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 betrain. 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 weak 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. 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. 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 “Gen. R. E. Lee, Commander, C. S. A.: with the Southside Railway. Sheridan "SIR,-The result of the last week must now stood squarely across Lee's pathway of retreat, and held possession of his chief convince you of the hopelessness of furchannel of supplies from Lynchburg and ther resistance on the part of the Army Danville. Lee attempted to escape by of Northern Virginia in this struggle. I way of Farmville. Sheridan sent General feel that it is so, and regard it as my Davies on a reconnoissance, who found duty to shift from myself the responsibility part of Lee's army moving westward of any further effusion of blood by ask(April 5), his cavalry escorting a train ing of you the surrender of that portion of 180 wagons. Davies fell upon the of the Confederate States army known as escort, captured many men and five guns, the Army of Northern Virginia. and destroyed the wagons. Lee's accom"Very respectfully, your obedient serU. S. GRANT, panying infantry had pressed Davies for vant, a while, but, reinforced by Generals Gregg "Lieutenant-General, Commanding Armies and Smith, he extricated himself. On the of the United States." 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 "R. E. LEE, General. soon afterwards that corps was captured, "To Lieut.-Gen. U. S. Grant, Commanding Ewell and four other generals and 6,000 Armies of the United States." II. "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. III. "April 8. "To Gen. R. E. Lee, Commanding Confederate States Army: "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 be ing 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. "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. "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. 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. 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. 66 '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." "Very respectfully, your obedient ser- of the officers, nor their private horses or baggage. vant, 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 will not embrace the side-arms "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." 66 IX. 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 sur render 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. "I need not tell the survivors of so TABLE ON WHICH THE SURRENDER WAS SIGNED |