Summer of 1865. The second new york advancing on the station first. There is a young fella right here named Fred Blodgett who was 16 years old but the veteran of a dozen bottles and writes out and pulls out his serve all over pulls out his revolver and you know what he said . Hands up. The trains are captured. They will not leave the train right there. They will try to get him down the track. It is a volunteer army. They have previous occupations before joining the army. Some of them have worked on the railroad and start to move the trains out of the area. Send some artillery shells start to fall on the area of the station. Where are they coming from . Coming from the command of this guy here, rubin Lyndsay Walker from virginia. He commands the reserve artillery. He also let the distinction of having the best mustache and goatee in the can direct army. Wouldnt you agree . That is just dandy. So nice he likes to keep it in good order. He actually is sitting on a stump and having his men give him a shame that morning with the news comes in there is federal federal calvary approaching appomattox nation. Walker had with him about somewhere around 100 artillery pieces. Following behind him is the federal hospital change. What happens during the campaign when we concentrate army at an merely a courthouse they separate from the least effective artillery and send it on the northern route so it does not p the progress, the march of the rest of the army. It just happens on april 8, the artillery comes back and a little advance of the armies. So a writerider comes in calling a sheridan, the yankees are coming. Kind of like paul revere and the british are coming. Apparently this guy wanted to get out of the station pretty fast. He jumped on the mule backward in road into the federal artillery camp and the men are eating. What is volcker walker going to do . He does have infantry support other than artillery support. He starts to get his men into a rough time i and starts running towards appomattox station. Just about that time, a fourth train comes in, pushing more supplies from lynchburg. This is actually pushing it, the trains into the station. When its either federal cavalry there, they throw the engine into reverse and it breaks the couplings, so it leaves the cars and the supplies, but the engine makes it back to lynchburg and escapes. This is a very unusual battle. It is confederate artillery against federal mounted cavalry. I tried to find another battle like this in the civil war, and you cant do it. There is not a battle like this anywhere else in the american civil war. Mounted calvary attacking unsupported artillery. So the battle starts off at about 4 00 here at and what happens is custer cents april grade sends a brigade forward. But it is not a good area for fighting a battle. It is mainly shrubbery and dense forest. Some trails leading through the woods. So it is very difficult for the federal cavalry to mount an attack. The confederate side is hampered because this is really unexpected. They had no idea federal cavalry were going to set upon them. There was a lack of organization. It is hard for Central Command to command all these guns. And they walker tries to get the rest of the artillery away as fast as possible. He gets about 30 guns into action, and the rest of the men are trying to head off towards lynchburg. The bulk of them go north to a place called oak hill. About an hour later, he could take little help from general garys calvary. Some of his men arrived and i believe they are dismounted at the time. So they come up to lend support about an hour into the fight. Here is a charge of the first new york calvary. The lincoln cavalry. You can see the are charging into the woods. And here is the caption, the death of lieutenant walter. Well, lieutenant walter was mortally wounded. He didnt die until a few days later, but this is one of the few illustrations of the battle of appomattox station. These are custer upon brigade commanders. Alexander pennington, and william wells. Going into this battle, one of the men under wells is montague. We found upon entering the woods that the underbrush and fight for toothache for us to march there and keep our organization. And we were soon advancing every man for himself. Shells came crashing through the trees overhead, but now and then, our men were up to the mouths of the gun and they put out such a volume of raping canister it was impossible to exist. And we were obliged to fall back. We advance, and we were again repulsed. These guys are mounted on horses, charging this artillery that is firing canisters. These canons are acting as big shotguns. This is a Real Advantage to the confederate artillery because you dont necessarily have to take the calvary men out, you just have to take his horse out, right to go and they right . And they are inflicting casualties on the federals. This is one of the casualties, willard. Like i said earlier, every time a brigade comes up, they advance and get repulsed. The sun sets a little after 6 00, so much of the fighting is going on after dark. Custer is personally leading many of these charges. But at about 8 00 that evening he gets all his men together as a division and makes a final fourth charge. And they advance against the confederate artillery. The confederate artillery has been pulling out. But a member of the second new york calvary says this. As