HEADQUARTERS ARMIES OF THE UNITED STATES
WILSON’S STATION, April 5, 1865

Major-General SHERMAN, Goldsboro’, North Carolina: 

All indications now are that Lee will attempt to reach Danville with the remnant of his force.  Sheridan, who was up with him last night, reports all that is left with him—­horse, foot, and dragoons—­at twenty thousand, much demoralized.  We hope to reduce this number one-half.  I will push on to Burkesville, and, if a stand is made at Danville, will, in a very few days, go there.  If you can possibly do so, push on from where you are, and let us see if we cannot finish the job with Lee’s and Johnston’s armies.  Whether it will be better for you to strike for Greensboro’ or nearer to Danville, you will be better able to judge when you receive this.  Rebel armies now are the only strategic points to strike at.

U. S. GRANT, Lieutenant-General.

I answered immediately that we would move on the 10th, prepared to follow Johnston wherever he might go.  Promptly on Monday morning, April 10th, the army moved straight on Smithfield; the right wing making a circuit by the right, and the left wing, supported by the centre, moving on the two direct roads toward Raleigh, distant fifty miles.  General Terry’s and General Kilpatrick’s troops moved from their positions on the south or west bank of the Neuse River in the same general direction, by Cox’s Bridge.  On the 11th we reached Smithfield, and found it abandoned by Johnston’s army, which had retreated hastily on Raleigh, burning the bridges.  To restore these consumed the remainder of the day, and during that night I received a message from General Grant, at Appomattox, that General Lee had surrendered to him his whole army, which I at once announced to the troops in orders: 

[Special Field Orders, No. 54]

HEADQUARTERS MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI
IN THE FIELD, SMITHFIELD, NORTH CAROLINA, April 12, 1865.

The general commanding announces to the army that he has official notice from General Grant that General Lee surrendered to him his entire army, on the 9th inst., at Appomattox Court-House, Virginia.

Glory to God and our country, and all honor to our comrades in arms, toward whom we are marching!

A little more labor, a little more toil on our part, the great race is won, and our Government stands regenerated, after four long years of war.

W. T. SHERMAN, Major-General commanding.

Of course, this created a perfect furore, of rejoicing, and we all regarded the war as over, for I knew well that General Johnston had no army with which to oppose mine.  So that the only questions that remained were, would he surrender at Raleigh? or would he allow his army to disperse into guerrilla bands, to “die in the last ditch,” and entail on his country an indefinite and prolonged military occupation, and of consequent desolation?  I knew well that Johnston’s army could not be caught; the country was too open; and, without wagons, the men could escape us, disperse, and assemble again at some place agreed on, and thus the war might be prolonged indefinitely.