carry! But Grant was an eager pursuer. Until
the sixth day that desperate flight and chase continued.
Lee soon saw that he could not get to Danville, as
he had hoped to do, and thereupon changed his plan
and struck nearly westward, for open country, via Appomattox
Court House. All the way, as he marched, Federal
horsemen worried the left flank of his columns, while
the infantry came ever closer upon the rear, and kept
up a ceaseless skirmishing. It had become “a
life and death struggle with Lee to get south to his
provisions;” and Grant was struggling with not
less stern zeal, along a southerly line, to get ahead
of him in this racing journey. The Federal troops,
sanguine and excited, did their part finely, even
marching a whole day and night without rations.
On April 6 there was an engagement, in which about
7000 Southerners, with six general officers, surrendered;
and perhaps the captives were not deeply sorry for
their fate. Sheridan telegraphed: “If
the thing is pressed, I think that Lee will surrender.”
Grant repeated this to the President, who replied:
“Let the thing be pressed,”—not
that there was any doubt about it! Yet, April
7, General Lee was cheered by an evanescent success
in an engagement. It was trifling, however, and
did not suffice to prevent many of his generals from
uniting to advise him to capitulate. Grant also
sent to him a note saying that resistance was useless,
and that he desired to shift from himself the responsibility
of further bloodshed by asking for a surrender.
Lee denied the hopelessness, but asked what terms
would be offered. At the same time he continued
his rapid retreat. On April 8, about sunset, near
Appomattox Station, his advance encountered Sheridan’s
cavalry directly across the road. The corral
was complete. Nevertheless, there ensued a few
critical hours; for Sheridan could by no means stand
against Lee’s army. Fortunately, however,
these hours of crisis were also the hours of darkness,
in which troops could march but could not fight, and
at dawn, on April 9, the Southerners saw before them
a great force of Federal soldiery abundantly able
to hold them in check until Grant’s whole army
could come up. “A sharp engagement ensued,”
says General Grant, “but Lee quickly set up
a white flag.” He then notified Sheridan,
in his front, and Meade, in his rear, that he had
sent a note to General Grant with a view to surrender,
and he asked a suspension of hostilities. These
commanders doubted a ruse, and reluctantly consented
to hold their troops back for two hours. That
was just enough; pending the recess Grant was reached
by the bearer of the dispatch, and at once rode in
search of Lee.