P. H. SHERIDAN,
“Major-General Commanding.”
On the receipt of this message, General Grant was already pushing on in person, with his whole army, to join Sheridan and strike the deathblow to the rebellion. But there was no need of further fighting. Sheridan had captured a large part of the rebel army, and the rest was demoralized. Lee’s headquarters at this time were near Amelia Court House. On the afternoon of the 9th of April, finding all hope of success to the rebel arms to be utterly empty and vain, the rebel commander finally surrendered to General Grant the entire Army of Northern Virginia. The letters which passed between the two commanders, upon this occasion, and which telegraphed to the Northern press, created the wildest enthusiasm throughout the land, are well worthy of preservation in the pages of any History of the War for the Union—so graphic and thorough in their narrative of the closing scene of rebel discomfiture and national triumph.
GENERAL GRANT TO GENERAL LEE.
“April 7, 1865.
“General R. E. Lee, Commanding Confederate States Army:—
“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 Confederate States army, known as the Army of Northern Virginia.
“Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
“U. S. GRANT, Lieutenant-General, U. S. A.”