vania, the Twentieth New York State Militia, and the Sixty-first Massachusetts, was just going up to the line, when the rebels emerged from their works and came on with such steadiness and determination that a portion of our line wavered, as we could plainly see, and many men broke precipitately to the rear. Collis' line appeared to waver too, as if undetermined whether to go forward to the line or fall back. It was a critical moment. General Parke and his All day long the boys

staff watched, with evident anxiety. had laid along that line under a galling fire from front and flank. A heavy mortar, planted at our right, between the enemy's first and second line, in a pit fifteen or twenty feet deep, as we afterward discovered, had kept up a fatal practice upon them in spite of all our gunners' efforts to silence it. Traverse by traverse they had driven the "Johnnies " down the line, paying for every foot of ground with their blood; and now it looked as if all might be lost. But no! Where one

But no!

answering the rebel We saw some of our

man quailed, a dozen stood undaunted, yell with Yankee cheers and bullet. color-bearers leap upon the works and wave the flags. It was like an inspiration. The line became firm. Collis' brigade wavered but for a moment, and then swept forward magnificently and opened fire. The gallant Connecticut Heavies, who were serving the guns in the captured works, stuck to business unflinchingly, only piling in the canister a little faster when the infantry line showed signs of weakening. There was a mighty cheer as we saw the column of gray break and surge back whence it came. We could hardly have been more exultant, indeed, had we known then that the last armed rebel we were destined to behold had disappeared forever from our view.

Although the Thirty-sixth took no active part in this engagement, as a regiment, many of the men performed laborious and dangerous service in carrying ammunition up to the captured line. Major Raymond, of General Potter's staff, Major Hodgkins, of General Hartranft's, and Captain

Ames, of General Curtin's, were of course actively engaged. As a matter of general interest, a tabular statement of the losses in the corps are appended :—

CHAPTER XXVII.

CLOSING SCENES.

HEAVY skirmishing was kept up during the night along the Ninth-Corps line, and the batteries on our right opened at short intervals, according to orders. The regiments of our brigade which had borne the brunt of the fighting the day before were relieved, and returned to their former positions in the main line about midnight. The evacuation of Petersburg was anticipated, and General Parke instructed the troops to exercise the greatest vigilance, in order to detect at the earliest possible moment any movement of the enemy. Soon after midnight the skirmishers advanced, but found the enemy's pickets still out in strong force. Explosions occurred in the city, and all indications pointed to a speedy retreat.

After an anxious, wakeful night to the garrison of Fort Rice, the morning of the 3d of April dawned clear and beautiful. With the first approach of day the troops in front advanced, found the enemy's works deserted save by a few pickets, who were captured, and pushed forward toward the city only to find that it had already been abandoned. The first sound that greeted our ears was the glad cry, "Our flag waves over Petersburg! It was, indeed, true. The sound of battle had died away. The enemy, who had withstood our advance for so many months, had vanished from our view. Ely's brigade of the First Division was the first to enter Petersburg. The formal surrender was made to Colonel Ely at twenty-eight minutes past four A.M., and the flag of the Second Michigan was hoisted over the CourtHouse. Great cheering followed, which was renewed later

by the receipt of the glorious tidings that our army was in possession of Richmond, and that the enemy was in full retreat.

Soon after daylight the troops returned from the city to their former positions, to prepare for a forward movement. Orders were received to break camp, and be ready to march at a moment's notice. Haversacks were filled, and everything was prepared for an immediate advance. Never were marching orders more cheerfully obeyed. The day, for which we had toiled, and fought, and prayed so long, had dawned upon us, and few, indeed, of that garrison resisted the impulse to ascribe all the glory to the God of battles. Soon after sunrise the regiment partook of its last breakfast in the bombproofs of Fort Rice, which had been its home for four months. At nine o'clock orders were received to move in the direction of Petersburg, and in a short time the command moved over the breastworks, across the picket line, through the enemy's defences which had been the scene of the 'sanguinary battle of the day before, and marched to Cemetery Hill, where a halt was ordered. While resting here a cavalcade approached. It was the escort of Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States. As the men recognized Mr. Lincoln their enthusiasm could not be restrained, and amid the thundering cheers which he graciously acknowledged, the President rode on toward the city, where he received a grand ovation.

At eleven o'clock the column marched into the city, by the main street, and we were soon surrounded by the colored people, who gave expression to their joy in tears and smiles and shouts of welcome. Hundreds of children thronged around the soldiers, and many asked for bread, which was freely given to them by the happy men. Many of the soldiers divided their substance with the poor whites remaining in the town, and one of our men was seen feeding five little children at one time with the rations which he carried, leaving him a short supply for the next three days. We were soon informed that the reason of this keen desire for food was owing to the fact that for some time previous the price of flour had

been $1,050 a barrel! At such a price, with scarcity of Confederate scrip, it is not to be wondered at that many poor people were made happy at the sight and taste of bread.

At noon the corps was concentrated in the city proper. The remainder of the Army of the Potomac, without even entering the city which it had besieged for ten weary months, had hurried westward, to intercept the retreating enemy, and was marching on the river road. General Parke was ordered to leave one division to guard Petersburg and the railroad, and move with.the rest of his corps, as guard for the wagon-trains, on the Cox road. At one o'clock the preparations were completed, and the Second and Third Divisions resumed the march, the Second having the right, leaving the First Division to guard the city. About a mile and a half west of the city the road forks: the northern road (nearest the Appomattox) being called the river road; the southern, which runs parallel with the Southside Railroad and crosses it many times, being called the Cox road. Just west of Sutherland Station, where Sheridan's force struck the railroad, the river road forks, the southern fork being known as the Namozine road, named from the stream whose course it follows. The regiment marched all the afternoon, and at night bivouacked beyond Sutherland Station, twelve miles from Petersburg, on the Southside Railroad. Generals Grant and Meade slept there that night.

On the 4th the march was resumed. The roads were badly cut up, and the enormous trains, with the reserve artillery, moved slowly, rendering the march difficult and tedious. The country improved in appearance as we advanced westward. The peach-trees were in full blossom, and everything about us tended to inspire hope and courage. We passed several hospitals filled with the enemy's wounded, and during the day many rebel prisoners passed to our rear en route for Petersburg under guard. Nearly all of them were worn down with hard fighting and hunger, and many were fed from the commissary supply train. At night the regiment bivouacked