the same building. I well remember that, upon entering Mr. Seward's office, I found him lying upon the sofa, reading Montaigne's Essays. After showing him the note, I stated to him that I did not want to go, because of the pressure before mentioned, and that I did not wish to appear in the city of Richmond, which had been so recently taken by our forces, as such a visit might seem mere exultation over a fallen foe. He arose and walked the floor, and said with great emphasis, the request of the President's wife was equivalent to a command, and I must obey. He said, further, he wanted me to go on another account. The end of our troubles was fast approaching, and the Southern people would feel as though the world had come to an end; many individuals among them would be absolutely crazy; that history and human nature taught him, if there were to be assassinations, now was the time; the President, being the most marked man on the Federal side, was the most liable to attack. He said I was the only man that could warn the President of the danger, and insisted upon this with great earnestness, making me promise to have such a talk with Mr. Lincoln.

The President and party whilst at City Point lived on board of the boat. Every day during my stay the President and myself went ashore visiting the soldiers, but more particularly the hospitals. All during my visit to him he was so occupied by company that an opportunity to have a private talk with him never presented itself, so I was unable to keep the promise made to Mr. Seward until left alone with Mr. Lincoln in the cabin of the boat as we returned to Washington. On the center-table there was a very fine copy of