g. It had been assailed,
night and day, flank and rear, from the time it left Petersburg.
Provisions were scarce, and many of its best officers had, in the
last week, fallen or been captured. It, however, had held out
bravely and with more spirit than would be expected. It was an
old and once splendidly organized and equipped army, and its
discipline had been good. Pendleton and others of Lee's generals
(not including Longstreet) secretly, on the 7th, held a council,
and with a view of lightening Lee's responsibilities, decided to
inform him that they thought the time had come to surrender his
army. The next day Longstreet was requested to bear the report of
this council to Lee. He declined, and Pendleton made to report to
Lee himself. The latter, if correctly reported, said: "I trust
it has not come to that," adding, among other things, "If I were
to say a word to the Federal commander, he would regard it as such
a confession of weakness as to make it the condition of demanding
an _unconditional surrender_."(21)

Gordon, with Fitz Lee at the head of the cavalry, commanded the
advance, and Longstreet the rear. The night of the 8th found Lee's
advance at Appomattox Court-House forced well back, and Longstreet's
rear pressed close on his main body. General Lee called in council,
at a late hour that night, Lieutenant-General James Longstreet,
Major-Generals John B. Gordon, Fitzhugh Lee, and Wm. N. Pendleton.(22)
This was the last council of war of the Army of Northern Virginia,
if it could be called one. The meeting was in a secluded spot, in
a gloomy pine woods, without shelter. The night was damp and
chilly, and there was a small, smoky, green-pine fire, affording
little light. The whole surrounding was calculated to dispirit
the five officers, to say nothing of the occasion. Little was said
or done. Lee made some inquiry as to the position of the troops.
At the end of an hour the council broke up, Lee directing Gordon
to mass his command, including all the cavalry under Fitz Lee and
General Long's batteries of thirty guns, and move through Appomattox
Court-House, where the advance rested, and to commence the movement
at 1 A.M. The trains were to follow closely, covered by Longstreet's
corps, which was still Lee's rear-guard. Sheridan's cavalry was
to be overwhelmed, and, with this done, the retreat was to continue
on to Lynchburg. At 3 in the morning General Lee rode slowly
forward apparently to join