carried Fort Whitworth at the same time. General Wilcox says the troops were ordered to retire from this work to prevent further sacrifice.

General Gibbon says, of the assault upon Fort Gregg, that it was one of the most desperate of the war, that fifty-five of the enemy were found dead inside the fort, whilst his own loss during the day, most of which occurred around these two works, was 10 officers and 112 enlisted men killed, and 27 officers and 565 enlisted men wounded, making a total loss of 714. Two guns (in Fort Gregg), several colors, and about 300 officers and men were captured.

When the Confederate lines were carried, General Anderson was directed to move up along the Appomattox River toward Amelia Court House, on the road to which he was joined by such force as General Pickett had, and by the troops of Hill's corps under General Cook. His rear was covered by General Fitz Lee.

General Sheridan's cavalry, General Merrit leading, moved northward, crossing the South Side Railroad midway between Ford's and Sutherland's depots, near Ford's Meeting House, pushing the enemy's cavalry, who resisted their advance up to the crossing of Namozine Creek, where, General Merritt says, a spirited fight took place with the enemy's infantry.

General Sheridan moved the Fifth Corps up the White Oak road two miles toward the Claiborne road, when it returned to Five Forks and moved across Hatcher's Run on the Ford road, and across the South Side Railroad to the Coxe road, driving out of the way some dismounted cavalry, then moved eastward along the Coxe road toward Sutherland Station, but turned off on the Namozine road, and halted for the night near Williamson's, at the intersection of the Namozine by the River road. General Crawford's division was sent forward to General Merritt at the crossing of Namozine Creek.

When the Confederate intrenchments were carried by the Sixth Corps on the morning of the 2d, General Lee at once notified Mr. Jefferson Davis that he would be compelled to abandon his lines during the following night, and that he would endeavor to reach Danville. Mr. Davis at once took measures to withdraw the personnel and the archives of the Confederate Government from Richmond by the Danville Railroad.1

At three o'clock in the afternoon, General Lee gave the final orders for the retreat, which commenced at eight o'clock, at night, the artillery preceding the infantry, the wagon trains keeping as much as possible upon roads where there were to be no troops. The trains and troops crossed to the north side of the Appomattox by the ponton, Pocahontas and railroad bridges. The point of assemblage was Amelia Court House. General Longstreet, with Field's division, and Heth's and Wilcox's divisions of Hill's corps, led the column, moving on the River road, intending to recross the river at Bevil's bridge, but that being out of order, used the ponton bridge laid at Goode's bridge.

General Gordon, taking the Hickory road, recrossed the Appomattox at Goode's bridge, following Longstreet, and Mahone's division, passing through Chesterfield Court House, also crossed at Goode's bridge, following Gordon. General Ewell's command, composed of General Kershaw's and General Custis Lee's divisions, crossed the James River at and below Richmond, and taking the Genito road, followed by Gary's cavalry, crossed the Appomattox by the Danville Railroad bridge. The larger part of General Anderson's command, composed of Pickett's and Bushrod Johnson's divisions, moved up along the south bank of the

1 Had General Lee abandoned his lines on the night of the 1st of April to attack General Sheridan, there would have been only six or seven hours of night for this withdrawal, too short a time to effect it. They now had twenty hours.

Appomattox, General Fitz Lee, with his cavalry, bringing up the rear.

Orders were given by General Grant for the assault of the Petersburg and Richmond lines early on the morning of the 3d, but at three o'clock in the morning it was discovered that' General Lee had abandoned all his intrenchments. Petersburg was taken possession of by General Willcox with his division, his troops and those at City Point being placed under the command of General Warren.

The formal surrender of Richmond was made to General Weitzel at the City Hall, at 8.15 A.M.1

1 The United States flag was raised on the Capitol at Richmond by Lieutenant Johnston L. de Peyster, and Captain Loomis L. Langdon, U. S. Artillery, Chief of Artillery, both of General Weitzel's staff. The former, the son of MajorGeneral J. Watts de Peyster, a youth of eighteen, had carried the flag upon the pommel of his saddle, with this object in view, for several days, expecting to assault.

CHAPTER XIV.

CORRE

LEE'S ARMY ASSEMBLED AT AMELIA COURT HOUSENIGHT MARCH PAST MEADE'S AND SHERIDAN'S LEFT FLANK-ATTACKED WHILE RETREATING-BATTLES OF SAILOR'S CREEK-RETREAT CONTINUED DURING THE NIGHT - HALTS NEAR FARMVILLE SPONDENCE BETWEEN GRANT AND LEE-SURRENDER OF LEE AT APPOMATTOX — SURRENDER OF ALL OTHER CONFEDERATE ARMIES-ARMY OF THE POTOMAC DISBANDED.

It was well understood that General Lee would move either to Danville or to Lynchburg, and General Grant's directions for the march of the armies were such as to intercept his retreat, whichever route he might take. General Sheridan, with his cavalry and the Fifth Corps were to move in a westerly direction, south of and near to the Appomattox River, so as to feel Lee's army constantly, and at the same time to strike the Danville Railroad between its crossing of the Appomattox and its crossing of the Lynchburg Railroad at Burke's Junction. General Meade, with the Second and Sixth Corps, was to follow General Sheridan, moving westward in the general direction of Amelia Old Court House, with similar general objects in view. General Ord, with the Twenty-fourth Corps and Birney's colored troops, followed by the Ninth Corps, was to move along the South Side Railroad to Burke's Junction.

The pursuit of Lee was taken up early on the 3d, the leading brigade of Custer's division, commanded by Colonel Welles, overtaking near Namozine Church the rear of Fitz Lee's cavalry, Barringer's brigade, which suffered severely in the contest, the commander and many others being captured. At Deep Creek General Fitz Lee placed his command in a strong defensive position, Wise's and Hunton's brigades forming part of the rear guard. A sharp engagement took place about dark, Merritt's troops attacking. The cavalry halted here for the night, the Fifth, Second, and Sixth Corps well closed up.

General Sheridan having ascertained that General Lee was probably concentrating at Amelia Court House, ordered General Crook, on the 4th, to strike the Danville Railroad between Burke's Junction and Jetersville, and then move toward the latter place, and General Griffin to march direct to Jetersville. Both commands reached there late in the afternoon, when General Sheridan learnt that General Lee's army was at Amelia Court House, about eight miles northeast from Jetersville. General Mackenzie's division at the same time had got to within a few miles of the Court House, on the south approach to it. The Fifth Corps intrenched so as to hold the position until Meade's troops could be got up. General Sheridan at once sent the information he had obtained to General Meade and General Grant.

The Second and Sixth Corps had followed the Fifth Corps closely until about eleven o'clock in the morning of the 4th, when Merritt's cavalry, coming in from the right, and having precedence necessarily delayed the progress of the infantry, so that it was night by the time it reached Deep Creek.

General Meade, upon receiving the information sent him by General Sheridan, directed the Second Corps to march for Jetersville at one o'clock in the morning of the 5th and the Sixth Corps to follow; but a short distance beyond