Evening star., 1915-04-11
FIFTY YEARS AGO
IN THE STAR

The capture Of Richmond was gen.
orally recognized as the beginning OF
the end of the organized
Waiting for rebellion against the
c Union. In The Star OF
0uAienuei' April 4. 1866. is the fol-
lowing summary of the situation inn
mediately preceding the surrender Of
Lee:
TT strikes US as eminently appro-
pirate that Grant and his glorious army
should have taken Richmond without
the firing Of a gun in the immediate
work by any other portion of our
force. The great result vindicates his
generalship and his army's efficiency
past all denial, II there remain any
to doubt either. in view OF the diffi-
culties of his arduous and long pro-
tracted task. The time has now ar
rived when serious efforts at peace will
be made. Such southern men as
Alexander Stephens. Judge Campbell
and W. w. Holden-sincere Union men
at heart-will doubtless at once take
the initiative In the desired negotia-
tions based on Immediate and absolute
submission to the governments law
full authority. Our Impression is that
Gov. Vance Of North Carolina will no
longer hold out against the Union
continent Of that state, and that Gov.
Brown of Georgia will not be behind
hand in bringing his state back into
the Union.
"The readers of The Star will re-
member that we have steadily main
tanned that whenever relieved from
ha 80 tha okA pirh
despotism the people of the south
might be relied on to evince a thou
sandfold moro attachment for the
Union than was generally believed in
ness such manifestations from that
quarter in that way as will astound
the country. speedily satisfying all Of
the truth of what we know well, viz:
of well contrived and boldly exc
cuted conspiracy, in instantly enslav-
ing the instruments tpopuIation) with
which 1t essayed to work out its pur-
poses. much more than half of whom
had at no time sympathized with the
end and aim of it's crimes. and three
fourths of whom will now gladly ac-
cept a return to the Union without
slavery, in preference to adherence to
the fortunes of the most diabolical
world"
"a
Despite this confidence In the carly
collapse of the rebellion. there was the
keenest interest in
Lees Westward the movements of
r..A Lee, the capture of
whose army s
recognized as necessary before peace
could be viewed as within range. In
yc he fo1
lowing speculation on the subject:
'It Is now certain that Lees effort to
escape Grants pursuing army is in the
direction OF Lynchburg and not in that
of Danville as was generally conjec-
tured twenty-four hours ago He flies
with what he may have left of his late
defiant host away from Johnston rather
than back upon the latter. simply be-
cause south OF the Appomattox Grants
is probably far greater than north of
that river. While 1t may be easier for
him to reach Lynchburg than Danville.
his chance of recuperating and resup-
plying and reinforcing himself there
is far less. AT Lynchburg he Will find
himself confined to a much narrower
territory in which to forage, conscript
and exact than if at Danville. and he
will also find that Johnston can hardly
by any possible chance join him there
intercepted by Grant, IL not Thomas
also. We do not perceive how Lee can
keep 10000 men together two weeks
longer, in view of his want of supplies.
the impossibility of getting them in
the direction In which he is flying, the
very general desertion of his remain
ing men. the almost entire loss OF his
arms, etc.. etc"
The Star Of April Z, 1865. carries un-
der an unusually large head the story
of the last battle of
Last Battle in the war In Virginia.
WITT. which has been known
virginia. as the battle of Sol
diers' Creek. and which broke the
power of Lees resistance and blocked
his retreat. This is told in the form
Of dispatches from Gems. Grant, Sheri-
dan, Humphrey, Meade and Wright. AS
a result of this battle the Confederate
Gems. Ewell, Kershaw. Button, Corse.
De Bar and Custis Lee. together with
several thousand prisoners and large
quantity Of munitions. were captured.
This engagement was the result or
Sheridan's swift movements. which
line of retreat. In his dispatch to Cen.
Grant, dated at 11:15 pm. April 6. Gen.
Sheridan says: "If the thing is pressed
1 think Lee will surrender An in
teresting feature of The Stars presen-
tation of these reports is a brief dis
patch from President Lincoln. dated
at City Point, S:35 am. April Z. and
addressed to the Secretary of War, CIV
ing the text of Sheridan's report to
Grant
Tho news Of the surrender Of Lee
reached Washington during the night of
April 9, 1865, and was i'm
News of the mediately printed in ex-
ira editions of the news
Surrender. papers. The Star of
Anril 10 in its regular edition carried the
tale of this final abandonment OF the
field by the largest Confederate force. in
the form of official dispatches. Secretary
Stanton announced the surrender in
telegram to Maj. Gen. John A. Dix in
New York dated 9 pm April g. Gen.
Grants dispatch to Secretary Stanton
read as follows:
Gen. Lee surrendered the army of
terms proposed by myself The accom-.
panying additional correspondence will
show the conditions fully
Discussing the surrender The Star said
on the same day. April 10:
"The thrilling intelligence buzzed about
Washington at a late hour last night OF
the surrender OF Lee and the army of
nothern Virginia was fully and officially
announced at daylight this morning by
the thunder of artillery and the joyous
ringing of bells. With this surrender per-
ishes the last hope of the rebels and their