they come out of the woods. There is a flash of six bright lights. Six cannons firing at them. And a tornado of canister shots swept over our heads. In the next instant, we were fighting in the battery. Everyman was fighting for himself, and fighting like tigers. He asked a gets hit with a canister ball, but it numbs his like for a time. One of the casualties here is willard farrington. This fellow here is a graduate of Dartmouth College and was in the first vermont. Here, he is writing forward. He gets his horse his courts horse and him gets hit with a canister. When he recovers himself on the ground, he looks at his hand and he says, my fingers were completely knocked out and hanging over the backside of my hand, held on by a little shred of skin. So he suffered a rather severe casualty, as did his comment charles bell. Charles bell becomes a future governor of vermont. He takes a canister ball in the back of his hand. And as later able to draw a pension on that wound. This is barney shields the second West Virginia cavalry. He received the medal of honor for his actions at the battle of appomattox station. He captures the flag of the famed washington artillery of new orleans. And he takes the flag from the soldier here, or your babies. Williams kong comrade said he was an excellent soldier. I think this is an amazing photograph here. This is walter jones. He carried a bible in his breast pocket. Check that out. One of those holes was made in the Shenandoah Valley in the fall of 1864, the second hole was made at the battle of appomattox station. So that bible literally saved his life on two occasions. There are confederate casualties in this fight, too. This is captain myles makin. He is one of the men that is buried in the confederate cemetery at appomattox. As is oscar, of the louisiana artillery. And there is a casualty. This is members of the first West Virginia cavalry. They call them the red neckties because they would wear these red neckties under the uniform. By this time, the commander of the first West Virginia is this fellow over here. I love that image. He must have had light blue eyes. But he is struck down in this final charge on the confederate batteries. And he is later interred outside of Liberty Church near appomattox station. He is later disinterred and taken to a cemetery at petersburg. Another one of the casualties in those West Virginia boys is martin sutherland. Look where he takes the canister shot. Right in the foot. A rather nasty, nasty looking wont there. Wound there. They then hit the confederate hospital trains. In those hospital trains is confederate general young moody who was captured. Elements of custard command most prominently members of the 15th new york calvary, several squadrons, actually hit the stage road and start the charge towards the video of appomattox courthouse. In doing so, they nearly round up this fellow here. Is that general lee . No. That is his double, pendleton. The most gets captured by the 15th new york calvary. He left his horse over a fence and ended up falling up and landed in some sassafras bushes. They charge over the ridge west of town, they charge into the village, they go around both sides of the courthouse. There are way can trains all along the roads. The teamsters are trying to defend the wagon and they run into the men of the fifth alabama battalion. The men of the 15th new york cut down jesse hutch and hutchson. Jesse enlisted april 15 18 1861. Served throughout the war. And was cut down on the evening of april 18. He had served in the army, if i remember correctly 1444 days. Only to lose his life on the evening of april 8. The men of the fifth alabama battalion have their revenge. There is one of the soldiers hiding behind a tree near the shops. And puts a bullet right through the neck of colonel killing him instantly. He is knockoff of his horse. The charge kind of suspends itself right in front of the home of george pierce. By one account, there are north carolinians under ransom in the yard that repost this charge. Confederate troops had gone into camp behind the house. They hear this fighting. An account is given by isaac bradwell of the 31st your jet. He says, that they received provisions that came from somewhere. So with the county earlier, there were supplies taken from appomattox and brought back tolees to lees army. They are cooking these reactions he says when fighting of a severe character started in the village nearby. We were called to much to that point. Before we reached the scene of engagement, it was over with. And when we got into the little town, we saw a number of artillery pieces standing silently without anyone near. Going back to the rations a little bit. Confederates were hungry on this campaign, not because there werent rations, but that they couldnt get the rations. That was grants doing. He understood that if you want to defeat an army, you have to take away their rations. There supplies. The things that are going to make them fight. He also understands that he has to not fall behind to lee, he has to get to where lee wants to go. As the charge peters out in the village, the men start to fall back. They had towards the ridge west of town. Of all the dead forces in appomattox, and never understood why there are so many dead horses at appomattox, and then i found an account of a guy that said as they rode out of town, they pulled out their