NEWS OF 150 YEARS AGO
March-April 1865
From The Missouri Democrat, Tuesday, April 11, 1865.
TE DEUM
LAUDAMUS!
FLOAT EVERY FLAG!
Fire Your Guns!
RING THE JOY BELLS!
ILLUMINATE!
Surrender of Lee!
Grant’s Terms Accepted!
RALEIGH OCCUPIED!
Johnston Expected to Surrender!
THE WAR OVER.
General Capitulation Looked For.
FROM NEW YORK.
THE PURSUIT OF LEE.
Breaking up of his Army.
ROUT UTTER AND COMPLETE.
JEFF. DAVIS AT DANVILLE.
STONEMAN APPROACHING.
From Washington
RETURN OF THE PRESIDENT
CABINET CONSULTATION.
SPEECH BY MR. LINCOLN.
REPORT FROM PORTER.
FROM PHILADELPHIA.
FROM FORTRESS MONROE.
Immense Procession in Chicago.
From Cairo and Below
Forrest Defeated.
His Whole Army Scattered.
From Fort Spanish.
SURRENDER OF GEN. LEE.
WAR DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON, April 9.—9 P. M.—To Major General Pope, Commanding: This Department has just received the official report of the surrender this day of General Lee and his army to Lieutenant General Grant, on the terms proposed by General Grant.
Details will be given as speedily as possible.
E. M. STANTON,
Secretary of War.
HEADQUARTERS ARMIES OF THE UNITED STATES
4 P. M., April 9, 1865.
To Hon. E. M. Stanton, Secretary of War:
General Lee surrendered the army of Northern Virginia, this afternoon, upon terms proposed by myself. The accompanying and the additional correspondence will show the conditions fully.
U. S. GRANT, Lieut. Gen.
To Lieut. General U. S. GRANT, Commanding Armies of the United States.
APRIL 9.—General: I received your note of this morning on the picket line, whither I have come to meet you, and ascertain definitely what terms were embraced in your propositions of yesterday with reference to the surrender of this army. I now request an interview, in accordance with the offer contained in your letter of yesterday, for that purpose.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
R. E. LEE, General.
April 9th. To Gen. R. E. Lee, commanding Armies of the Confederacy:
Your note this day is this moment received, 11:15 a. m. In consequence of my having passed from the Richmond and Lynchburg road to the Farmville road, I am at this writing about four miles west of Walter’s Church, and will push forward to the front for the purpose of meeting you. A notice, if sent to me on this road where you wish the interview to take place, will meet me.
Very respectfully your obedient servant,
U. S. GRANT, Lieut. Gen.
APPOMATTOX COURT HOUSE, April 9, 1865.—To General R. E. Lee, Commanding, C. S. A.:
In accordance with the substance of my letter to you of the 8th instant, I propose to receive the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia on the following terms, to-wit: Rolls of all the officers and men to be made in duplicate, one copy to be given to an officer designated by me, the other to be retained by such officer or officers as you may designate. The officers to give their individual paroles not to take up arms against the government of the United States until properly exchanged, and each company or regimental commander sign a like parole for the men in their command.
The arms, artillery and public property to be packed or stacked, and turned over to the officers appointed by me to receive them. This will not embrace the side arms of officers nor their private horses or baggage.
This done, each officer and man will be allowed to return to their homes, not to be disturbed by the United States authorities so long as they observe their parole and the laws in force where they may reside. Very respectfully,
U. S. GRANT, Lieutenant General.
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA, APRIL 9, 1865.—To Lieutenant General Grant, Commanding U. S. Armies: GENERAL: I have received your letter of this date containing the terms of surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia as proposed by you. As they are substantially the same as those expressed in your letter of the 6th inst., they are accepted.
I will proceed to designate the proper officers to carry the stipulations into effect.
Your ob’t serv’t,
R. E. LEE, General.
The following is the previous correspondence between Lieutenant General Grant and General Lee, referred to in the foregoing telegrams to the Secretary of War:
CLIFTON HOUSE, Va., April 9.—p. m.
Hon. E. M. Stanton, Secretary of War:
The following correspondence has taken place between General Lee and myself. There has been no relaxation in pursuit during its pendency.
U. S. GRANT, Lieut. Gen.
April 7th, 1865.—General Lee commanding, &c.: 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 like 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, Lieut. Gen. Comd’g.
TO LIEUTENANT GENERAL U. S. GRANT, Commanding armies of the United States.
APRIL 7, 1865.—GENERAL: I have received your note of this date. Though not entirely of the opinion you express of the hopelessness of the further resistance on the part of the army of Northern Virginia, I reciprocate your desire to avoid useless effusion of blood, and therefore, before considering your proposition, ask the terms you will offer on condition of its surrender.
R. E. LEE, General.
APRIL 8, 1865.—General R. E. Lee, Commanding C. S. A.: GENERAL—Your note of last evening in reply to mine of same date, asking conditions, on which I will accept the surrender of the army of Northern Virginia, is just received. In reply I will say that peace being my first desire there is but one condition I insist upon, viz:
That the men surrendered shall be disqualified for taking up arms again against the Government of the United States until properly exchanged. I will meet you or designate officers to meet any officers you may name for the purpose of arranging, definitely, the terms upon which the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia will be received.
Very respectfully, &c., U. S. GRANT.
Lieutenant General Commanding U. S. A.
April 8th, 1865—GENERAL: I received at a late hour your note of to-day in answer of mine of yesterday. I did not intend to propose the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia, but to ask the terms of your proposition. To be frank, I do not think the emergency has arisen to call for the surrender of this army, but as the restoration of peace should be the sole object of all, I desire to know whether your proposals would tend to that end, I would not, therefore, meet you with a view to surrender the Army of Northern Virginia, but as far as your proposition may effect the Confederate States forces under my command, and tends to the restoration of peace, I should be pleased to meet you at 10 a. m. to-morrow, on the old State road to Richmond, between the picket lines of the two armies.
Very respectfully your obedient servant,
R. E. LEE, General Commanding, &c.
To Lieutenant General GRANT, Commanding, &c.
APRIL 9TH, 1865.—To General R. E. Lee, Commanding C. S. A.: Your note of yesterday is received. As I have no authority to treat on the subject of peace, the meeting proposed for ten a. m. to-day could not lead to any good. I will state, however, General, that I am equally anxious for peace with yourself, and the whole North entertain the same feeling.
The terms upon which peace can be had are well understood. By the South laying down their arms, they will hasten that most desirable event, save thousands of human lives, and hundreds of millions of property not yet destroyed. Sincerely hoping that our difficulties may be settled without loss of another life, I subscribe myself,
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
U. S. GRANT.
Lieut. Gen’l, Commanding U. S. Army.
WAR DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON, D. C.—9:30 P. M., April 9th.—To Lieut. Gen. Grant:–Thanks be to Almighty God for the great victory with which He has this day covered you and the gallant army under your command.
The thanks of this Department and of the Government and of the people of the United States, their reverence and honor, have been deserved by, and will be given to, you and the brave and gallant officers and soldiers of your command for all time.
E. M. STANTON,
Secretary of War.
WAR DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON, D. C., 10 P. M.
April 9, 1865.
It is ordered that a salute of 200 guns be fired at the headquarters of every Army and Department, and at every post and arsenal in the United States, and at the Military Academy at West Point, on receipt of this order, in commemoration of the surrender of General Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia to Lieutenant General Grant, and the army under his command. Report on the receipt of this order, to be made to the Adjutant General, Washington.
E. M. STANTON,
Secretary of War.
