March, and on the 2d of
April the whole Federal army assaulted the positions at Petersburg, and
after desperate fighting succeeded in carrying them. The Confederate
troops, outnumbered and exhausted as they were by the previous week's
marching and fighting, yet retained their discipline, and Lee drew off
with 20,000 men and marched to endeavor to effect a junction with
Johnston, who was still facing Sherman.

But his men had but one day's provisions with them. The stores that he
had ordered to await them at the point to which he directed his march
had not arrived there when they reached it, and, harassed at every foot
of their march by Sheridan's cavalry and Ord's infantry, the force
fought its way on. The horses and mules were so weak from want of food
that they were unable to drag the guns, and the men dropped in numbers
from fatigue and famine. Sheridan and Ord cut off two corps, but General
Lee, with but 8000 infantry and 2000 cavalry, still pressed forward
toward Lynchburg. But Sheridan threw himself in the way, and, finding
that no more could be done, General Lee and the infantry surrendered and
a few days later Generals Lee and Grant met and signed terms of peace.
General Johnston's army surrendered to General Sherman, and the long
and desperate struggle was at an end.

It was a dreadful day in Richmond when the news came that the lines of
Petersburg were forced, and that General Lee no longer stood between the
city and the invaders. The President and ministers left at once, and
were followed by all the better class of inhabitants who could find
means of conveyance. The negroes and some of the lower classes at once
set to work to pillage and burn, and the whole city would have been
destroyed had not a Federal force arrived and at once suppressed the
rioting.

Whatever had been the conduct of the Federal troops during the last year
of the war, however great suffering they had inflicted upon the unarmed
and innocent population of the country through which they marched, the
terms of peace that General Grant agreed upon, and which were, although
with some reluctance, ratified by the government, were in the highest
degree liberal and generous. No one was to be injured or molested for
the share he had taken in the war. A general amnesty was granted to all,
and the States were simply to return to the position in the Union that
they occupied previous to the commencement of the struggle.

More liberal terms were neve