rollovers and shot all the horses his to the wagon. Thus, creating a roadblock. And they getting the use of those wagons any further by the confederate army. Private Williams Smith of the second or how calvary gets up on the ridge. He said, we lay down on the road that night without unsettling, waiting for bizz. Some civil war slang for you there. The success of custers troops on april 8, destroying and dispersing what walkers artillery is important. The capture of those supplies was even more important, but perhaps the most important thing undoubtedly, the most important thing was that the federal county now held lees line of retreat. They blocked it west of appomattox courthouse. Now, he is going to have to fight his way out. Federal surgeons working on the wounded, did they have never treated had never treated so many severe cases in such a short fight. They were made chiefly by artillery and remaining serious. You can imagine that. If you are going to get hit with a canister, youre probably not going to get hit with just one canister ball. This is an illustration by william shepherd, who is a confederate shoulder soldier, showing their carriages. They bury some of their artillery pieces. During the night lee holds his last council of war. The president john b gordon, pete long street, he wants to know, should he surrender . France artie asked him to surrender a day earlier on april 7. This is april 8. Osha they continue fighting . The generals believe that it is only federal cavalry that could be to the west, and they can fight through that calvary and continue the march to link forces in North Carolina. That night, general gordon general lee orders general gordon to advance. He is going to be supported by the cavalry. And the artillery. And they are going to move out and drive that federal cavalry off the ridge. Now, during the night, custers men are removed from the ridge and a brigade from general george crooks Division Takes position holding the road. It is on the command of this fellow here, colonel charles smith, formerly of the first main calvary maine cavalry. And they are the ones are going to hold the road. The men of the first maine calvary have some spencer carbines that can shoot seven shots. Henrys rifles can shoot six shots. But the rest of the brigade, six and her teeth ohio, have shards carbines. Sharps carbines. They have two guns of artillery support under this guy lieutenant james. West point image. And what the confederates are going to do, they come to the village i think at about 2 00 in the morning, this is gordons infantry. And out here is lees cavalry. They are going to do a left wheel and drive the federal cavalry off that ridge. The end of advancing about about quarter to 8 00 that morning. There is john gordon for you, if you dont know who he is. He is a very dashing confederate colonel. Here is general lees nephew. Commanding the cavalry in this attack. And there is long, in charge of the artillery. As that confederate line advances, on the left is clement evanss division. In the center is james walker. And on the right is brian grimes, north carolinians. And then in reserve, they have william wallace. But he doesnt look anything like mel gibson, does he . So, the confederates to this left wheel at attack the ridge. And there is really just too many confederates. If you count them all up, you have about 9000 confederates in this attack. Smith has maybe about 1200 cavalry. So they are not able to hold off the confederates very long. In fact, one soldier with the first maine cavalry named frank yates says, we were on foot and the enemy drove us nearly a mile. My cw gary was wounded in the retreat and i helped him off the field a short distance, but then i had to drop him and run. The enemy was so close. I was struck in the leg with a spent ball, so he got hit by a bullet that did not penetrate his skin, but made his leg go numb. He said, it hurt me a good deal that he couldnt walk very well so i seized the tale of the horse. And he pulled me along until we got within our lines. That is a desperate man trying to get away. Federals the confederate cavalry takes the lords gun is led by this guy. The youngest general in the confederate army. 23 years old. They are under general lees son rooney lee. Roberts is under him. And they do that wheel and drive the federals off that ridge. The federals they met up on that ridge, including this fellow here. A young sergeant rose, who takes a pistol ball in the groin. He was with the second new york mounted rifles. They leave behind Sergeant Mcintyre of the first maine cavalry, who was killed, as is captain Edward Cooper of the circuit or how calvary. And there are many others left up on the ridge. These other men i was able to find photos of your under one that came to us this year is this fellow. During the advance on the ridge he is 24 years old john of the fourth virginia infantry. He is struck down during this advance. When i look at it and think about it i say, my god, what this man went through. Looking at his service record. He enlisted in the rockbridge artillery in 1861. He gets transferred to the fourth virginia infantry. He is captured at the battle of second mednax. He is exchanged. He is wounded. He is wounded again at courthouse. He has a finger shot off there. And then he is killed, april 9, 1865, at appomattox courthouse. Rooney lees menace they were the wheel