twelve o'clock heavy fighting is going on, and the rebels. are driven back into a more compact body in the ring. At about twelve o'clock the firing suddenly ceases, and a flag of truce advances from the enemy's lines. We imagine what it is for, but none dare to be sure of what is to follow. Everything is hushed in silence on that quiet Sabbath evening, and all wait patiently for the news.

The flag of truce bore the following note from General Lee to General Grant:

GENERAL:

SUNDAY, April 9th, 1865.

I received your note of this morning on the picket line, whither I had come to meet you, and ascertain definitely what terms were embraced in your proposition of yesterday, with reference to the surrender of this army. I now request an interview, in accordance with the offer contained in your letter of yesterday for that purpose.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

R. E. LEE.

In reply, Grant sent the following note to him:

SUNDAY, April 9th, 1865. GENERAL R. E. LEE, Commanding C. S. A. :—

Your note of this date is but this moment, 11:50 A. M., received, in consequence of my having passed from the Richmond and Lynchburg road to the Farmville and Lynchburg road. I am, at this writing, about four miles west of Walter's Church, and will push forward to the front for the purpose of meeting you. Notice sent to me on this road, where you wish the interview to take place, will meet me.

Very respectfully your obedient servant,

U. S. GRANT, Lieutenant General.

The following proposals were also sent by General Grant:

APPOMATTOX COURT HOUSE, April 9th, 1865. GENERAL R. E. LEE, Commanding C. S. A. :

In accordance with the substance of my letters to you of the 8th instant, I propose to receive the surrender of the army of Northern Virginia on the following terms, towit Rolls of all the officers and men to be made in duplicate; one copy to be given to an officer designated by me, the other to be retained by such officers as you may designate. The officers to give their individual paroles not to take up arms against the Government of the United States until properly exchanged, and each company or regimental commander sign a like parole for the men of their command. The arms, artillery and public property to be parked and stacked, and turned over to the officers appointed by me to receive them. This will not embrace the side arms of the officers, nor their private horses or baggage. This done, each officer and man will be allowed to return to their homes, not to be disturbed by United States authority so long as they observe their parole, and the laws in force where they reside.

Very respectfully,

U. S. GRANT, Lieutenant General.

The following is the reply of the rebel chief to the above, and accepted:

HEADQUARTERS ARMY NORTHERN VIRGINIA, April 9th, 1865. LIEUTENANT GENERAL, U. S. GRANT, Commanding U. S. A.:

GENERAL-I have received your letter of this date containing the terms of surrender of the army of Northern Virginia, as proposed by you. As they are substantially the same as those expressed in your letter of the 8th inst., they are accepted. I will proceed to designate the proper officers to carry the stipulation into effect.

Very respectfully your obedient servant,

R. E. EEE,

General.

Immediately after General Grant rode forward to meet the rebel chief, and both met at the house of a Mr. McLain, both accompanied by several of their staff. After a chat about old times they proceeded to business, and Grant wrote with a pencil the same terms offered by him in the morning and handed it to Gen. Lee, who read it over carefully and inquired the construction of private horses, as he said that nearly all of his men owned their horses, when Gen. Grant told him they must be turned over to the United States Government. But after a careful and wise. reflection, he told Lee that all who owned their horses could retain them as they would need them to till their farms. While the terms of surrender were being copied, Grant and Lee conversed about old times. When the document was copied, Lee wrote the following reply:

GENERAL :

I have received your letter of this date, containing the terms of surrender of the Army of North Virginia as proposed by you. As they are substantially the same as those expressed in your letter of the 8th inst., they are accepted. I will proceed to designate the proper officers to carry the stipulations into effect."

On that quiet Palm Sunday evening our adversaries in over fifty battles, the Army of Northern Virginia, had surrendered to the Grand Army of the Potomac. During the time the arrangements were being perfected for the formal surrender, the feeling among the soldiers was at a fever heat. Everything was as still as the city of the dead, and all were waiting patiently to hear whether the order would be to advance to fight again or to stack our arms and bury the hatchet of the last four years. But, thank God, the welkin rings with the glad cheers as the good news is announced by our gallant commander, General Meade, that

Lee and his army at last had surrendered. The artillery belch forth shot after shot, but this time they are shots of peace, and the whole army is one vast body of cheering and wild excitement. Some laugh, some cry, caps are sent into the air and every man cheers until he is hoarse. But let every one cheer and send the echo to the glorious North that peace has dawned this beautiful Palm Sunday over our bleeding and distracted country. Surely every one has cause of rejoicing at the close of this bloody and fratricidal war. But our great joy is intermingled with the deepest of sorrow at the loss of so many great men on over a hundred different battle fields, and in the Southern slaughter pens.

Let the good news reach them in their soldier graves that they did not die in vain, for this great and glorious country is saved, and will be handed down through all time to come as the greatest nation of the earth, and will be a home for the oppressed of foreign monarchs.

We have advanced far enough South now and we lie. down to rest, well satisfied with our work of the last short week,—breaking through their strongholds at Petersburg and Richmond and capturing the whole Rebel army after a chase of about seventy-five miles-we take the needed sleep, well satisfied that our work is done, and done well.

CHAPTER LIII.

PLENTY OF RAIN-MUD, MUD, MUD—FEEDING THE REBEL ARMY-OUR HOMEWARD MARCH BEGUN-GREAT RE

JOICING AMONG THE COLORED POPULATION

ARRIVAL AT BURKSVILLE STATION.

Sunday evening it commenced to rain, and kept it up all the next day. In the meantime we do not forget our fallen enemy. At the time of their surrender they were very destitute of provisions, but thank God we have a surplus on hand, and all the past is now forgotten, and provisions are hastened forward to their relief. Five hundred head of cattle are sent to them, with plenty of hard tack, coffee, sugar and all the necessaries to make them a few good square meals. The rain pours down in torrents, and we are almost to our knees in mud. If we have no more fighting to do we have the same hardships of a soldier to endure. We have a long road before us to Washington, and it must be all tramped over before our soldiering is ended.

On Tuesday, April 11th we start on our backward march, and get to a small village by the name of New-Store, and bivouac for the night. Wednesday we start again, and march to Farmville, a distance of eighteen miles. During this day's march along the road, as we pass by, hundreds of colored people flock to the roadside, to cheer us on our homeward march. "God bless you, massa sojers," is heard on every side by the late slaves, for now they can rejoice to be free. Very touching scenes are witnessed, as old men and women fall on their knees and clasp their hands in prayer to the Almighty for their deliverence from their