New-York tribune., 1885-07-24


conjunction with the explosion Of iins uader the
Confederate works cost over 1000 men. Lee sent
early TO threaten Washington. 10 the hope that
good part Of Grants army would be called back tc
protect tho capital and Petersburg would be
relieved. Reinforcenents reached the eapi'
tai and Sheridan drove Early back up the
Valley of the shenandoah. Grant was FREQ, from
ibis time to work out his campaign In his own way
In August fruitiess attempt to surprise Richmond
vas made with loss of 1900 mon. The Weldon
Railroad one of Lees feeding lines, was seized by
Warren's force at price OF 4,455 men. Hancock
so;,ed another point on the same road four miles
further south but withdrew with n loss of 2, 400
men. A months picke.-ighting followed. Late
10 September several movements were made, OF no
great Importance. ut cost OF over 1900 men.
Another month of preparation and thon an attempt
TO seize the South Side Railroad, for which there
was nothing but losses TO show. Soon after the
active ended, IN which the losses OF tho Army
Of the Potomac alone had been 81 ,3S7 men The
losses of the Army of the james raised the total TO
considerable above 1OO.O00-or far above the
number of the force they had come out to conquer.
with the opening oI active operations III 1863, II
was seen how vastly the Confederacy had weak
encd The people of the South. had lost heart :;
rtions from the army were incessunt: the few
brave troops remaining were so poorly fed that the
weeks ration for Lees men through the winter
quarters pounds of meat. The last Confederate
fort, Fort Fisher, had been captured. The rebel
pOp er in tho West had been destroyed by ThOmass
crushing defeat of Hood at Nashville Shermans
army had reached the SEQ, and now was moving up
on Lees natural line of retreat. "Asainst this
c0nverging circle OF million soldier, stood the
armies of Lee and Joseph L. Johnston. the one NUM-
bering barely $4,000, tho other scarcely half 81
manv" Grant in his log cabin ut City Point,
medtated his plans. Leo was anxious to make
junction with Johnston. Grant decided tha; Sher
man must attend to the latter while he would
himself move against Lee; Tho Confederate chief
attacked him. maklnga show of offensive opera
ions as cover for the evacuation OF Petersburg
But there was not tho old spirit in the rebel
ightng. Lee lost 1000 men. Signs of his weak
ucss multiplied. and Grant changing Sheridan'S
orders wrote him that be snow felt like eadng
the matter Il it Were possible to do so, before going
back The battle or Five Forks followed
pr liant victory for Grant and Sheridan. Part OF
Lees right fed, 5000 laid down their arms. and
Zee was left with lines so thin that the men were
scarcely close enough together for sontnels. On
sunday. April =. 1865, Grant fcrcely assaulted
petersburg and President Davis sitting in his pew
a Richmond church, was handed note from Lee I
announcing that Richmond and Petersburg must bc
'vacuated that night. IL had been understood in
Richmond that Five Forks WAS rebel victory, and
ms terrible blow. BY aybreak Monday
morning Lee little army was sixteen miles away
rom Petersburg. still in hopes Of Joining Johnston
and making something out of evca the desperate
chances that remained. But by blunder his !
supplies run into Richmond and, SO lost.
sheridan swept around in front. He was caught.
The conference of Grant and Lee i'm the little farm
house at, AppomattOx-not under an apPlc-tree-
followed on Aprll0 The surrender was on tcrms
made generous by tho victor Tho oapitulation of !!
Johnston to Sherman and the fall of Mobile fol
lowed and when he news reached Texas. Genera h
itIchard Taylor. holding the last outpost 80 gave
up his sword. Tho Confedoracy was in rains. and 4
rant stood before the world the architect ~
its fall.
The following is General Grants own account of
Lees surrender:
l had known General Lee in the Old army and had 2
served with him in the Mexican war. but did not sup
he would probably remember me. while would
ber him nctly because he the chief engineer
on the staff Of General Scott In the Mexican War Whom
LETT camp that morning had not expected the result
so soon that was then taking place and consequently
was IN rough garb, and believe. without sword.
usually when on horseback the field, wearing n
rank indicate who was t. tho army When I went
into the house | found General Lee We greeted (
each other, and. after shaking hands, took our
seats. What his feelings wtrs | do not know.
Being man OF much dignity and with AN q
mpenetrahle face it was impossible TO say whether be
felt inwarfly glad that the end had finally come.
to show it. Whatever his feeling were they were
trey concealed from observation but my feelings
sad and depressed felt like anything rather than
rejoicing the downfall Of foe that had fought so long
which Believed to % So one Of the Worst rr Whic eo
pie ever fought and for which there the
pretex do not question: however tho sincerity the
great mass OF those who were opposed to General
wearing sword considerable value very likely the s
sword that had been presented by State ofVgna at
all eyelts. ii entirely different sword from the 4
one that would ordinarily he in the field In iny
rough travelling suit. which the uniform OF prI
vate with the straps OF general, have con Y
trastcd strangely with man so Handsomely dressed s
six feet HIGH and OF fautess form. But this was not
matter that thought OF until afterward. 10
General Lee and soon fell into conversation about
Old army times. He remarked that he remembered me
'ery wen ia tHc od army ana toll hn ~ matter OF q
course, that remembered him perfectly bat owing Ia
INC difference yearS-here being about sixteen years a
Inference in our ages-and rank Thought IL very
likely had not attracted his attention sufficiently 10 he
remembered after long period. Our conversation ~
grew pleasant that almost forgot the object OF our
Meeting General lee at that time accompanied hy 4
me Of his saf officers, Colonel Marshall had All OF
ny staff with me, good portion OF whom were in the
oom during the whole OF the interview. IL