APPOMATTOX COURT HOUSE. From a war-time photograph.
ing order/’ and we billeted ourselves at night in farm-houses, or bivouacked on porches, and picked up meals at any camp that seemed to have something to spare in the way of rations. This night we sampled the fare of Meade’s hospitable mess, and once more lay down with full stomachs.
General Grant had been suffering all the afternoon from a severe headache, the result of fatigue, anxiety, scant fare, and loss of sleep, and by night it was much worse. He had been induced to bathe his feet in hot water and mustard, and apply mustard plasters to his wrists and the back of his neck, but these remedies afforded little relief. The dwelling we occupied was a double house. The general threw himself upon a sofa in the sitting-room on the left side of the hall, while the staff-officers bunked on the floor of the room opposite to catch what sleep they could. About midnight we were aroused by Colonel Charles A. Whittier of Humphreys’s staff, who brought another letter from Lee. Rawlins at once took it into General Grant’s room. It was as follows :
“ April 8th, 1865.
“ General: I received at a late hour your note of today. In mine of yesterday I did not intend to propose tlie surrender of tlie 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 of this army, but, as the restoration of peace should be the sole object of all, I desired to know whether your proposals would lead to that end. I cannot, therefore, meet you with the view to surrender the Army of Northern Virginia; but as far as your proposal may effect the Confederate State forces under my command, * and tend 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.
“ R. E. Lee, General.
“ Lieutenant-General U. S. Grant.”
* Since February 9th, 1865, Lee had been general-in-chief of all the Confederate armies, and, evidently, was aiming here at a treaty of peace and general surrender.
colonel, who proclaimed himself the proprietor of the hotel. He said his regiment had crumbled to pieces, he was the only man left in it, and he thought he might as well “ stop off” at home. His story was significant as indicating the disintegrating process that was going on in the ranks of the enemy.
General Grant had been marching most of the way with the columns that were pushing along south of Lee’s line of retreat; but expecting that a reply would be sent to his last letter and wanting to keep within easy communication with Lee, he decided to march this day with the portion of the Army of the Potomac that was pressing Lee’s rearguard. After issuing some further instructions to Ord and Sheridan, he started from Parmville, crossed to the north side of the Appomattox, conferred in person with Meade, and rode with his columns. Encouraging reports came in all day, and that night headquarters were established at Curds-ville in a large white farm-house, a few hundred yards from Meade’s camp. The general and several of the staff had cut loose from the headquarters
trains the night he started to meet Sheridan at Jetersville, andhadneither baggage nor camp-equipage. The general did not even have his sword with him. This was the most advanced effort yet made at moving in “ light march-
PRESIDENT LINCOLN LEAVING THE DAVIS MANSION.
From a sketch made at the time.
THE MCLEAN
sidering your proposition, ask the terms you will offer on condition of its surrender. R. E. Lee, General.
“ Lieutenant-General U. S. Grant,
Commanding Armies of the U. S.”
The next morning before leaving Farmville the following reply was given to General Williams, who again went to Humphreys’s front to have it transmitted to Lee:
“April 8th, 1865.
“ General R. E. Lee, Commanding C. S. A.
“ Your note of last evening in reply to mine of the 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 great desire, there is but one condition I would insist upon,— namely, that the men and officers surrendered shall be disqualified for taking up arms against the Government of the United States until properly exchanged. I will meet you, or will 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.
“ U. S. Grant,
Lieutenant-General.”
There turned up at this time a rather hun-gry-looking gentleman in gray, in the uniform of a
THE VILLAGE OF APPOMATTOX COURT HOUSE.
HOUSE ON THE RIGHT.
From a war-time sketch.
once surrender his army. This statement, together with the news that had been received from Sheridan saying that he had heard that General Lee’s trains of provisions which had come by rail were at Appomattox, and that he expected to capture them before Lee could reach them, induced the general to write the following communication :
“Headquarters, Armies of the U. S.
5 P. M., April 7th, 1865.
“General R. E. Lee, Commanding C. S. A.
“ The results 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.	U. S. Grant, Lieutenant-General.”
This he intrusted to General Seth Williams, adjutant-general, with directions to take it to Humphreys’s front, as his corps was close up to the enemy’s rear-guard, and have it sent into Lee’s lines. The general decided to remain all night at-Farmville and await the reply from Lee, and he was shown to a room in the hotel in which, he was told, Lee had slept the night before. Lee wrote the following reply within an hour after he received General Grant’s letter, but it was brought in by rather a circuitous route and did not reach its destination till after midnight:
“April 7th, 1865.
“General: I liave received your note of this date. Though not entertaining 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 con-
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