colleagues was not
expected of him.

While Lincoln was at Grant's headquarters at City Point, Lee, hoping to
recover the use of the roads to the south-west, endeavoured to cause a
diversion of the besiegers' strength by a sortie on his east front. It
failed and gave the besiegers a further point of vantage. On April 1
Sheridan was sent far round the south of Lee's lines, and in a battle
at a point called Five Forks established himself in possession of the
railway running due west from Petersburg. The defences were weakest on
this side, and to prevent the entrance of the enemy there Lee was bound
to withdraw troops from other quarters. On the two following days
Grant's army delivered assaults at several points on the east side of
the Petersburg defences, penetrating the outer lines and pushing on
against the inner fortifications of the town. On Sunday, April 2,
Jefferson Davis received in church word from Lee to make instant
preparation for departure, as Petersburg could not be held beyond that
night and Richmond must fall immediately. That night the Confederate
Government left the capital, and Lee's evacuation of the fortress began
the next day. Lincoln was sent for. He came by sea, and to the
astonishment and alarm of the naval officers made his way at once to
Richmond with entirely insufficient escort. There he strolled about,
hand in hand with his little son Tad, greeted by exultant negroes, and
stared at by angry or curious Confederates, while he visited the former
prison of the Northern prisoners and other places of more pleasant
attraction without receiving any annoyance from the inhabitants. He
had an interesting talk with Campbell, formerly a Supreme Court judge,
and a few weeks back one of Davis' commissioners at Hampton Roads.
Campbell obtained permission to convene a meeting of the members of the
Virginia Legislature with a view to speedier surrender by Lee's army.
But the permission was revoked, for he somewhat clumsily mistook its
terms, and, moreover, the object in view had meantime been accomplished.

Jefferson Davis was then making his way with his ministers to
Johnston's army. When they arrived he and they held council with
Johnston and Beauregard. He would issue a Proclamation which would
raise him many soldiers and he would "whip them yet." No one answered
him. At last he asked the opinion of Johnston, who bluntly undeceived
him as to facts, and told him that further resistance would b