Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 3.djvu/590

548 From Farmville, Lee had turned northward to the old Richmond and Lynchburg stage road, on the north side of the Appomattox river, and on the 8th he was striving, by that circuitous way, to again get beyond Grant's advance and reach Lynchburg, which was now his objective point. Sheridan's cavalry, accompanied by Gibbon with the Twenty-fourth infantry corps, following the more direct and shorter road, secured possession of the Lynchburg road at Appomattox station in the afternoon of the 8th, and effectually blocked Lee's further progress toward Lynchburg.

On the morning of the 7th, from Farmville, Grant, as he says, "feeling now that General Lee's chance of escape was utterly hopeless," sent the following letter to General Lee:

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. Lieutenant-General.

Early on the morning of the 8th, while still at Farmville, Grant received the following reply, dated the 7th:

General: I have 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 considering your proposition, ask the terms you will offer on condition of its surrender.}} General.

To this Grant immediately sent the following reply:

General: Your note of last evening, in reply to mine of same date, asking the condition 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 again 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. 1em

The Federal pursuit was resumed at the same time, Meade following Lee north of the Appomattox, while Sheridan, with the Twenty-fourth and Fifth corps, pushed