On october 7th the reports back to richmond and rights to le suggesting he is ready to come back, but at least with the army of Northern Virginia, lee wanted a more vigorous person to take charge. He never recovered the use of his right arm. At this point because of the bullet exiting through his throat he cannot speak. Lee is having none of that. On october 17, he orders long streak to return and resume command of the first core of the army of virginia. North of the james river. Lee is going to take charge of the defenses around petersburg itself. By march 29th, the siege petersburg has been going on since june 18 of 1864. At this point it runs 37 miles. His last the outside railroad is going to be controlled by Confederate Forces at five forks. April 1st of 1865, union troops were captured at five forks to the south. At that point, lee has no option but to evacuate richmond in petersburg. Longstreet leaves petersburg about 7 00 that night. Within two hours, he has his first troops from petersburg. Longstreet the sites to write on his horse to petersburg. He arrived there before his troops got there on the trains. Longstreet its going to meet with lee at edge hail. Edge hill is just to the right of this photograph. The mark you see here is for edge hill. The main road you see here is a street in petersburg. If you ever go down there, look for walgreens and you would will find edge hill. Longstreet reportedly arrived at daylight. He also wrote that it was still dark when he got there. With the sunrise at 5 54. Edge hill is roughly one mile north of fort craig. The frontal attack on april 2nd will begin at 5 15 in the morning. Lee appears to longstreet to stop the events. Long street had to admit that not nor had he noticed that any of them had reached the station at petersburg. Lee is forced to evacuate edge hill and move to cottage farm at the intersection of bowed and plank road. Fence road is a road that runs off to the right within shouting distance of battery number 45. A mile west of this location. I can he reportedly write that petersburg about 11 00 in the morning to regiments. The second and 15 longstreet also wrote, i wrote in with skirmishes, and at the middle point turn i walk to the top of the hill. Took off my glasses the enemies formidable masses. I thought i recognized general given and raced my hat. He was busy and did not see me. Given at this point had more to do than look for general longstreet. Longstreet is going to establishes alliance near the rear of fort greg and fort with worth by his him the time he needs to set up a defense line to hold back the union attack and buy time to organize a retreat. Longstreets line runs to the appomatox river. About 4 00 in the afternoon, the rest of the brigade and Fields Division are taking a position along this new line. The general wrote, all is done under the immediate eye of general longstreet who rode the colt everywhere, frequently up and down with grant unconcern. I never saw anything like it in the war. It was the top of all. By 8 00, 8 pm of april 2nd from petersburg. The appomatox river at better sun. The pontoon bridge many claimed longstreet to leave the line at about midnight. On the north side of the appomatox river. By 3 am of a pro third, lee has successfully evacuated the petersburg front. Leaves initial plan is to head for the courthouse to burke field down to danville, rginia theny from his wound. Kate also said that longstreet had much to say on any topic. The confederates cross between april 3rd and april 4th. They took up a line on the south side peaked to cover the wagons and artillery. People carrying the heavy cavalry to the roads very much delayed. Numbers were about 5000 men. It is the largest most effective division in lees army. At the amelia courthouse, lee is hoping to find supplies and ammunition waiting for him. But no food. Somehow they got mixed up in the orders. Caused hes trying to find food for his man. That is the best he can do. The lieutenant for the wars artillery says that at the same i saw generally and longstreet. Day longstreet himself said, there was a skirmishing in my front for part of the way. At the amelia courthouse i drew field, workhorses beyond the town, to bring on an engagement with the enemy. They withdrew. Heres the guy now. Hes had to retreat from richmond down to petersburg. Yet, on april 4th, two days after petersburg, longstreet still pitched into the union troops. Its almost like, okay guys, lets bring it on a. You want to fight . We are ready for. It longstreet is not ready to give up by any means. On april 5th, the confederates are approaching general lee was with us at jitters ville. I drew the command often fired to the right when they got to jetersville their was the army of the potomac. Pierre the cavalry under thats widely chose not to bring on the battle at jetersville. Tear meanwhile at burke hill junction, the army of the james reached the area on the night on the morning of april 6th royal, as the high bridge was burnt. Meanwhile, early in the morning of april 6th speak why is virginia. His job is to clear the way for the main body of the army and the wagon trains to get through. He gets there furious about which is already passed to the rices station. Its the county commanders, major jonas colonel thomas mom furred, a fall after the bridge burners of captured or detached the. Took the last man of his command to do it. Bridge burners. Its been said by sydney us as long as we actually is creased is on chance is a defeat. But hes doing it in order to guarantee lease escape with the rest of the army. Go to report the general or coming up in brockville, excuse me. He wrote to meet them, martin back to the line. But now the army of virginia starting the split. And theres a gaffe now in the line of the troops trying to retreat. Theyre going to split in the bottom caused by sailors creek. And that bottom line, part of these will be attacked by the six core and sheridans cavalry where they proceed to capture 1000 confederates. Almost a third of lees army. The wagon train is crossing the appomattox river with john gordon protecting them but hes being pressed by the union army second core which is