We are now to the closing scenes of the greatest civil war of modern
times.
Lee evacuated Petersburg early on the third morning of April, 1865, and
retreated toward Amelia Court House.
With the evacuation of Petersburg also fell the city of Richmond. For
nine months Lee's invincible forces had kept a foe more than twice
their numbers from invading their capital.
Lee had ordered supplies for his army to Amelia Court House, for which
they were in sore need, as they had been on little or no rations for
several days, but by some mistake of orders the train of supplies had
been sent on to Richmond. This serious mistake was a crushing blow to
Lee's army, for when his troops reached Amelia Court House and found no
supplies, which had been promised them, their hopes sank within them.
Lee, as well as his officers, had come to realize that the end of the
great war could not be far distant.
Grant's army was hastening in pursuit of that of Lee's, Grant had sent
General Sheridan to flank around Lee's army and get in his front, so if
possible to cut off his chance of escape.
Lee had intended to concentrate his forces at Amelia Court House,
but his whole army did not come up until the evening of the 5th, and
on the discovery of his inadequate supplies he began the march anew
toward Farmville, dividing his army so as to secure supplies from the
country over which he passed. In the afternoon of April 6th Lee's army
was overtaken by the Federals and a hard battle was fought at Sailor's
Creek, in which General Richard Ewell, who was on the rear of Lee's
army, was captured with his entire corps, numbering about 6,000 men.
Lee's main army reached Farmville on the night of the 6th of April,
where they received their first rations within two days, and near
which place a hard battle was fought, in which the Confederates, under
General Mahone, gained a temporary victory.
The retreat was again renewed in the hope of breaking through the
Federal lines, which were rapidly enveloping around them. During these
marches the soldiers were so worn out from hunger, fatigue, and lack of
sufficient clothing in the early spring weather, that there was much
straggling from the army, and many had thrown their arms away until
scarcely one-third of Lee's army was equipped for battle.
Lee's army reached Appomattox Court House late in the evening of April
8th, and here found the Federals in their front, and were compelled
to stop and prepare for battle. General Lee and his officers held a
council of war that night and decided to make a desperate effort to cut
through the Federal lines the next morning. This task was assigned to
General Gordon.
On Sunday, the 9th, Gordon made a fierce attack upon the Federals in
his front, but was finally repulsed by overwhelming numbers, and sent
word to General Lee that he could do nothing further unless he was
heavily supported from Longstreet's corps.
With the repulse of Gordon on that morning sank Lee's last hope of
breaking through the Federal lines, and he said there is nothing to do
but see Grant.
Grant had proposed to Lee at Farmville, on the evening of the 7th,
terms for the surrender of Lee's army, to which Lee replied that as
much as he desired peace, yet the time certainly had not arrived for
the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia.
After the repulse of Gordon, on April 9th, Lee soon arranged a meeting
with Grant and a truce was ordered pending negotiations for the
surrender of Lee's army. This meeting took place at the house of Wilmer
McLean at Appomattox Court House, at which place the terms were finally
agreed upon by the two world famous commanders and were put in writing
in the form of a letter from General Grant to General Lee, and the
acceptance of the terms were written by Lee to Grant in the same form.
It is interesting to know that Wilmer McLean had lived on the
battlefield of Bull Run during the progress of the first battle fought
there, and after the battle moved to Appomattox Court House, and at
his house was negotiated the terms of the surrender of Lee's army, thus
around his premises was fought the first and the last great battle of
the war.
The Confederate officers were allowed to retain their side arms, and
the Confederate soldiers to retain their horses. This was a welcome
concession.
Lee's army numbered less than 28,000 men, which he surrendered. Of
these less than one-third were bearing arms on the day of surrender.
The Confederate soldiers for some time did not realize that
negotiations for their surrender was on and were expecting and seemed
to be anxious for another battle with General Sheridan in their front,
and were greatly surprised on learning of the negotiations that had
been completed for their surrender.
It was at once apparent to all that the great war was practically ended.
On the next day the surrender of the army was completed, and when
Lee made his farewell address to his soldiers, who had so faithfully
defended their faith in the Confederacy in all the hard battles in
which they had been engaged, and especially since the Wilderness
campaign, and in the defense of Petersburg and Richmond in the closing
days, where their endurance was the greatest, and had now come down to
the closing scenes at Appomattox, they were all deeply moved. General
Lee, in broken accents, admonished them to be as brave citizens as
they had been soldiers.
Thus practically ended the greatest civil war in history. Soon after
Lee's surrender the other Confederate forces arranged for their
surrender in quick succession.
It had been a long, bloody and devastating war, and it is said that
there were more Confederate prisoners at Point Lookout alone than the
number with Lee's army at the surrender.
The war closed on a spectacle of ruin the greatest yet known in
America. While the smoke had cleared away, and the roar of the cannon
had ceased, yet there could be heard the wailing of mothers, widows and
orphans throughout both North and South, which is the greatest costs of
so great and devastating war.
The Southern states lay prostrate; their resources gone; their fields
desolate; their cities ruined; the fruits of the toil of generations
all swept to destruction.
The total number of Union soldiers engaged were about a million and a
half. Of this number, 275,000 were either killed in battle, died of
mortal wounds or from disease in camp, and the loss to the Confederates
was approximately the same. In both armies about 400,000 were disabled
for life, thus making a grand total loss of about a million able-bodied
men to the country.
At the close of the war over 60,000 Confederate prisoners were
released. The records of the war department shows that 220,000
Confederates were made prisoners in the war. This includes, of course,
the surrender of the armies at the close. Of this number 25,000 died
of wounds and disease during their captivity. The estimated number of
Union captives were about 200,000, of whom 40,000 died in captivity.