with the infantry men stay with the wheel with the infantry. The income to other calvary coming up. Samuel young, rooney lees men and gauge them. This confederate general formerly of the ninth virginia cavalry, is wounded in the fighting. As is this fellow, joseph mcnamara. He is the color bearer for general mckenzie. And he gets a bullet right there. There is the bullet hole. Suffered on the morning of april 9. The confederate right flank brigade is under william cox. And they are the furthest to the west for the confederate forces. And they end up running into these fellows. Not these fellows, specifically but this guys army. We saw this picture last night with mike. This is general edward ward. And he has with him to divisions of the 24th core, white troops, and two brigades of the 25th core, the United States color troops. These men and this is image of john peck. I didnt article about him in the last civil war times issue. They marched for 20 hours straight. They cover, depending on where they are in the line of march, between 30 and 35 miles. That is an incredible feat of marching. And when the confederate see this federal infantry approach, lee, who commands the cavalry is aware that with the federal infantry approaching, their plan to get through the federal cavalry is probably going to be moot. He does not like the idea of having his men surrounded and having to surrender. Possibly go to prison camp and lose their horses. So he apparently spoke with his uncle and got permission to escape with what calvary he could. As he turns to ride away, that federal infantry starts firing upon them. And a bullet strikes a young staff member of his staff lieutenant charles , from richmond, his father is the episcopal minister at st. Pauls church. That is where Jefferson Davis attends church. That is where robert d lee attends church after the surrender e lee attends church after the surrender. He has been knocked off his horse. He disgusted dispatches his servicemen to examine. They say he is a gone are. So they can a note on him to contact his father and let him know where his son is has died. Being a staff officer, he has paper, pencil with him. And he starts writing a death letter to his mother. I find it very moving. He says, my darling mother, i am dying. But i have followed where i expected to fall. Our cause is defeated, but i do not live to see the end of it did i suffer agonies and look to god, i could die always. But in all things, im a see his will be done. My greatest regret in leaving this world is to leave you and the rest of the dear ones. The younger children will be more comforting to you then i have been. But none of them will love you more. That is charless death letter. We have it on display in our Courthouse Visitor Center museum. Come by appomattox and take a look at it. But he didnt die. He survived. How did he survive . Federal surgeons. This is kind of new information we dug into this this year. He was supposedly tended to by a dr. Carter. We did the research, finally nailed down who dr. Carter was. From new york with the hundredth new york infantry. He removes the bullet. You can do this photo is from the museum of confederacy. The family also has this image. There you can see some of the i dont know whether it exploded out or i lodged in him and just the force forged the jacket but you can see not very far from the heart. Dr. Carter removes that bullet and that is on display at the museum of the confederacy in appomattox. If you like to see that bullet. Saves his life. He and dr. Carter actually end up having an impromptu reunion in the 1880s. He is attending a confederate reunion in new york city of all places. Dr. Carter happens to be in new york city, as well. And they had posted the list of confederate soldiers present at the reunion. Charles is there. Dr. Carter finds him, and they have this reunion in the 1880s. Back to the battlefield. The federal infantry is arriving , advancing on the confederate infantry, driving it back. Osbornes, they called it the western brigade, they had 62nd and 77th ohio, 39th illinois, pennsylvanians with the 85th, hundred 99th, they get a little too aggressive and advance against the art confederate artillery. And the artillery does some serious damage and repulses the first advance. Some reinforcements come up over here. From turners division, dannys brigade, and there are men of the 11th maine. I love this photo of these guys in the 11th maine. I think they look like pretty tough customers. I am a hockey player. I have some of my hockey buddies with me. I think i can take that little guy. Not too worried about him. But then i look at this guy. With the hair. And his eyes like that. Somebody said he looked kind of wild. I think this guy looks can of wild. I dont want to tangle with this guy. They are tough, no doubt. They are tough. So is their commander. John hill. Why is this guy tough . Take a look at that image. See something . Oh, yeah. He looks like napoleon. He has his arm in his jacket. Where is his other arm . There aint nothing in there. That is just leave. Sleeve. He had lost his arm in august 1864. He is commanded his men at appomattox, april 9, 1865. He gets wounded at appomattox. Captured. But he survives his wounds. There is a photo to prove that he did. Taken well after the war. During this fighting, confederate artillery is firing to the west and shells are dropping