always trying to take advantage of this. At rices station, with forwards army coming on, it receives orders to russ move towards farm val which he saw a crowded row deep in mud with shared and fighting against long streets army. This is lost reach column and cordons column. Heres the high bridge. The confederate county was able to stop the bridge burners and capture or kill most of them. So the bridge is intact when gordon starts to cross. The confederate sub in order to but burn hybrid. The two bridges in this area. One is a railroad bridge and the others a wagon bridge. The confederacy did destroy part of the train bridge, which was quickly rebuilt. Because of the force of the wagon bridge, that they could not burn. Whatever fires they started, they were put out. Now union troops are pouring all over the appomattox river through the wagon bridge and the average. Call as he reported, we cross early and receive two days rations. Hauling or wagons, may fires, cooking utensils and we are just ready to have a good breakfast. We have not heard of the disasters on the other routes and a hasty retreat. And were looking for a little quiet to prepare breakfast. When generally rode up and said that the bridges had been fired before his cavalry crossed. Part of that command was cut off and lost and that the troop should hurry on the positions at Cumberland Church. Cumberland churches on the north side of the apple mattocks river. So as long as hes crossing this way to get the Cumberland Church. Arrives there about 2 00 in the afternoon and will help general known court off attacks from humphreys second core. The hornys establishes his headquarters a Cumberland Church itself and its also worldly had his headquarters in the same area. At 10 pm that night of april 7th, lee will receive his first note from general grant. Grant is proposing that leaser render that portion of the army known as our Northern Virginia. The shows is not to some of the Staff Officers and hes gonna show it to general long. Street long street read the note and it back to le and said not yet. Lee now is going to send his first letter to grant. Hes gonna ask grant what terms hes gonna offer if and when leaf feels its necessary to surrender. Leaves kind of giving himself the option to decide when its to do to do that. Hes not gonna leave it up to grab. It started to retreat from Cameron Church about 11 00 in the evening at april 7th. They withdraw towards new store and on the way gordon score would take the lead along streets men would start to bring up the rear. At 10 00 in the morning of april 8th, lee receives grants second letter. Then the second letter, grant said the only connection i have a surrender, is that you shall be disqualified for taking up arms against the government of the United States into a proper a property exchange. Grant said levy in his second lease would send his second letter to grant excuse me and in this letter lee is not conceding that his omission needed surrender. Now a start starts talking a ground about terms of peace. Not surrounding is army but overall peace in the country itself. Long street reported it in the march, we pass abandoned wagons in flames artillery burning sometimes in the middle of the road. One of my battery commanders reported his forces were too weak to haul its guns. He was ordered to bury their guns and cover them. Cover their burial places with old leaves and fresh wood. Long streak will also or issue a general order on april 8th and this general order reminds his Division Commanders of the standard marching procedures. Troops will march in the manner laid down in the topics. Foremans line and stack arms. Straggler will be prevented by the axis of every exertion. So even now on april 8th, long street is looking towards the discipline and efficiency of his troops. So everything saying standard procedure even at this point in everything thats going on. And in the four nude of april 8th, something really extraordinary from long streets point of view is going to cure. Brigadier general william pendleton, the chief of artillery for the Northern Virginia light on reported he approached law street is a messenger from several highranking officers with a proposal of the united that the cars have become so hopeless. And not right moreover to have cameras left their entire trial of missing the idea or terms with the enemy. Now at first long street descended dissented. But a Second Thought prefer that he himself should be represented with the rest. Now is a statement in 1873, as long as hes going to refuse more as an 1898. For one more story his account was the earliest is with the most reliable and not long streets. Travelers pemberton tells a story in a speech they gave it at a university on january nine, 1873. I was the same top and which he accused long streak of disobeying leads not attack order here at gettysburg which we know never happened. So if you can disprove that, i tend to take long streets position more than anything else. Long street as a said denied the charge, and his version im not surprised i turn and ask if he did not know that the order articles of war provided officers of soldiers who ask Commanding Officers to surrender should be shot. So generally does no one to surrender, he will never know. Theres another part of this. That is according to ap alexander, according to alexander, pam premiered and said it is long as we are being reproach refuse. As parental to me. Lost feet said his core was still able to whip four times its numbers. As long as that was so, he should never suggested surrender. He was there to back up not to pull them down. So long street has some backing here for his account for ebay alexander. What exactly was lost we talking about about pemberton possibly being shot for what he suggested . Following regulations the regulations come from the army of the Confederate States of america. Except for the United States, the word for word whats in the United States army regulations. Article seven for example states and a officer soldier who shall begin excite cause or join in any mutiny or sedition and any trooper company in the service of the Confederate States horn any party post, shall