"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 proposal of yester day with reference to the surrender of this army. I now ask an interview in accordance with the offer contained in your letter of yesterday for that purpose. "Lieutenant General U. S. GRANT." "R. E. LEE, General. The interview was held at Appomattox Court-House, the result of which is set forth in the following correspondence: "APPOMATTOX COURT-HOUSE, VA., April 9, 1865. “GENERAL: In accordance with the substance of my letter to you of the 8th instant, I propose 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 to be designated by me, the other to be retained by such officer or officers as you may designate. The officers to give their individual paroles not to take up arms against the gov ernment of the United States until properly exchanged; and each company or regimental commander 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 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 his home, not to be disturbed by United States authority so long as they observe their paroles and the laws in force where they' may reside. "General R. E. LEE." "U. S. GRANT, Lieutenant General. "HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA, April 9, 1865. "GENERAL: I received your letter of this date containing the terms of the 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 instant, they are accepted. I will proceed to designate the proper officers to carry the stipulations into effect. "Lieutenant General U. S. GRANT." "R. E. LEE, General. The command of Major General Gibbon, the 5th army corps under Griffin, and McKenzie's cavalry, were designated to remain at Appomattox Court-House until the paroling of the surrendered army was completed, and to take charge of the public property. The remainder of the army immediately returned to the vicinity of Burkesville. General Lee's great influence throughout the whole south caused his example to be followed, and to-day the result is that the armies lately under his leadership are at their homes, desiring peace and quiet, and their arms are in the hands of our ordnance officers. On the receipt of my letter of the 5th, General Sherman moved directly against Joe Johnston, who retreated rapidly on and through Raleigh, which place General Sherman occupied on the morning of the 13th. The day preceding news of the surrender of General Lee reached him at Smithfield. On the 14th a correspondence was opened between General Sherman and General Johnston, which resulted, on the 18th, in an agreement for a suspension of hostilities, and a memorandum or basis for peace, subject to the approval of the President. This agreement was disapproved by the President on the 21st, which disapproval, together with your instructions, was communicated to General Sherman by me in person on the morning of the 24th, at Raleigh, North Carolina, in obedience to your orders. Notice was at once given by him to General Johnston for the termination of the truce that had been entered into. On the 25th another meeting between them was agreed upon, to take place on the 26th, which terminated in the surrender and disbandment of Johnston's army upon substantially the same terms as were given to General Lee. The expedition under General Stoneman from East Tennessee got off on the 20th of March, moving by way of Boone, North Carolina, and struck the rail road at Wytheville, Chambersburg and Big Lick. The force striking it at Big Lick pushed on to within a few miles of Lynchburg, destroying the important bridges, while with the main force he effectually destroyed it between New river and Big Lick, and then turned for Greensboro' on the North Carolina railroad; struck that road and destroyed the bridges between Danville and Greensboro' and between Greensboro' and the Yadkin, together with the depots of supplies along it, and captured 400 prisoners. At Salisbury he attacked and defeated a force of the enemy under General Gardiner, capturing 14 pieces of artillery and 1,364 prisoners, and destroyed large amounts of army stores. At this place he destroyed fifteen miles of railroad and the bridges toward Charlotte. Thence he moved to Slatersville. General Canby, who had been directed in January to make preparations for a movement from Mobile bay against Mobile and the interior of Alabama, commenced his movement on the 20th of March. The 16th corps, Major General A. J. Smith commanding, moved from Fort Gaines by water to Fish river; the 13th corps, under Major General Gordon Granger, moved from Fort Morgan and joined the 16th corps on Fish river, both moving thence on Spanish fort and investing it on the 27th; while Major General Steele's command moved from Pensacola, cut the railroad leading from Tensas to Montgomery, effected a junction with them, and partially invested Fort Blakely. After a severe bombardment of Spanish fort, a part of its line was carried on the 8th of April. During the night the enemy evacuated the fort. Fort Blakely was carried by assault on the 9th, and many prisoners captured; our loss was considerable. These successes practically opened to us the Alabama river, and enabled us to approach Mobile from the north. On the night of the 11th the city was evacuated, and was taken possession of by our forces on the morning of the 12th. The expedition under command of Brevet Major General Wilson, consisting of twelve thousand five hundred mounted men, was delayed by rains until March 22, when it moved from Chickasaw, Alabama. On the 1st of April General Wilson encountered the enemy in force under Forrest near Ebenezer Church, drove him in confusion, captured three hundred prisoners and three guns, and destroyed the central bridge over the Cahawba river. On the 2d he attacked and captured the fortified city of Selma, defended by Forrest with seven thousand men and thirty-two guns, destroyed the arsenal, armory, naval foundry, machine shops, vast quantities of stores, and captured three thousand prisoners. On the 4th he captured and destroyed Tuscaloosa. On the 10th he crossed the Alabama