down on the federal infantry. One of the shells goes through the pullman house. And ends up going through a, i believe, a cabin behind it where one of the slaves lives. And it strikes hannah reynolds. The colemans had left. Hannah was there with her husband. And the shell, you can see the path of the shell through the beams here, strikes her in the arm. Makes a nasty wound. The federal surgeons tend to her, but they are not able to save her life. She dies two days later. She is kind of art anyway at appomattax. Our jenny wade at appomattox. Going to go through stuff fast here. About five minutes left to cover a bit. The 24th court advances. And here is an illustration of the confederate defenders, what is called fighting against fate. Illustrating the fighting at appomattox. The 24th core pushes the confederate infantry back. And now on the scene is the fifth core coming up from the south. You have the 24th, 25th from the west, the fifth core from the south. Custer and devon moved down this road toward the confederate left flank. Things are not going well for the confederate troops at this point. General john gordon sending a message to general lee saying, tell general lee that my command has been taught to a brazeau. How bad are things that things have been fought to a frazzle . He says, unless we unite in this movement or prevents these forces from coming up on my rear, i cannot long go forward. And what he is talking about is these guys here. Custer and devon, the fifth core coming in on their left flank. As the fifth core advances, they are taken taking confederate fire. A shell strikes this young fellow, 19 years old and listed in 1864 from pittsburgh, pennsylvania. He dies two weeks later here in farmville at the hospital. A bullet finds the chest of james haran, of the 189th new york. Joshua chamberlain is leading the skirmishers of the fifth core. He has with him not the 20th maine, but his new brigade after his wounding at petersburg. The 185th new york, hundred 90 if pennsylvanian. He is taking casualties. This guy here. Look at that. Artillery shell takes off his foot. And some toes on his other foot. Some of that artillery fire is coming from the yard of george pierce, at the eastern edge of the village. Men in those batteries are members of the richmond howitzers and salem flying artillery. Here is an illustration of the firing of the last gun. William brown is with the salem flying artillery. One of those shells finds this fellow here. Hiram clarke. Kimberlin claims him to be the last casualty. Dont know that that is necessarily true. But it is a rather tragic story. Hiram clarke is from marathon, new york. He is sick with jaundice in the hospital. He finds out his regimen is moving out i campaign, he absents himself from the hospital and joins his resident regimen. Arching all the way to appomattox, and is hit by an artillery shelled and killed outright. We always knew about this this illustration. A couple years ago, found a photo of him. One of the last casualties of appomattox. 63 inches 63. As they are falling back, there are 25 men of the fourth and 14th North Carolina volunteer to sacrifice themselves while gordons men retreat. They are led by this fellow here, captain wilson jenkins. And they put up a defense on the western edge of the village. Most of them and of getting captured. The confederates are falling back into the appomattox river valley, and they are forming a line of defense around alexanders guns. Mahone has brought his division over for support. What we are going to look at here now real quickly is the ridge to the south. We turned up this photo a few years ago. Coming over this ridge is the federal fifth core. About 12,000 men. You have a thousand calvary men under constant and devon riding atop that rate. You can see that ridge from the appomattox river valley where these confederate troops are forming. You see 20,000 federal infantry coming or that ridge, you go there today, there are trees. Must have made quite an impression on the confederate soldiers. Custer is going down that road. And this fellow here, martin gary, is not too happy. Custers men are advancing. And a white flag is sent out. Martin gary lent about that white flag being sent out to stop the fighting. He rather disavows it. Makes the comments that south carolinians never surrender. Send some men from the Seventh South carolina charging down the road towards custers advance. They get cut up pretty bad. Custers lead regiments over here have spencer repeating carbines. That is the last fighting around appomattox courthouse. The situation is this. Gordon mahone, alexander all back here in the appomattox river valley. Here is gary, out protecting the left flank. Long street cannot help in this because he is about three miles away, around a place called new hope church, facing the federal second and sixth core. The last thing ill touch on real quick is this confederate cavalry. They flank out to the north. The federal cavalry is watching them. They hit their lynchburg stage road to the west and there is fighting right around the walmart. They are battling over the walmart. [laughter] that is where the walmart is today. At the time, there was a house called the robinson house. This is where the last casualties at appomattox the battles of appomattox take place. At the robertson house. The federal cavalry commander henry davies, right there