LINCOLN’S laconic despatch—­capturing Lee’s supplies—­delighted
engineers—­the confederates’ last effort—­A flag of truce—­general
Geary’s “Last ditch” Absurdity—­meeting of grant and lee—­the
surrender—­estimate of general grant.

The first report of the battle of Sailor’s Creek that General Grant received was, as already stated, an oral message carried by Colonel Price, of my staff.  Near midnight I sent a despatch giving the names of the generals captured.  These were Ewell, Kershaw, Barton, Corse, Dubose, and Custis Lee.  In the same despatch I wrote:  “If the thing is pressed, I think that Lee will surrender.”  When Mr. Lincoln, at City Point, received this word from General Grant, who was transmitting every item of news to the President, he telegraphed Grant the laconic message:  “Let the thing be pressed.”  The morning of the 7th we moved out at a very early hour, Crook’s division marching toward Farmville in direct pursuit, while Merritt and Mackenzie were ordered to Prince Edward’s Court House to anticipate any effort Lee might make to escape through that place toward Danville since it had been discovered that Longstreet had slipped away already from the front of General Ord’s troops at Rice’s Station.  Crook overtook the main body of the Confederates at Farmville, and promptly attacked their trains on the north side of the Appomattox with Gregg’s brigade, which was fiercely turned upon and forced to re-cross the river with the loss of a number of prisoner’s, among them Gregg himself.  When Crook sent word of this fight, it was clear that Lee had abandoned all effort to escape to the southwest by way of Danville.  Lynchburg was undoubtedly his objective point now; so, resolving to throw my cavalry again across his path, and hold him till the infantry could overtake him, I directed everything on Appomattox depot, recalling Crook the night of the 7th to Prospect Station, while Merritt camped at Buffalo Creek, and Mackenzie made a reconnoissance along the Lynchburg railroad.

At break of day, April 8, Merritt and Mackenzie united with Crook at Prospect Station, and the cavalry all moved then toward Appomattox depot.  Hardly had it started when one of the scouts—­Sergeant White —­informed me that there were four trains of cars at the depot loaded with supplies for Lee’s army; these had been sent from Lynchburg, in compliance with the telegram of Lee’s commissary-general, which message, it will be remembered, was captured and transmitted to Lynchburg by two of Young’s scouts on the 4th.  Sergeant White, who had been on the lookout for the trains ever since sending the despatch, found them several miles west of Appomattox depot feeling their way along, in ignorance of Lee’s exact position.  As he had the original despatch with him, and took pains to dwell upon the pitiable condition of Lee’s army, he had little difficulty in persuading the men in charge of the trains to bring them east of Appomattox Station, but fearing that the true state of affairs would be learned before long, and the trains be returned to Lynchburg, he was painfully anxious to have them cut off by breaking the track west of the station.