By detention until night at this place, General Lee lost invaluable time, which he could not regain by night marching, lost the supplies awaiting him at Appomattox station, and gave time to Sheridan and his cavalry, and General Ord with the 5th and 24th corps to post themselves across his path at Appomattox Court House.
Lee continued his retreat some time during the night, and the 2d corps started after him at 5:30 on the morning of the 8th. There was some skirmishing during the day, but no hard fighting. The enemy was anxious to get away, and thousands of their stragglers and deserters lined the roads. Our regiment acted as flankers to the main column on the 8th, moving on the left of it, about a quarter of a mile distant.
Correspondence pertaining to the surrender of the rebel army was already passing between Grant and Lee; but of this we knew nothing at the time.
On the morning of the 9th we moved a few miles and then halted for several hours and then moved on a short distance and halted within a few rods of where General Meade had his headquarters, about noon. About 3 o'clock in the afternoon an ambulance bearing a flag of truce and in which were seated some rebel officers, coming from the front, drove up to General Meade's headquarters. The ambulance soon returned accompanied by General Meade and his chief of staff, General Webb. They had been at the front but a short time when we heard great cheering in that direction, and also heard the music of the bands playing patriotic airs. The cheering came nearer and nearer, and our men began to line both sides of the road, when soon we saw the forms of Generals Meade and Webb approaching, their horses at an easy gallop. General Webb was riding ahead and shouting to the men: "Boys, your fighting is over; General Lee has surrendered." General Meade, who had been sick for several days, was waving his cap, but was so exhausted that he was scarcely able to dismount.
Then for a while it seemed as if our army had suddenly become insane with joy. Men pushed each other over, mounted a stump or fence and crowed like roosters, laughed or wept for joy. It was hard to realize that the men whom we had been fighting for nearly four years were no longer our foes, and that the weary nights on picket duty in storm and rain were ended.