ocate your desire to avoid the
useless effusion of blood, and therefore, before considering your
proposition, ask the terms you will offer on conditions of its surrender.

R. E. LEE, General.

LT. GEN. U. S. GRANT,
Commanding Army of the United States.

* * * * *

APRIL 8th, 1865.

_To Gen. R. E. Lee, Commanding Confederate States Army:_

GENERAL: Your note of last evening, in reply to mine of same date, asking
the conditions on which I will accept the surrender of the Army of
Northern Virginia is just received.

In reply, I would say, that peace being my first desire, there is but one
condition that I insist upon, viz:

That the men surrendered shall be disqualified for taking up arms against
the government of the United States until properly exchanged.

I will meet you, or designate officers to meet any officers you may name
for the same purpose, at any point agreeable to you, for the purpose of
arranging definitely the terms upon which the surrender of the Army of
Northern Virginia will be received.

Very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
U. S. GRANT,

Lieut. General, Commanding Armies of the United States.

* * * * *

APRIL 8th, 1865.

GENERAL: I received, at a late hour, your note of to-day, in answer to
mine of yesterday.

I did not intend to propose the surrender of the Army of Northern
Virginia, but to ask the terms of your proposition. To be frank, I do not
think the emergency has arisen to call for the surrender.

But as the restoration of peace should be the sole object of all, I desire
to know if your proposals tend to that end.

I cannot, therefore, meet you with a view to surrender the Army of
Northern Virginia; but so far as your proposition may affect the
Confederate States forces under my command and tend to the restoration of
peace, I should be pleased to meet you at 10 a. m., to-morrow, on the old
stage road to Richmond, between the picket lines of the two armies.

Very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
R. E. LEE,

General Commanding Confederate States Army.

_To Lieut. Gen. U. S. Grant, Commanding United States Armies._

* * * * *

APRIL 9th, 1865.

_Gen. R. E. Lee, Commanding Confederate States Army:_

GENERAL: Your note of yesterday is received. As I have no authority to
treat on the subject of peace, the meeting proposed for at 10 a. m. to-day
co