tion.

General Lee's spirits do not seem at any time to have flagged, and
up to a late period of the retreat he had not seriously contemplated
surrender. The necessity for this painful course came home to his
corps commanders first, and they requested General Pendleton, the
efficient chief of artillery of the army, to inform General Lee that
in their opinion further struggle was hopeless. General Pendleton
informed General Lee of this opinion of his officers, and it seemed to
communicate something like a shock to him.

"Surrender!" he exclaimed with a flash of the eye, "I have too many
good fighting-men for that!"

Nevertheless, the necessity of seriously contemplating this result was
soon forced upon him. Since the morning of the 7th, a correspondence
had taken place between himself and General Grant; and, as these notes
are interesting, we here present those which were exchanged up to the
night of the 8th:

_April_ 7, 1865.

_General R.E. Lee, commanding C.S.A._:

GENERAL: The result 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 myself the responsibility of any further effusion
of blood, by asking of you the surrender of that portion of the
Confederate Southern Army known as the Army of Northern Virginia.

Very respectfully,

Your obedient servant,

U.S. GRANT,

_Lieutenant-General commanding Armies of the United States_.

_April_ 7, 1865.

GENERAL: I have received your note of this day. Though not entirely of
the opinion you express of the hopelessness of further resistance on
the part of the Army of Northern Virginia, I reciprocate your desire
to avoid useless effusion of blood, and therefore, before considering
your proposition, ask the terms you will offer on condition of its
surrender.

R.E. LEE, _General_.

To LIEUTENANT-GENERAL U.S. GRANT,

_Commanding Armies of the United States_.

_April_ 8, 1865.

_To General R.E. Lee, commanding C.S.A_.:

GENERAL: Your note of last evening, in reply to mine of the 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
again against the Government of the