It was now the beginning of April, 1865. The bottom had almost been knocked out of the Confederacy by Sherman's march from Atlanta to the sea. General Lee and his determined rebel crew still held out at Richmond, but Grant and the Union armies were thinning them down and wearing them out. Then came the fall of Petersburg, the key to Richmond, and then followed the retreat of the rebels from Richmond itself. The intention of Lee and the rest of the Confederates was to betake themselves to the mountains, and there carry on a guerrilla warfare as long as they had a man left to carry the rebel flag and shoot a gun. But this was not allowed. Swift-footed white and black troops followed them up with unrelenting vigor day and night; with horsemen and footmen we hurried after them, and at last got right in front of them, and outflanked them also at Appomattox Court House. The Confederates had been without food for three days and nights, and all things were coming to an end. Lee soon discovered that he could not break through the Union forces, under Grant, Meade and Sheridan. At one and the same time, he therefore dispatched fleet couriers to each one of the three Union generals to cease fighting, and stating that he would surrender himself and his army prisoners of war. Generals Grant and Lee accordingly met, when the surrender was made; and when the rebel forces in other parts of the South heard of the surrender of Lee at Appomattox Court House, they also laid down their arms. Thus the South was conquered, and slavery was destroyed. The shackles were knocked off 4,000,000 of our own beloved race, the Union was restored, and, as Lincoln said, "The Mississippi, Father of Waters, flowed once more unvexed to the sea!" Glory to God!
I shall never forget the excitement when the news arrived at New Orleans that Lee had surrendered. Among the rebel sympathizers it was a time of great depression, indeed; but among all Union people, and the entire colored race, most of all, it was truly a time of such rejoicing as only occurs once in a lifetime. People embraced and even kissed one another who had never met before; they shed tears of joy, sang, shouted, and gave glory to God. It was a perfect carnival both day and night. To the colored race, at least, it brought the deepest and most sincere joy, and all felt that the war had not been waged in vain, nor so many valuable lives sacrificed for nothing. In many parts of the Union the people met together in halls and churches for the purpose of giving praise and glory to God; and there was general rejoicing over the triumph of the armies of the Union. Thousands--I might say millions--never went to bed. That night was like the night when the Israelites came out of Egypt. It was the passage of the Red Sea over again. "Sing unto the Lord, for He hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath He thrown into the Sea! Praise ye the Lord!"
