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orders from Richmond to hasten thither veterans becoming prisoners. With his with his train. The stupid fellow obeyed, dreadfully shattered army, Lee crossed but took with him the supplies. The gov- the Appomattox that night (Aug. 6 and ernment, in its flight, occupied the whole 7) at Farmville, setting fire to bridges tetrain. The stores were left at Richmond hind him. They were not all consumed. and destroyed in the conflagrations. Lee The Nationals crossed and captured was almost hopeless when he discovered eighteen guns abandoned by a rear-guard. this calamity, for it threatened his army Lee's troops and animals were perishing with starvation. He knew that Grant, for want of food. Thousands let their for the sake of celerity in pursuit, would muskets fall because they were too weik break up his army into detachments; and to carry them and walk. Lee would not Lee hoped, by a bountifully supplied army listen to a proposition of his officers to well in hand, to fall upon these frag- give up the contest, and resolved to make ments and cut up the National army in further efforts to escape. Nearly the detail. Now he was compelled to detach whole of Grant's army joined in vigorous nearly one-half of his army to forage pursuit of the Confederates, and Lee for supplies to keep his forces from surrendered at Appomattox Court-house. starving. April 9, 1865.

of 180 wagons.

Terms of the Surrender.-The following is the correspondence that passed between Generals Grant and Lee, which resulted in the surrender of the army of the latter:

I.

“April 7.

"Gen. R. E. Lee, Commander, C. S. A.:

"SIR,-The result of the last week must

convince you of the hopelessness of fur-
ther resistance on the part of the Army
of Northern Virginia in this struggle. I
feel that it is so, and regard it as my
duty to shift from myself the responsibility
of any further effusion of blood by ask-
ing of you the surrender of that portion
of the Confederate States army known as
the Army of Northern Virginia.
"Very respectfully, your obedient ser-
vant,
U. S. GRANT.
"Lieutenant-General, Commanding Armies
of the United States."

Grant, meanwhile, had taken possession of Petersburg, and his army moved in vigorous pursuit. Sheridan's cavalry and Warren's corps struck the Danville Railway (April 4, 1865) at Jetersville, 7 miles southwest of Amelia Court-house. Some of his cavalry then pushed on to Burkesville Station, at the junction of that road with the Southside Railway. Sheridan now stood squarely across Lee's pathway of retreat, and held possession of his chief channel of supplies from Lynchburg and Danville. Lee attempted to escape by way of Farmville. Sheridan sent General Davies on a reconnoissance, who found part of Lee's army moving westward (April 5), his cavalry escorting a train Davies fell upon the escort, captured many men and five guns, and destroyed the wagons. Lee's accompanying infantry had pressed Davies for a while, but, reinforced by Generals Gregg and Smith, he extricated himself. On the morning of the 6th nearly the whole of the Army of the Potomac were at Jetersville, and moved upon Amelia Court-house. Sheridan discovered Lee's army moving rapidly westward, and made a rapid pursuit, in three columns. Great efforts were made to check Lee's retreat. He was smitten severely at Sailor's Creek, a small tributary of the Appomattox, where another train of 400 wagons, sixteen guns, and many men were captured. By this blow Ewell's corps, following the train, was cut off from Lee's main army. Very soon afterwards that corps was captured, "To Lieut.-Gen. U. §. Grant, Commanding Ewell and four other generals and 6,000 Armies of the United States."

II.

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April 7.

"GENERAL,-I have received your note of this date. Though not entirely of the opinion you express of the hopelessness of further resistance on the part of the Army of Northern Virginia, I reciprocate your desire to avoid useless effusion of blood, and, therefore, before considering your proposition, ask the terms you will offer on condition of its surrender. "R. E. LEE, General.

III.

"April 8. "To Gen. R. E. Lee, Commanding Confederate States Army:

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GENERAL,-Your note of last evening, in reply to mine of same date, asking the conditions on which I will accept the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia, is just received.

"In reply, I would say that, peace being my first desire, there is but one condition that I insist upon-viz.:

"That the men surrendered shall be disqualified for taking up arms against the government of the United States until properly exchanged.

"I will meet you, or designate officers to meet any officers you may name for the same purpose, at any point agreeable to you, for the purpose of arranging definitely the terms upon which the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia will be received.

"Very respectfully, your obedient servant, U. S. GRANT, "Lieutenant-General, Commanding Armies of the United States."

IV.

"April 8. "GENERAL, I received, at a late hour, your note of to-day in answer to mine of yesterday.

"I did not intend to propose the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia, but to ask the terms of your proposition. To be frank, I do not think the emergency has arisen to call for the surrender. But, as the restoration of peace should be the sole object of all, I desire to know whether your proposals would tend to that end.

V.

"April 9. "General R. E. Lee, Commanding C. S. A.: "GENERAL,-Your note of yesterday is received. As I have no authority to treat on the subject of peace, the meeting proposed for 10 A.M. to-day could lead to no good. I will state, however, general, that I am equally anxious for peace with yourself; and the whole North entertain the same feeling. The terms upon which peace can be had are well understood. By the South laying down their arms they will hasten that most desirable event, save thousands of human lives, and hundreds of millions of property not yet destroyed.

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Sincerely hoping that all our difficulties may be settled without the loss of another life, I subscribe myself, "Very respectfully, your obedient servant, U. S. GRANT, "Lieutenant-General, U. S. A.”

VI.

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April 9, 1865. "GENERAL, 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, General. "To Lieutenant-General Grant, Commanding United States Armies."

VII.

"April 9.

"General R. E. Lee, Commanding Con-
federate States Armies:
"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 4 miles west of Walter's Church, and will push forward to the front for the purpose of meeting

"I cannot, therefore, meet you with a view to surrender the Army of Northern Virginia, but so far as your proposition may affect the Confederate States forces under my command, and lead to the restoration of peace, I should be pleased to meet you at 10 A.M. to-morrow on the old stage-road to Richmond, between the picket-lines of the two armies. 'Very respectfully, your obedient servant, R. E. LEE, General, Confederate States Armies. Lieutenant-General Grant, Commanding Armies of the United States." meet me.

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"To

you.

"Notice sent to me on this road where you wish the interview to take place will

"Very respectfully, your obedient ser- of the officers, nor their private horses or vant, baggage.

"U. S. GRANT, Lieutenant-General."

VIII.

"APPOMATTOX COURT-HOUSE, "April 9, 1865.

"Gen. R. E. Lee, Commanding C. S. A.: In accordance with the substance of my letter to you of the Sth inst., I pro

CHAIR IN WHICH GENERAL LEE SAT WHEN SIGNING THE SURRENDER.

pose to receive the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia on the following terms, to wit:

"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 parole not to take arms against the government of the United States until properly exchanged; and each company or regimental commander to sign a like parole for the men of their commands.

"The arms, artillery, and public property to be parked and stacked, and turned over to the officers appointed by me to receive them.

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 may reside. Very respectfully.

"U. S. GRANT, Lieutenant-General."

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IX.

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"HEADQUARTERS

ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA. "April 9, 1865. "Lient.-Gen. 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 stipulations into effect.

"Very respectfully, your obedient servant, R. E. LEE, General." On the day of the surrender General Lee addressed the following farewell to the Army of Northern Virginia:

"HEADQUARTERS

"ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA,

"April 10, 1865. "After four years of arduous service, marked by unsurpassed courage and fortitude, the Army of Northern Virginia has been compelled to yield to overwhelming numbers and resources.

"This will not embrace the side-arms

"I need not tell the survivors of so

TABLE ON WHICH THE SURRENDER WAS SIGNED

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