Page:American Boy's Life of William McKinley.djvu/135

Rh After picket duty at Grafton the regiment repaired to Cumberland, where it went into winter camp. There was now little to do but drill and "police" camp, and anxious though Major McKinley was to get again into active service, it was impossible to do so.

In April came the news of Lee's surrender to Grant at Appomattox. The telegraph sent the tidings in every direction, and while the South mourned deeply, the North went nearly mad with joy. Church bells rang, whistles blew, cannon boomed, and at night huge bonfires were lit and mass meetings were held everywhere. When mothers and sisters heard that husbands and brothers would have to fight no more, they fell on their knees and wept tears of joy. On every lip were heard the words, "Thank God! the war is over!"

And over it was, although some little fighting still occurred in one direction or another, and a few Southern leaders tried their best to revive that which was to rise no more. Henceforth the country was to be one, as Washington and the patriots of