morsel of food. Lee could not afford togive up his lead over the advancing Federals so he had to move his nearlystarving troops out immediately in search of food. They continuedwestward, still hoping to join with Johnston eventually, and headed forFarmville, where Lee had been informed, there was an abundance of bacon andcornmeal. Several skirmishes took place along the way as some Federalregiments would catch up and attack, but the Confederate force reachedFarmville. However, the men had no more that started to eat their baconand cornmeal when Union General Sheridan arrived and started a fight. Luckily, it was nearly night, and the Confederate force snuck out undercover of the dark. But not before General Lee received General Grantsfirst request for surrender.NOWHERE TO RUN The Confederates, in their rush to leave Farmville in the night ofApril 7th, did not get the rations they so desperately needed, so they wereforced to forage for food. Many chose to desert and leave for home. General Lee saw two men leaving for home and said "Stop young men, and gettogether you are straggling" and one of the soldiers replied "General, weare just going over here to get some water" and Lee replied "Strike foryour home and fireside" (Freeman, Douglas Southall, R.E. Lee: A Biography,Vol 3. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1935): they did. Rebel forcesreached their objective, Appomattox Court House, around 3pm on April 8th. Lee received word that to the south, at Appomattox Station, supplies hadarrived by train and were waiting there. However, the pursuing Unionforces knew this also and took a faster southern route to the station. By8pm that evening the Federals had taken the supplies and would wait therefor the evening, preparing to attack the Confederates at Appomattox CourtHouse in the morning. Meanwhile, Lee scribbled out a brave response toGrant's inquiry simply asking for explanation of the terms to be involvedin the surrender.THE FI...