river, and after sending information of his operations to General Canby marched on Moutgomery, which place he occupied on the 14th, the enemy having abandoned it. At this place many stores and five steamboats fell into our hands. Thence a force marched direct on Columbus, and another on West Point, both of which places were assaulted and captured on the 16th. At the former place we got fifteen hundred prisoners and fifty-two field-guns, destroyed two gunboats, the navy-yard, foundries, arsenal, many factories, and much other public property. At the latter place we got three hundred prisoners, four guns, and destroyed nineteen locomotives and three hundred cars. On the 20th he took possession of Macon, Georgia, with sixty field-guns, twelve hundred militia, and five generals, surrendered by General Howell Cobb. General Wilson hearing that Jeff. Davis was trying to make his escape, sent forces in pursuit, and succeeded in capturing him on the morning of May 11. On the 4th day of May, General Dick Taylor surrendered to General Canby all the remaining rebel forces cast of the Mississippi. A force sufficient to insure an easy triumph over the enemy under Kirby Smith, west of the Mississippi, was immediately put in motion for Texas, and Major General Sheridan designated for its immediate command; but on the 26th day of May, and before they reached their destination, General Kirby Sm th surrendered his entire command to Major General Canby. This surrender did not take place, however, until after the capture of the rebel president and vicepresident; and the bad faith was exhibited of first disbanding most of his army and permitting an indiscriminate plunder of public property. Owing to the report that many of those lately in arms against the government had taken refuge upon the soil of Mexico, carrying with them arms rightfully belonging to the United States, which had been surrendered to us by agreement among them some of the leaders who had surrendered in person-and the disturbed condition of affairs on the Rio Grande, the orders for troops to proceed to Texas were not changed. There have been severe combats, raids, expeditions, and movements to defeat the designs and purposes of the enemy, most of them reflecting great credit on our arms, and which contributed greatly to our final triumph, that I have not mentioned. Many of these will be found clearly set forth in the reports herewith submitted; some in the telegrams and brief despatches announcing them, and others, I regret to say, have not as yet been officially reported. For information touching our Indian difficulties, I would respectfully refer to the reports of the commanders of departments in which they have occurred. It has been my fortune to see the armies of both the west and the east fight battles, and from what I have seen I know there is no difference in their fighting qualities. All that it was possible for men to do in battle they have done. The western armies commenced their battles in the Mississippi valley, and received the final surrender of the remnant of the principal army opposed to them in North Carolina. The armies of the east commenced their battles on the river from which the army of the Potomac derived its name, and received the final surrender of their old antagonist at Appomattox Court-House, Virginia. The splendid achievements of each have nationalized our victories, removed all sectional jealousies, (of which we have unfortunately experienced too much,) and the cause of crimination and recrimination that might have followed had either section failed in its duty. All have a proud record, and all sections can well congratulate themselves and each other for having done their full share in restoring the supremacy of law over every foot of territory belonging to the United States. Let them hope for perpetual peace and harmony with that enemy, whose manhood, however mistaken the cause, drew forth such herculean deeds of valor. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Hon. E. M. STANTON, Lieutenant General. Secretary of War. REPORTS OF MILITARY OPERATIONS [The following reports of military operations, which are necessarily excluded from this abridgment, will be found in the unabridged Report of the Secretary of War.] Reports of Major Generals G. G. Meade and P. H. Sheridan, of the campaign before Richmond and Petersburg, 1865. Major General W. T. Sherman's report of the campaign of Atlanta, 1864. Major General W. T. Sherman's report of the campaign of Georgia and capture of Savannah, 1864. Major General W. T. Sherman's report of the campaign of the Carolinas, 1865. Major General W. T. Sherman's report of Johnston's surrender, &c., 1865. Major General P. H Sheridan's report of operations in the Shenandoah valley, from Winchester to the armies in front of Petersburg, between February 27, and March 28, 1865. Major General G. H. Thomas's report of operations from September 7, 1864, to January 20, 1865, including battles of Franklin and Nashville. Major General G. H. Thomas's report of operations in the department of the Cumberland, from January 20 to June 1, 1865. Major General D. Hunter's report of operations in West Virginia, 1864. Major General B. F. Butler's report of operations against Fort Fisher, 1864. Major General A. H. Terry's report of the capture of Fort Fisher, 1865. Major General W. S. Rosecrans's report of operations against Price, in the department of Missouri. Bureau of Construction, navy, report of the chief of.. Equipment and Recruiting, navy, report of the chief of.. B. 13, 210, 230 116 595 4 71 98 434 136 135 144 Mining, statement of the Secretary of the Interior concerning 307 Navigation, navy, report of the chief of.. 106 Ordnance, army, report of the chief of.. Ordnance, navy, report of the chief of. 111 Provisions, navy, report of the chief of. 141 Steam Engineering, navy, report of the chief of.. 137 95 Burial records of the Quartermaster's department Bureaus of the Navy Department, remarks of the Secretary on.. Cabinet of coins and medals at the United States mint.. 90 545 304 |