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"Black's and White's," which was reached about two o'clock. Thence the roads being very good indeed, the column pressed briskly on to Nottaway Court House on the railroad, nine miles from Burkesville and about eleven from Jettersville. Here it was proposed to halt, the column having marched twenty miles. But at six and a half o'clock, SHERIDAN'S despatch before referred to reached GRANT, and he immediately pushed forward the two divisions of the Twenty-fourth Corps, leaving BIRNEY at "Black's and White's." At eleven o'clock the Twentyfourth Corps marched and camped at Burkesville Junction, having undertaken the supplementary march of nine miles with great enthusiasm on hearing the good news. GRANT himself had immediately ridden over to Jettersville, which he reached about eleven o'clock.

On the fourth, two divisions of the Ninth Corps marched from Petersburg to Ford's station, on the Southside road, about twenty miles west of Petersburg. On the fifth it started again, and still moving on the Cox road towards, Burkesville, along the railroad, camped at night at Wellersville, twenty-one miles distant from the latter point. The corps had charge of most of the army trains and moved along briskly. The next day (the sixth) it pressed on along the same road, and encamped at night about ten miles from Burkesville, with one brigade of the Second Division thrown forward to the Junction.

On that day, the 6th of April, occurred the decisive victory of Deatonsville. On the night previous, the army lay in line of battle, stretching across three or four miles of country and facing substantially northward. CUSTER'S Division of cavalry lay on the right flank and MCKENZIE'S on the left flank. The infantry line was formed with the Sixth Corps on the right, the Fifth in the centre and the Second on the left. Next morning began our manœuvres. The Sixth Corps was transferred from the right to the left. The whole army had before

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noon, marched about five miles on the road to Deatonsville, six miles distant from Jettersville. The enemy was retreating towards Painesville, which was the next town westerly from Amelia Court House to Lynchburg. Our cavalry, however, was there before him. The battle at Deatonsville and Painsville left nothing for LEE to do but to surrender. This he did, and on the 9th of April, 1865, the whole Army of Northern Virginia passed into the record of things that were.

SURRENDER OF GENERAL LEE.

The following is the correspondence which passed between General GRANT and General LEE:

WAR DEPARTMENT,

WASHINGTON, April 9, 1865–9 o'clock, P. M.

TO MAJOR-GENERAL DIX, New York:

This Department has received the official report of the surrender, this day, of General Lee and his army to LieutenantGeneral Grant, on the terms proposed by General Grant. Details will be given as speedily as possible.

EDWIN M. STANTON, Secretary of War.

HEADQUARTERS ARMIES OF THE United StateS,

April 9-4:30 P. M.

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HON. EDWIN M. STANTON, Secretary of War. General Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia this afternoon, upon the terms proposed by myself. The accompanying additional correspondence will show the conditions fully. U. S. GRANT, Lieutenant-General.

THANKS TO GENERAL GRANT AND THE ARMY.

WAR DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON, DC.,

P. M.

LIEUTENANT-GENERAL GRant: Thanks be to Almighty God for the great victory with which he has this day crowned you and the gallant Armies under your command.

The thanks of this Department, and of the Government, and of the people of the United States-their reverence and honor have been deserved-will be rendered to you and the brave and gallant officers and soldiers of your army for all time.

EDWIN M. STANTON, Secretary of War.

SALUTES ORDERED.

WAR DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON, D. C.,

April 9-10 o'clock P. M.

Ordered: That a salute of two hundred guns be fired at the headquarters of every army and department, and at every post and arsenal in the United States, and at the Military Academy at West Point, on the day of the receipt of this order, in commemoration of the surrender of General R. E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia to Lieutenant-General Grant, and the army under his command; report of the receipt and execution of this order to be made to the Adjutant-General, Washington. EDWIN M. STANTON, Secretary of War.

THE CORRESPONDENCE.

CLIFTON HOUSE, Va., April 9, 1865.

HON. EDWIN M. STANTON, Secretary of War:

The following correspondence has taken place between General Lee and myself. There has been no relaxation in the pursuit during its pendency.

U. S. GRANT, Lieutenant-General.

I.

GENERAL GRANT TO GENERAL LEE.

GENERAL R. E. LEE, Commander C. S. A.:

April 7, 1865.

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 C. S. army known as the Army of Northern Virginia.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant.
U. S. GRANT,
Lieutenant-Gen. Commanding Armies of the United States.

II.

GENERAL LEE TO GENERAL GRANT.

April 7, 1865. GENERAL: I have received your note of this date. Though not entirely of 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.

R. E. LEE, General. To Lieutenant-General U. S. GRANT, Commanding Armies of the United States.

III.

GENERAL GRANT TO GENERAL LEE.

April 8, 1865. TO GENERAL R. E. LEE, Commanding Confederate States Army: GENERAL: Your note of last evening, in reply to mine of 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 first desire, there is but one condition that I insist upon, viz :

That the men surrendered shall be disqualified for taking up arms against the Government of the United States until properly exchanged.

I will meet you, or 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.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

U. S. GRANT, Lieutenant-Gen. Commanding Armies of the United States.

IV.

GENERAL LEE TO GENERAL GRANT.

April 8, 1865. GENERAL I received at a late hour your note of to-day in answer to mine of yesterday.

I did not intend to propose the surrender of the 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. But as the restoration of peace should be the sole object of all, I desire to know whether your proposals would tend to that end.

I cannot, therefore, meet you with a view to surrender the Army of Northern Virginia, but so far as your proposition may affect the Confederate States forces under my command, and lead to the restoration of peace, I should be pleased to meet you at ten A. M., to-morrow, on the old stage-road to Richmond, between the picket lines of the two Armies.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant.

R. E. LEE, General Confederate States Armies. To Lieutenant-General GRANT, Commanding Armies of the United States.

V.

GENERAL GRANT TO GENERAL LEE.

GENERAL R. E. LEE, Commanding C. S. A.:

April 9, 1865

GENERAL: Your note of yesterday is received. As I have no authority to treat on the subject of peace, the meeting proposed for ten A. M., to day, could lead to no good. I will state, however, General, that I am equally anxious for peace with yourself; and the whole North entertain the same feeling. The terms upon which peace can be had are well understood. By the South laying down their arms they will hasten that most desirable event, save thousands of human lives, and hundreds of millions of property not yet destroyed.

Sincerely hoping that all our difficulties may be settled without the loss of another life, I subscribe myself,

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

U. S. GRANT, Lieutenant-General U. S. A.

VI.

GENERAL LEE TO GENERAL GRANT.

April 9, 1865.

GENERAL I received your note of this morning on the picket line, whither I had come to meet you and ascertain definitely what terms were embraced in your proposition of yesterday with reference to the surrender of this army.

I now request an interview in accordance with the offer con tained in your letter of yesterday for that purpose.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

R. E. LEE, General.

To Lieutenant-General GRANT, Commanding United States

Armies.

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