Jasper County Democrat, Volume 22, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 May 1919 — The Closing Scenes of the Great War Between the States [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

The Closing Scenes of the Great War Between the States

N THE bright noon of a brilliant spring day in Virginia General Grant, with his staff, rode into the little village of Farmville, a place that will be memorable as the one from which he opened correspondence with Lee regarding the surrender of the Confederate forces. There he met a Doctor Smith, formerly an army

officer and relative of General Ewell, then a prisoner of the Federals. Doctor Smith told Grant that the Confederate generals had decided the game was lost when they crossed the line of the James river. Soon after came word that Sheridan had captured the last remaining provision trains of Lee’s troops. Lee made his dispositions for further fighting. Like a wounded lion brought to bay, the gray troops struck this way and that at the ring of tormentors about them. At five o’clock the afternoon of April 7 Grant sent bis first note to Lee. It read: “General R. E. Lee, Commanding C. S. A.: The results 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 that It is so, and regard it as my duty to shift from my-

self 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. “U. S. GRANT, Lieutenant General.” General Lee replied saying he would dlscMss terms with Gen-

eral Grant. Meanwhile the fighting went on. Sheridan threw his troops across Lee’s front. In a final surge of heroism the worn and hungry Confederates fixed bayonets and drove Sheridan’s cavalry almost In a rout. Even the Infantry was disorganized. For a few brief minutes hope surged back Into Confederate breasts. Perhaps after all they would break the blue cordon, escape to the South, unite with the army of Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, and then In the hills of western Virginia reorganize a force that would be the bugbear of the Union again. But it was only a dream.