GRANT
GRANT
its fire against the fort uiid General Terry's force
was landed, eutreuclieil. and on the loth under
protection of the guns of the fleet assaulted and
captured the works with 169 siege gims and the
entire garrison. On Dec. 27, 1864, Sherman's army
of 60,000 men with 2600 wagons and OS guns took
up their marcli from Savannah through the Caro-
iinas to prevent the retreat of Lee to the south,
and on Jan. 7, 1863. Schofield was ordered from
Clifton, Tenn., to the seacoast. He reached
Washington, January 31, the mouth of Cape
Fear river, February 9, Wilmington, N.C., Feb-
ruary 22, and made a jimction with Sherman at
Goklsboro. Slieridan defeated Early at Waynes-
boro, March 2, and scattered his entire command,
destroyed the James River canal, passed to the
north of Richmond destroying the railroads,
reached White House. Va., on the 19th, and
joined the army of the Potomac. Sherman cap-
tured Columbia, S.C., on February 17, and com-
pelled the evacuation of Charleston, and after
various skirmishes reached Benton ville, N.C., on
March 19, 1863, where he was assaulted six times
by the army of Johnston and each time repulsed
the Confederates. This obliged Johnston to fall
back and on the 2'Sd Sherman joined Scho-
field' s army at Goldsboro, where for the first
time since he had left Savannah, his army
had communication with the seacoast. On
March 20 Stoneman commenced his march from
East Tennessee toward Lynchburg, Va., Canby
moved against Mobile the same da)-, and in the
far west Pope drove Price bej'ond the Red river.
General Sherman. Admiral Porter and General
Grant held an informal conference at City Point,
March 37, 1865. On the 23th Lee made a deter-
minijil effort to break the Federal lines and gain
a line of retreat toward Danville by assaulting
Grant's right. He captured Fort Stedman and
several batteries, but the same day was driven
back and the fort was recaptured. On the
29th Grant ordered a general advance ; Sheridan
was sent to Dinwiddle Court House, and the 5th
corps was advanced, but on the Slst was driven
back when the 2d corps came to its aid and
drove the Confederates to their south works.
Sheiydan was forced to remain at Dinwiddie to
repel repeated attacks of the Confederate infan-
try and cavalry and the 5th corps came to his
help. On April 1 the Confederates opposing
Sheridan fell back toward Five Forks, taking up
a position on Lee's extreme right where Sheridan
and the 5th corps achieved a victory, capturing
their works, 6 guns and nearly GOOO prisoners.
At daylight on April 2 General Grant made an
assault on the entire line of works around Peters-
burg and carried them by storm, closing in on
the inner works defending the city. He captured
Forts Gregg and WLitworth with 12,000 prisoners
and 50 guns and the same night both Petersburg
and Richmond were evacuated and the Federal
forces took possession on the morning of April 3,
1863. Sheridan's cavalry and the advance of
the oth corps readied Danville to cut off Lee's
retreat in the afternoon of the 4th and intrenched.
The army of the Potomac reached there on the
5th and the army of the James uudei Ord marched
i-ajjidly toward Burkesville. Lee left Amelia
Court House in the direction of Farmville and on
the 6th his army was overtaken by Sheridan's
cavalry and the 6th corps at Sailor's Creek, and
several genei'al officers and 7000 men were cap-
tured. The 2d corps captured 4 guns, 1700
prisoners, 13 flags and 300 wagons. The cavalry
and the 6th corps were later defeated north of
tlie Appomattox but were reinforced b3' the 6th
corps on the 7th and the same night Grant sent
a note from Farmville to Lee, asking for the
surrender of his army. On the morning of the
8th Lee sent his reply that, while his cause was
not hopeless, he would learn the terms proposed.
Grant replied from Farmville that he would
insist on but one condition, that the men and
officers surrendered should be disqualified for
taking up arms until properly exchanged. Mean-
while the 2d and 6th corps were pursuing Lee's
troops in full retreat on the north side of the
Appomattox, and Sheridan, Ord and the 5th corps
were equally active on the south side to prevent
Lee from escaping toward Lynchburg. It was
toward midnight that Grant received a note
from Lee proposing a meeting at 10 o'clock the
next morning, the 9th, to make terms that might
lead to peace. Grant replied that he had no
authority to treat on the subject of peace, but
that if the south would lay down their arms,
such an act would save thousands of lives and
hundreds of millions of property and do much
toward hastening the event. Lee's advance
reached Appomattox Court House early in the
morning of the Oth of April, and Ord, Sheridan
and Griffin reached the same point at the same
time and Lee attacked the Federal cavalry, but
finding infantry also on his front he sent in a
flag of truce with a note to General Grant asking
for an interview. This note was received while
Grant was on the road approaching Apjiomattos
Court House and he replied that he would move
forward and meet the Confederate leader at any
place he would designate. The reply from Lee
led Grant to a house in the village where, on the
afternoon of April 9, 1863, the 'terms of surrender
were drawn up by General Grant and accepted
by General Lee, after a conference of three hours.
The army of 28,356 men were paroled and after-
ward 20,000 .stragglers and deserters came in and
were also paroled. Grant promptly suppressed
all demon.stration of rejoicing on the part of the
