The Confederates' defeat at Five Forks was a great blow to Lee, and he immediately began preparations for the evacuation of Petersburg and Richmond.
On the night of April 1st Grant began his attack all along his lines, which he kept up the entire night. His cannon threw shells into the doomed city, and at dawn on April 2d the assault began. The Federal troops went forward in an impetuous charge through a storm of grape and canister which was poured into their ranks. The Confederates fell back within their inner breastworks and the Federals pushed on the left as far as Hatcher's Run, where they had a severe engagement in which the Confederate General Pegram was killed, and another engagement near the Southside railroad in which General A. P. Hill was killed. His death was an irreparable loss to the Confederacy. He was one of their able corps commanders, and had been in all the principal engagements in the East. He played a distinctive part in the Seven Days' Battles before Richmond; his timely arrival on the field saved Lee's army from utter rout at Antietam Creek and turned defeat into partial victory; he was a great favorite of "Stonewall" Jackson, and took a distinctive part in the battles of Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville, in which last-named battle he was near by when "Stonewall" Jackson was mortally wounded; with his corps was first on the field at Gettysburg; his corps received the first onslaught of the Federals at the Battle of the Wilderness; was too sick to command his corps at Spottsylvania Court House, which was temporarily commanded by General Early; played a distinctive part at Cold Harbor, and here at Petersburg, on Sunday, April 2d, the end. He was buried in the cemetery at Petersburg on the night of April 2d, while the whole country was being lit up by bursting shells and the hurrying and noise of the progress of a great battle.
On Sunday morning, April 2d, General Lee notified the authorities at Richmond that he must evacuate Petersburg at once, and to notify President Davis of the situation. President Davis was at St. Paul's Church with several of his cabinet listening to a sermon by Dr. Minnegerode, speaking of a supper before Gethsemane. The sexton walked up the isle and handed the President the message, which he read, and quietly retired from the church, this being noticeable on account of it being somewhat out of the ordinary, although they were accustomed to the roar of the cannon at Petersburg. However, it was soon known that Petersburg and Richmond were soon to be evacuated, and the service was dismissed at the church without further announcement.