The two met at the house of a villager and easily came to terms, for Grant’s offer transcended in liberality anything which Lee could fairly have expected.  General Grant hastily wrote it out in the form of a letter to Lee:  The Confederates, officers and men, were to be paroled, “not to take up arms against the government of the United States until properly exchanged;” arms, artillery, and public property were to be turned over to the Federals except the side-arms of the officers, their private horses, and baggage.  “This done, each officer and man will be allowed to return to their homes, not to be disturbed by United States authority so long as they observe their parole and the laws in force where they may reside.”  This closing sentence practically granted amnesty to all persons then surrendering, not excluding even the rebel general-in-chief.  It was afterward severely criticised as trenching upon the domain of the President, and perhaps, also, on that of Congress.  For it was practically an exercise of the pardoning power; and it was, or might be, an element in reconstruction.  Not improbably the full force of the language was not appreciated when it was written; but whether this was so or not, and whether authority had been unduly assumed or not, an engagement of General Grant was sure to be respected, especially when it was entirely in harmony with the spirit of the President’s policy, though it happened to be contrary to the letter of his order.

General Lee had no sooner surrendered than he asked for food for his starving troops; and stated, by way of estimate, that about twenty-five thousand rations would be needed.  The paroles, as signed, showed a total of 28,231.  To so trifling a force had his once fine army been reduced by the steady drain of battles and desertions.[82] The veterans had long since understood that their lives were a price which could buy nothing, and which therefore might as well be saved.

The fall of Richmond and the surrender of Lee were practically the end of the war.  Remnants of secession indeed remained, of which Mr. Lincoln did not live to see the disposition.  Johnston’s army was still in the field; but on learning that there really was no longer either a Confederacy or a cause to fight for, it surrendered on April 26.  Jefferson Davis also arranged for himself[83] the most effectual of all amnesties by making himself ridiculous; for though some persons had designed a serious punishment for this dethroned ruler, they recognized that this became impossible after he had put himself into petticoats.  It was hardly fair that Mr. Lincoln was robbed of the amusement which he would have gathered from this exploit.