Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume X.djvu/314

 308 ROBERT EDWARD LEE derness, May 5, 6. (See WILDERNESS, BATTLE OF THE.) The armies were now in an apparent deadlock. Each threw up intrenchments in its front, which, though apparently slight, were sufficient to give a great advantage to the one receiving the attack, which neither commander was inclined to venture. To remove this dead- lock Grant undertook to outflank Lee by march- ing upon Spottsylvania Court House. Lee per- ceived the movement, and, though mistaking Grant's objective point, reached that place first, where his forces intrenched themselves, and severe fighting ensued, culminating in a bloody but indecisive battle on May 12. On the 18th Grant moved southward from Spott- sylvania, proposing to outflank Lee's right, thus compelling him to fall back toward Rich- mond, and the campaign took the form which it maintained as long as operations were carried on in the open field. The two commanders were so constituted that either was able to divine the intent of the other, and to take the best measures to thwart it. Grant, having a great preponderance of force, undertook to strike wherever there was any likelihood that the blow would be effective; and, whenever he found the enemy posted too strongly to be directly dislodged, to manoeuvre him out of his position by turning it. Lee stood more di- rectly upon the defensive, but was always upon the alert for an opportunity to strike an offen- sive blow. The general result was that each commander failed in every directly offensive effort ; but Lee was gradually forced back to- ward Richmond until the close of May, when the confederates stood at bay on the Chickahomi- ny, occupying essentially the ground which the Union army had held two years before, but strongly intrenched. If the confederate army could be defeated here, its ruin was certain, for the Chickahominy interposed an insuper- able barrier to further retreat. Grant made an attack on June 3, which was signally repulsed. (See CHICKAHOMINY.) For ten days more the two armies confronted each other, both be- ing strongly intrenched, and neither ventur- ing any attack in force. At length, on June 12, Grant broke from his position, marched down the Chickahominy to the James, which he crossed, and took up a position near Pe- tersburg, from which Richmond could be as- sailed on the south. Lee crossed the Chicka- hominy and the James, and undertook the de- fence of the confederate capital. Richmond itself was so strongly fortified that no direct attack upon it was feasible ; but Petersburg, 22 m. S. of Richmond, commanded the railroads by which supplies must be mainly brought to the army at the capital, and the capture of Peters- burg would involve the necessity of the aban- donment of Richmond. The subsequent opera- tions in Virginia thereupon resolved themselves mainly into the siege and defence of Petersburg. This lasted until April, 1865, when, Grant hav- ing fairly passed around the extreme right of the confederate defences, and having broken through the lines, Lee abandoned Petersburg and Richmond, April 2. He had suffered heavy losses within the last few days ; but he still had, if all could be concentrated, about 40,000 men, with which he hoped to be able to reach the mountainous region of the valley of Virginia, where the contest might be pro- longed indefinitely; or perhaps to effect a junction with J. E. Johnston in North Caro- lina, and thence transfer the seat of war to the gulf states. But a series of disasters marked the retreat. The confederate army moved al- most without provisions, and the supplies which Lee had ordered to await him at Amelia Court House were by some accident carried on to Richmond, which had been given up to the enemy. Grant in the mean while took up a vigorous pursuit. The confederates were obliged to scatter through the poor country in quest of food, a great portion of the men throwing away their arms. When on the 8th the small part which still retained a military organization had reached the neighborhood of Appomattox Court House, they found their way barred by a superior federal force, which had outstripped them. Grant had on the pre- vious day sent a message to Lee to the effect that the result of the operations of the last week evinced that there was no hope of any further successful resistance on the part of the army of northern Virginia, and demanded its surrender, in order to avoid any further shed- ding of blood. Lee replied that he was far from being convinced that resistance was use- less, but asked to know the terms upon which a surrender would be received. Grant named as the sole condition that "the men and offi- cers surrendered shall be disqualified for ta- king up arms again against the government of the United States until properly discharged." Lee hesitated until the 9th, hoping for some favorable turn ; but none occurring, and yield- ing to the opinion of his best officers, he on that day met Grant, and the terms of sur- render were formally agreed upon, the sub- stance being that the officers and the men under their command "shall not hereafter serve in the armies of the Confederate States or in any military capacity against the United States of America, or render aid to the ene- mies of the latter, until properly exchanged in such manner as shall be mutually approved by the respective authorities ;" and that they " will not be disturbed by the United States authorities so long as they observe their parole and the laws in force where they reside." The list of paroled prisoners contained 27,805 names, but of these hardly a third had arms in their hands. Although Lee had in February been appointed general-in-chief, with the com- mand of all the forces of the confederacy, the capitulation only applied to the army in Vir- ginia ; but the surrender of this army virtually brought the war to a close. After the war Lee retired into private life, refusing even to attend public gatherings of any description: