We are now to the closing scenes of the greatest civil war of modern times.

Lee evacuated Petersburg early on the third morning of April, 1865, and retreated toward Amelia Court House.

With the evacuation of Petersburg also fell the city of Richmond. For nine months Lee's invincible forces had kept a foe more than twice their numbers from invading their capital.

Lee had ordered supplies for his army to Amelia Court House, for which they were in sore need, as they had been on little or no rations for several days, but by some mistake of orders the train of supplies had been sent on to Richmond. This serious mistake was a crushing blow to Lee's army, for when his troops reached Amelia Court House and found no supplies, which had been promised them, their hopes sank within them. Lee, as well as his officers, had come to realize that the end of the great war could not be far distant.

Grant's army was hastening in pursuit of that of Lee's, Grant had sent General Sheridan to flank around Lee's army and get in his front, so if possible to cut off his chance of escape.

Lee had intended to concentrate his forces at Amelia Court House, but his whole army did not come up until the evening of the 5th, and on the discovery of his inadequate supplies he began the march anew toward Farmville, dividing his army so as to secure supplies from the country over which he passed. In the afternoon of April 6th Lee's army was overtaken by the Federals and a hard battle was fought at Sailor's Creek, in which General Richard Ewell, who was on the rear of Lee's army, was captured with his entire corps, numbering about 6,000 men.

Lee's main army reached Farmville on the night of the 6th of April, where they received their first rations within two days, and near which place a hard battle was fought, in which the Confederates, under General Mahone, gained a temporary victory.

The retreat was again renewed in the hope of breaking through the Federal lines, which were rapidly enveloping around them. During these marches the soldiers were so worn out from hunger, fatigue, and lack of sufficient clothing in the early spring weather, that there was much straggling from the army, and many had thrown their arms away until scarcely one-third of Lee's army was equipped for battle.

Lee's army reached Appomattox Court House late in the evening of April 8th, and here found the Federals in their front, and were compelled to stop and prepare for battle. General Lee and his officers held a council of war that night and decided to make a desperate effort to cut through the Federal lines the next morning. This task was assigned to General Gordon.

On Sunday, the 9th, Gordon made a fierce attack upon the Federals in his front, but was finally repulsed by overwhelming numbers, and sent word to General Lee that he could do nothing further unless he was heavily supported from Longstreet's corps.

With the repulse of Gordon on that morning sank Lee's last hope of breaking through the Federal lines, and he said there is nothing to do but see Grant.

Grant had proposed to Lee at Farmville, on the evening of the 7th, terms for the surrender of Lee's army, to which Lee replied that as much as he desired peace, yet the time certainly had not arrived for the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia.

After the repulse of Gordon, on April 9th, Lee soon arranged a meeting with Grant and a truce was ordered pending negotiations for the surrender of Lee's army. This meeting took place at the house of Wilmer McLean at Appomattox Court House, at which place the terms were finally agreed upon by the two world famous commanders and were put in writing in the form of a letter from General Grant to General Lee, and the acceptance of the terms were written by Lee to Grant in the same form.

It is interesting to know that Wilmer McLean had lived on the battlefield of Bull Run during the progress of the first battle fought there, and after the battle moved to Appomattox Court House, and at his house was negotiated the terms of the surrender of Lee's army, thus around his premises was fought the first and the last great battle of the war.

The Confederate officers were allowed to retain their side arms, and the Confederate soldiers to retain their horses. This was a welcome concession.

Lee's army numbered less than 28,000 men, which he surrendered. Of these less than one-third were bearing arms on the day of surrender.

The Confederate soldiers for some time did not realize that negotiations for their surrender was on and were expecting and seemed to be anxious for another battle with General Sheridan in their front, and were greatly surprised on learning of the negotiations that had been completed for their surrender.

It was at once apparent to all that the great war was practically ended.

On the next day the surrender of the army was completed, and when Lee made his farewell address to his soldiers, who had so faithfully defended their faith in the Confederacy in all the hard battles in which they had been engaged, and especially since the Wilderness campaign, and in the defense of Petersburg and Richmond in the closing days, where their endurance was the greatest, and had now come down to the closing scenes at Appomattox, they were all deeply moved. General Lee, in broken accents, admonished them to be as brave citizens as they had been soldiers.

Thus practically ended the greatest civil war in history. Soon after Lee's surrender the other Confederate forces arranged for their surrender in quick succession.

It had been a long, bloody and devastating war, and it is said that there were more Confederate prisoners at Point Lookout alone than the number with Lee's army at the surrender.

The war closed on a spectacle of ruin the greatest yet known in America. While the smoke had cleared away, and the roar of the cannon had ceased, yet there could be heard the wailing of mothers, widows and orphans throughout both North and South, which is the greatest costs of so great and devastating war.

The Southern states lay prostrate; their resources gone; their fields desolate; their cities ruined; the fruits of the toil of generations all swept to destruction.

The total number of Union soldiers engaged were about a million and a half. Of this number, 275,000 were either killed in battle, died of mortal wounds or from disease in camp, and the loss to the Confederates was approximately the same. In both armies about 400,000 were disabled for life, thus making a grand total loss of about a million able-bodied men to the country.

At the close of the war over 60,000 Confederate prisoners were released. The records of the war department shows that 220,000 Confederates were made prisoners in the war. This includes, of course, the surrender of the armies at the close. Of this number 25,000 died of wounds and disease during their captivity. The estimated number of Union captives were about 200,000, of whom 40,000 died in captivity.

THE END