facing off against toms mad. And there are casualties in this fighting. What gets captured and taken to lynchburg. Norm reynolds is wounded three times in this fight. He is a lieutenant. There are confederate casualties. Many killed. These are the last man to die at appomattox courthouse. William parker. Robert parker, second virginia cavalry. William price, first maryland cavalry. And there is the first maryland cavalry making their last charge down that road. Some federal troops and officers received promotions for galyon service in this action. That is captain. Federal troops actually send out white flags to stop that fighting. Let mumford know that readily is going to meet with general grant and surrender his army. The confederate calvary, they dont surrender, they disband in lynchburg. Dying has not collect quite come to an and. This guy much as all the way to appomattox, dies the next day april 10, of diphtheria. Joe coleman, 61st pennsylvania, is loading surrendered weapons into wagons. One of those weapons exploded, discharges into his chest. He dies right there at appomattox courthouse. Last soldier we know of to die of his wound at appomattox is edward baker, the first maine cavalry. I think the most touching and maybe the most moving story is that of james wilson of the 14th virginia cavalry. He is mortally wounded in that fight on the morning of april 9. A comrade of his, goes out onto the battlefield after the fighting stops and finds wilson. Wilson says to him it is hard to die now that the war is over. Put yourself in wilsons shoes. He had been wounded so bad, you know you are not going to survive. But you also know that lee has surrendered his army. That is his situation. These other men are the men that are the last to die. Confederate forces make no reports of their casualties. Estimates for the fighting range between 700 and 800 men killed and wanted. About another thousand men are captured. Atrophic fight to the death that could of happened at appomattox never occurred. Lee meeting with grant resulted in magnanimous terms for the remaining soldiers paroled at appomattox. But for the 700 or 800 men killed or wounded april 8 and april not, the surrender, and generous terms, came too late. Thank you. [applause] now, you made all those wonderful comments. Thank you. It is indeed a pleasure to be here. I think this is, as you mentioned, the 16th seminar. And i think we owe a debt of gratitude to Longwood University and to dr. Cole and to patrick schroeder. I think you all ought to give them a round of applause. [applause] how many of you, and there are quite a few of you, have been to the mclean house at appomattox courthouse . That makes things rather easy for me. It is time for lunch, i believe. [laughter] one thing that is probably not generally known is that the first offer of surrender didnt come from a letter from general grant. It came from a group of officers that had gathered before noon, april 7. And these officers concluded that because the circumstances facing the army, that it might be best to suggest to generally that he open general lee that he open negotiations with general grant. The negotiations, a former that this could billion rector. He approached the general lee that day, but general lee would not hear of that suggestion. He said there were too many brave and good man still in the ranks. General grant, most of the federal forces moved into farmville where we are now located by 1 30 on the afternoon of april 7. General lee, of course, had moved north of the appomattox river into cumberland county. General grant established his headquarters at the Prince Edward hotel, also known as the randolph house, which no longer stands. But was at the corner of main street and 2nd street here in farmville. And coincidentally, last night i had the pleasure of staying at the longwood red bed and breakfast on high street. In one of those rooms is a desk along with other furniture. That furniture came from general grants orders in the Prince Edward hotel. And on one of those pieces, he wrote out a letter to general lee. It would turn out to be the first letter asking for the surrender of the army of northern virginia. It was written about 5 00 that afternoon, and was put in the hands of seth williams. Who was the Inspector General of the federal armies. Because the bridges have been burned, he had to take a very particular route over the wagon bridge underneath highbridge. And he did not reach general lee until about 9 00 that evening. He had some difficulty getting his message through the lines but eventually was able to do so. General lee received the message , read it, didnt say anything. He then handed it to james oxford long street longs treet. He had one reply, not yet. He then picked himself up out of the entrenchment and moved westward. We know that that road would take them to richburg richmond to a place called appomattox courthouse. Now, when general lee had read that letter, he did require a response. His response was he didnt ticket was time to surrender the army, but what terms the general grant propose considering the surrender. General grant, of course, would then write a reply, but his reply would not reach general lee until the next day, on the eighth. Meanwhile, general lee had progressed to it within a very short distance of appomattox courthouse when that second message got to him. And it quite simply