From the New York Herald, 4/5/1865

THE END.
Our Details of the Decisive Contest of Sunday.
WHAT GRANT HAS ACCOMPLISHED.
The Destruction of Lee’s Army.
THE OFFICIAL DESPATCHES.
Secretary Stanton to General Dix.

WASHINGTON, April 4 - 11 A.M. Major General Dix, New York:-

     The following particulars, dated at City Point, April 4, at eight o’clock A.M., give the latest information received from Richmond:-

General Weitzel telegraphs from Richmond that of railroad stock he found there twenty-eight locomotives, forty-four passenger and baggage cars, and one hundred and six freight cars.

At half-past three o’clock this morning General Grant, from Sutherland station, ten miles from Petersburg, towards Burkesville, telegraphs as follows:-

General Sheridan picked up twelve hundred prisoners today, and from three to five hundred more have been gathered by our troops. The majority of the arms that were left in the hands of Lee’s army are now scattered between Richmond and where his troops now are.

The country is also full of stragglers. The line of retreat is marked with artillery, ammunition, burned or charred wagons, caissons, amubulances, &c.

E. M. STANTON, Secretary of War.

Secretary Stanton’s Second Despatch.

WAR DEPARTMENT,
WASHINGTON, D.C., April 4 - 11 P.M.

Major General JOHN A. DIX, New York:-

     The following telegram from General Grant has just reached this department. What hour today it left him does not appear, but probably in the afternoon.

No details of the casualties have been received, but they are expected here tomorrow.

The statement that official information had been received of General Custer being killed is not true. He was unharmed late this afternoon.

EDWIN M. STANTON, Secretary of War.

General Grant’s Despatch.

WILSON STATION, Va., April 4, 1865.

Hon. E.M. STANTON, Secretary of War:-

     The army is pushing forward in the hope of overtaking or dispersing the remainder of Lee’s army.

Sheridan, with his cavalry and the Fifth corps, is between this and the Appomattox, General Meade, with the Second and Sixth, following. General Ord is following the line of the Southside Railroad.

All of the enemy that retain anything like organization have gone north of the Appomattox, and are apparently heading for Lynchburg. Their losses have been very heavy. Houses through the country are nearly all used as hospitals for wounded men.

In every direction I hear of rebel soldiers pushing for home, some in large, some in small squads, and generally without arms.

The cavalry have pursued so closely that the enemy have been forced to destroy probably the greater part of their transportation, caissons and munitions of war.

The number of prisoners captured yesterday will exceed two thousand.

From the 28th of March to the present time our loss, in killed, wounded and captured, will not, probably reach seven thousand, of whom from one thousand five hundred to two thousand were captured, and many but slightly wounded.

I shall continue the pursuit as long as there appears to be any use in it.

U.S. GRANT, Lieutenant General.

• Prev
• Next