suffer death or such other placement by courtmartial shelby inflicted. Article 59. If any commander of any garrison fortress or post will be compelled by the officers and soldiers under his command to give up to the enemy, or to abandon, it the commissioned officers, not convicted officers or soldiers who shall be convicted, of having so offended, shall suffer death or of any such punishment, that shall be afflicted upon them by send into the courtmartial. Article 83 his conduct unbecoming an officer in the gentleman. Back in the civil war they did have a nice general article. Article 99 the prices of good order and military discipline. After he throw this in for good measure. And this todays corner. It be couldve been charged with five defenses. Including in conspiracy, unique, subordinate, conduct unbecoming an officer in a gentleman, and a general article. So those articles are still left over from the civil war. But on the night of april 8th, lee would have a conference with john brown gordon, long street and fifth sly. This is gonna be lees last military conference. They discuss the possibility of breaking out from appomattox courthouse. Lee leaves at this point the only troops in front of him or cavalry and gordons troops along with the cavalry can push them aside and he can continue with his retreat. On the morning of april 9th, grant was sent off a third letter to lee at daybreak and granted this point has to tell le that since he has no authority to treat on the subject of peace, what lee proposed could lead to no good and grant is going to cancel. So now le knows there is no official meeting with grant alesci now specifically asked for it. The battle of appomattox courthouse will begin at 5 00 in the morning of april 9th. Gordons manner able to clear the the road, and they find its backed up by strong forces with infantry. General or its army of the james is approaching in the fifth corps of atomic under griffin is also approaching. Gordons will be driven back. It atm in the morning, call to leaves headquarters. According to long street, he stood at the embers of some burnt rails. Spoke at once of the affairs in the front and the laws of this obsessive subsistence. I asked the very sacrifice of his army couldnt anyway help the cause in the quarters. He thought not. And i said your situation speaks for itself. As long as we be in command of the rearguard, its about two miles away from appomattox the courthouse, a new old church. And hes confronting humphreys second core a at the potomac. The headquarters have been established in or near pleasant retreat and pleasant retreat stood until about 2011. I was involved and heavy thunderstorm that blew the back wall of the house but the rest of the house remained intact. But the owners decided not to save it sophie go looking for pleasant retweet today, this is what you will find. The house was demolished. Remember somebody reading that this have been lease headquarters, that would be International Drive to save it. But because it was launched, tweets nobody cared. So thats what you find today. Long streak is going to point out the troops in, the general humphreys was with the second army of the potomac preparing for action against the rare guard. The situation was embarrassing. It was bad enough that before others could prepare for action. There are choose it could not prevail however to calm me to quiet while the enemy in plain view was preparing for attack. So we continued our work constructing the best line of defense. The general is going to report at the appomatox courthouse, the division was in the rear with the enemy closeup. Its organization was perfect. It was not at all demoralized. Not more than four men dug stragglers during the trying march from petersburg. Long street ordered parts of the rear guard forward to support advance forces, and corrected general alexander to establish them as part of his batteries, in the best position for support or valiant, in case the front lines were forced back. That was the last line of battle as his men are flying back to the appomatox courthouse to rally on the alexanders line. Lee had written towards New Hope Church along the lynch bergh road. He rode through long streets line under a flag of truce, because that is where he was going to meet grant. That is when his staff officer received grants third letter, and lead responds with his third letter. Now lee is going to state that he requests an interview in accordance with the offer contained in your letter of yesterday for that purpose. Lee now faces no option but to surrender his army of Northern Virginia. But skirmish years are approaching where lee is remembered in between the two lines. Lee is waiting for grant to come back and union skirmishes are advancing on him. That is when he has to leave. He sends a message to general meet and meat sends one back and suggests that lee sent a fourth letter to grant. And this was sent through sheridans lines. Grant has moved from lees rear to leads front. That is why meat suggest sending another letter through sheridans line, it will get to him quicker. And least fourth letter says i requested interview at such time a place that you would designate to discuss the terms of the surrender of this to have such an interview. Then lee remembers he had not notified gordon, or even long street about a truce and suspending hostilities. He now authorizes gordon and a long street to organize a truce pending surrender. Long streak is going to send captain robert and sims with a truce flag, nothing more than a white towel that sims had purchased enrichment before the retreat. Sims carried the flag to gordon, informs him of the authorization for the flag of truce. Gordon had sims return hes going to receive the flag of troops from sims, and as sims returns to gordon, who wanted him to ride in a different direction, but sims being long streets officer reports back to long street. Now coming into the line under his own flag of truce is general kuster. He goes to general long street who is with alexanders battle line. And according to long streets account, cluster came writing up and said, in the name of general sheridan, i demand the Uncondit