said that general grant proposed to accept the offer by the men laying down their arms and to be exchanged. Until properly exchanged being paroled. In other words, they could go home. This is where the situation gets a little different. It is near midnight. General lee has written the letter of response, and the letter of response reaches general grant at his headquarters along the roadside near shepherds, and the house. The general is undergoing a severe migraine headache. At nothing can seem to use him including ease him, including the staff underscore playing an out of tune piano. They only understood to songs. One was yankee doodle. But the message that reached him was him of much serious nature. General lee still do not want to surrender the army of northern virginia, but he approached general grant on the prospect of peace. Surrendering all confederate forces. This is something that has a little prior history to it. On march 2, general lee had written to general grant and it said in that message, sincerely the desire to leave nothing untried that may put event to the calamities of war, i propose to meet you at such convenient time and place as you may designate with the hope that upon interchange of views you find it practical to some it to the subject of controversy between the two belligerents a he proposed a peace settlement. The message was sent to the war party. General grant received the following response, written by the president , signed by the secretary of war edward stanton. Etc. , general grant, the president wishes you to have no conference with general lee unless it we for ther general lees army or on some military matter. He instructs me to say, you are not to discuss or confer upon any Political Considerations such questions the president holds in his own hands. Meanwhile, you are up to your military advantages. Now only had general lees suggested a meeting to discuss peace, he also has adjusted that the meeting take place at 10 00 on palm sunday morning, between the lines of the two forces. General grant would not respond. He would not respond until the next day of april 9. As we know, general lee had a council of war at his headquarters on the night of the eight. It was determined that if they were successful in breaking through, they would continue down into campbell courthouse, down into the hillsboro region of North Carolina. If unsuccessful, then general lee was to be notified so that flags of truth could be set out. We do know that the attack was not successful. General lee now what order that flags of truce would be ordered out on the line. This would be about 10 00 the morning on the ninth that this was done. General lee would write to general long street longstr eets lines with the hope of meeting general grant. General grant was not there. General grant had taken the ride from his headquarters near clifton, across the country with his cavalry to find out what general sheridan was doing. The ride would be an excess of 2425 miles. He would be out of contact with most of the army. What was general lee to do this point . He had no intentions to set, because general grant had rejected it. The battle had gone have the against him. Federal forces were closing tightly around him. If you were generally, what would you do . He didnt have to say. He had a third letter and which he proposed to meet general grant on terms previously offered the previous day. This would take him into adjacent federal lines, but was told of course that general grant was an president. An attack had been ordered and couldnt be stopped. He happened to read closely the instructions to ascend to general grant, and they did so. Our response came back from general need who was killed. But he responded, indicating that he had received the message and they would send out a courier to try and locate general grant so the actions to be taken. Meanwhile, he also allowed for an armistice to take place until 2 00 that afternoon. The village now was in front of generally, and federal surrounded it, but no one occupied the mutual locations between the contending forces. General grant was eventually located by lieutenant Charles Peace and general lees message was brought. I message as to general sheridans lines so that he wouldnt be missed. Another thing that is not known at appomattox is during this time of armistice, a group of offices both federal and union met around the courthouse building. They were there for about one hour and a half. It was in essence, a west point reunion. What it there, wilcox was there. Sheridan was there. Chamberlain was there. Griffin was there. Many other officers. They shared on battles that will run out. There wasnt an agreement there was an agreement made. Between general longstree that theret would be no blue bath of troops unless the other counterpart was notified. Everyone kind of settled down in place. General lee now came back to where the army was now located. He would then be made to rest by some of the officers that approach them. The general was quite tired at this point. You can imagine after three nights on the road. Three days. The losses that he had sustained, half of the army lost in the last week. He took his place in front of gordons position. Sitting on a bunch of rails and an apple orchard. He would await the response of general grant. As i mentioned, general grant was located. The message was delivered