1865.]

A BLACK WELCOME.

531

Some of these gazed quietly as they would at any other spectacle, but many waved their hats and cheered in answer to the troops, and a few grasped the hands of the soldiers as they passed, with such expressions as "Welcome! You's welcome! Glad to see you, sar! Bress de Lord, dese hands do no mo' work!" The poor creatures evidently thought that the day of jubilee, to which they had so long looked forward, had really come, and that all of their color were thenceforth to lead a life of elegant ease, free from toil and care. The negro regiments were received by them still more heartily than their white

comrades, and the black soldiers answered their cheers with a pardonable pride. One regiment of colored cavalry, seeing by whom they were surrounded, rose in their stirrups, and, with their white eyes and teeth gleaming, waved their sabres and rent the air with their wild shouts. It can scarcely be wondered that the citizens who witnessed this sight should have looked upon these men, many of whom were escaped slaves, with a shudder, and dreaded the moment when they should be turned loose upon them. Fortunately, their fears were unfounded. The best of discipline prevailed, and Confederate writers bear

testimony to the fact that "the troops behaved astonishingly well, and were remarkably courteous and respectful."

General Weitzel made his headquarters in the Capitol, and his home in the house lately occupied by Mr. Davis (see page 79). The city was put under martial law, with General Shepley as military governor. Orders were issued forbidding officers or soldiers entering any private dwelling, taking any private property, or using offensive words or gestures toward citizens; and proclaiming that no treasonable expressions or insults to the flag would be allowed. The soldiers at once set to work to put out the fire, and but for their efforts all Richmond would have been burned to the ground. Toward night the flames were subdued, but not until the business part of the city was in ruins. Acres of ground had been burned over; every bank and insurance office, most of the fashionable stores, one of the principal churches, and many large warehouses, mills, depots, and foundries had been swept away. Among the buildings spared by the fire was Libby Prison, in which so many Union men had suffered. When night fell a strange quiet came over the blackened city, and, worn out by the excitement of the past twenty-four hours, men went to rest with saddened hearts, and with the feeling that their feverish dream was at last ended in ashes and desolation.

CHAPTER XLIII.

SURRENDER OF LEE.

LEE'S MISFORTUNE.-DAVIS AT DANVILLE.-A FATAL DELAY.-GRANT IN PURSUIT. SHERIDAN. -A STARVING ARMY.-SAILOR'S CREEK.-CAPTURE OF EWELL.-ACROSS THE APPOMATTOX. --A HOPELESS STRUGGLE. - GRANT'S LETTER. LEE ASKS FOR TERMS. — APPOMATTOX COURT-HOUSE.-SHERIDAN IN FRONT.-A SURPRISE.-FLAG OF TRUCE.--THE MCLEAN HOUSE.-GRANT AND LEE.-GRANT'S MAGNANIMITY.-PAINFUL SCENE.-LEE IN RICHMOND, -LAST PARADE OF THE ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA.-JOY IN THE NORTH.-STANTON'S ORDER.

FTER General Lee had sent the telegram to Mr. Davis,

AFTER to Mr. Davis,

informing him that Richmond must be evacuated, he spent the rest of the day in making preparations for the retreat. Among other despatches sent was one ordering stores for the army to be sent from Danville to Amelia Court-House, where he expected all his troops, both from Petersburg and Richmond, to meet. The order was obeyed, but when the officer in charge of the trains reached Amelia Court-House he received other orders from Richmond to go at once to that city, where the cars were needed to remove the Confederate Government and its effects. Without stopping to unload his cars, the officer pushed on to Richmond, and so it happened that all the rations on which General Lee depended to feed his army were burned there.

President Davis, on leaving Richmond, went to Danville, near the border of North Carolina, where General Lee hoped to form a junction between his own army and that of General Johnston. To do this it was necessary to reach Burke's or Burksville Station, fifty-two miles west of Petersburg, before Grant could cut him off. By his rapid march on Sunday night he had gained many miles. All day Monday he pressed on, and still there were no signs of pursuit. The chances seemed to be in his favor; if he could do as well the next day, Grant could not overtake him, for the roads over which he would pass were in better condition than those the Union army would have to march over. The Appomattox River was crossed in safety, and Amelia Court-House, thirty-eight miles west of Richmond, was reached on Tuesday, April 4th. When Lee

heard what had befallen him and found no food there for his half-starved men, who had marched from Petersburg with but one day's rations, he must have felt that his condition was hopeless. All he had gained by his hurried march was lost; but with his usual energy he set about procuring food from

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the country round, sending out foraging parties in every direction. This caused a delay which proved fatal to him.

Grant had begun a pursuit on Monday morning, as soon as Lee's retreat had become known. He saw through Lee's plan, and hastened toward Burke's Station, in hope of reaching it before him. On the afternoon of Tuesday (April 4) Sheridan and his cavalry reached Jettersville (see map) on the Danville Railroad, seven miles from Amelia. This was directly in Lee's path, and cut him off from Burksville. Had Lee been able to move that day he might have cut his way through Sheridan, but he was still delayed trying to procure supplies. At evening Sheridan was reinforced by infantry, and was too strong for his opponent. The next day part of his cavalry destroyed at Paine's Cross-Roads a train of one hundred and eighty

LEE'S RETREAT TO APPOMATTOX COURT- Wagons, and captured five guns and many prisoners.

HOUSE.

During the night of Wednesday Lee moved toward Farmville, with the intention of crossing the Appomattox there and escaping toward Lynchburg and into the mountains. But his men were so weak from hunger that they made but little progress. Many straggled over the fields looking for something to eat, chewing even the buds and twigs of trees to quiet their pangs.

1865.]

THE PURSUIT.

535

Many dropped from exhaustion, and hundreds threw away the arms which they were no longer able to carry. The officers, almost as badly off as the privates, made few efforts to keep their men together. The horses and mules, alike hungry, had not strength enough to do their work, and dropped by the wayside. The roads became blocked with wagons, which were set on fire to keep them from falling into the hands of the enemy. Most of the wagons were loaded with ammunition, the explosion of which added to the horrors of the retreat. Behind and on the flank of the shattered columns followed Sheridan, striking at every weak point. A running fight was kept up all day long, Lee's men, weak as they were, fighting with desperate courage. But their enemies were too strong for them, and almost every hour lopped off part of their column. At one time four hundred wagons, sixteen cannons, and hundreds of prisoners were taken; at another, near Sailor's Creek, the whole of Ewell's corps, several thousand strong, with Gen-. erals Ewell, Custis Lee, Kershaw, and others, were surrounded and made to throw down their arms.

The Confederates succeeded in crossing the Appomattox River near Farmville during the night of Thursday (April 6). But so close was the pursuit that the bridge there was seized before it could be destroyed, and some of the Union troops captured eighteen pieces of artillery from the enemy's rearguard. Lee's officers had by this time made up their minds. that it was useless to continue the struggle, and resolved to advise their commander that the time had come for the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia. But General Lee was spared the humiliation of making the offer, for the next day General Grant, feeling the impossibility of his enemy's escape, and desiring to save further bloodshed, sent him from Farmville the following note:

"April 7, 1865.

"GENERAL: The result of the last week must convince you of the hopelessness of further 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 asking of you the surrender of that portion of the Confederate States army known as the Army of Northern Virginia.

"General R. E. LEE.”

"U. S. GRANT, Lieutenant-General.