the guns were abandoned; but the rebels pressed on, and beyond Farmville they turned once more with indomitable courage to hold off their energetic foe. But the pursuit was as terrible and unintermitted as the flight; the columns were all advancing, though generals were captured and divisions repelled; the cavalry crossed and re-crossed the Appomattox; solitary corps were endangered; others were obstructed; others marching across each other's path, and the troops entangled on the unfamiliar roads. But the chief was never more a chief than on this day; bringing order out of chaos, directing all his commanders, perfecting and developing his original strategy all the time; and at night, after all the confused events of the day-the army of the Potomac was north of the Appomattox, close up against the rebel entrenchments, while the cavalry and the left wing were still stretching out westward to head the wearied columns of the foe.

That night once more the rebels evacuated their works, this time in front of Meade, and when morning dawned were far on their way, as they fondly thought, to Lynchburg; and Lee defiantly informed his pursuer that the emergency for surrender had not arrived. But he reckoned without his host. He was stretching, with the terrific haste that precedes despair, to Appomattox, for supplies. He need hardly have hastened to that spot, destined to be so fatal to himself and his cause. Grant's legions were making more haste than he. The marvellous marching, not only of Sheridan, but of the men of the Fifth and Twenty-fourth corps, was doing as much as a battle to bring the rebellion to a close. Twenty-eight, thirty-two, thirty-five miles a day, in

succession, these infantry soldiers marched; all day and all night. From daylight till daylight again, after more than a week of labor and fatigues almost unexampled, they pushed on, to intercept their ancient adversary, while the remainder of the army of the Potomac was at his heels.

Finally, Lee, still defiant, and refusing to treat with any view of surrender, came up to his goal, but found the national cavalry had reached the point before him, and that the supplies were gone. Still he determined to push his way through, and with no suspicion that men on foot could have marched from Rice's station to his front in thirty hours, he made his last charge, and discovered a force of infantry greater than his own before him, besides cavalry-while two corps of the army of the Potomac were close in rear. He had run straight into the national lines. He was enclosed, walled in, on every side, with imminent, instant destruction impending over him. He instantly offered to submit to Grant, and in the agony of alarm lest the blow should fall, he applied to Meade and Sheridan also for a cessation of hostilities. Thus in three directions at once he was appealing to be allowed to yield. At the same moment he had messengers out to Sheridan, Meade, and Grant. The emergency whose existence he had denied had arrived. He was out-marched, and out-fought, out-witted, out-generalled; defeated in every possible way. He and his army, every man surrendered. He and his army, every man was fed by the

conqueror.

Twenty-seven thousand five hundred and sixteen officers and men were paroled at Appomattox

court-house.* In addition to these, forty-six thousand four hundred and ninety-five rebels were captured by the armies of the Potomac and the James and the cavalry, between the 29th day of March and the 9th of April, 1865; making a total of seventy-four thousand and eleven prisoners, in this campaign. The wounded were probably all paroled, but it is hardly possible that fewer than five thousand were killed.

The losses in the national army during the same period were ten thousand and sixty-six; of these, two thousand were killed, six thousand five hundred wounded, and twenty-five hundred were reported missing.†

*Every rebel who has written about Appomattox declares that only 8,000 of those who surrendered bore arms a statement which would not be creditable to them, if true. But as every rebel who was at Appomattox was himself a prisoner, the assertion is worthless. The fact is, that 22,633 small arms were surrendered; and Lee did not carry many extra muskets around in wagons during the retreat from Petersburg.

+ See Appendix for returns of the national and rebel losses in this campaign, from the adjutant-general's office.

CHAPTER XXXV.

Grant returns to Washington-Reduction of expenses of government-Rejoicing of country-Assassination of Lincoln-Negotiations between Sherman and Johnston-Manoeuvres of rebels-Sherman's terms-Disapproved by government-Grant in North Carolina-Second arrangement between Sherman and Johnston-Approved by Grant-Excitement of countryGrant's friendship for Sherman-Movements of Stoneman-Operations of Canby-Evacuation of Mobile-Operations of cavalry-Surrender of all the rebel armies-Capture of Jefferson Davis-Collapse of the revoltSagacity of Grant-Gratitude of rebels-Acclamations of country-Review of Grant's career-Educated by earlier events for chief command-His view of situation-Comprehensiveness of plan-Character and result of Wilderness campaign-Desperation of rebels-Development of general plan-Consummation-Completeness of combinations-Victory not the result of brute force-Faithful support of government-Executive greatness of Sherman and Sheridan-Characteristics of Meade, Thomas, and Lee -Further traits of Lee-Fitting representative of the rebellion-Characteristics of national and rebel soldiers-Necessity of transcendent efforts -Characteristics of a commander-in-chief in civil war-Nations never saved without a leader-Grant protects Lee from trial for treason.

THE surrender at Appomattox court-house ended the war. The interview with Lee occurred on the 9th of April, and on the 13th Grant arrived at Washington, and at once set about reducing the military expenses of the government. He spent the day with the President and the Secretary of War, and at night the following announcement was made to the country:

"WAR DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON, "April 13th, 6 P. M.

"The Department, after mature consideration and consultation with the Lieutenant-General upon the results of the recent campaign, has come to the following determinations, which will be carried into

effect by appropriate orders to be immediately issued.

'First, to stop all drafting and recruiting in the loyal states.

"Second, to curtail purchases for arms, ammunition, quartermaster, and commissary supplies, and reduce the military establishment in its several branches.

Third, to reduce the number of general and staff officers to the actual necessities of the service.

"Fourth, to remove all military restrictions upon trade and commerce, so far as may be consistent with the public safety."

These important reductions proclaimed the overthrow of the rebellion and the restoration of peace; and enthusiastic rejoicings at once broke out all over the land. In Washington an illumination of all the public and many of the private buildings took place, and on the 14th of April, it was announced in the newspapers that the general-in-chief would accompany the President in the evening to the theatre. But Grant had not seen his children for several months, and, declining the invitation of the Presi dent, he started for Burlington, in New Jersey, where his children were at school. That night the Presi dent was assassinated-shot by an actor, one of a band of conspirators who, it was afterwards proved, intended also to take the life of Grant. The Secre tary of State was wounded in his bed, and doubtless the designs included attacks upon the Vice-President and the Secretary of War, which, however, were not carried into effect. Stanton at once telegraphed to the general-in-chief, who returned the same night to Washington.