E.M.STANTON, Secretary of War, Washington.
General Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia this afternoon on terms proposed by myself.

The accompanying additional correspondence will show the conditions fully.
U.S.GRANT, Lieut.-General.
When news of the surrender first reached our lines our men commenced firing a salute of a hundred guns in honor of the victory.

I at once sent word, however, to have it stopped.

The Confederates were now our prisoners, and we did not want to exult over their downfall.
I determined to return to Washington at once, with a view to putting a stop to the purchase of supplies, and what I now deemed other useless outlay of money.

Before leaving, however, I thought I (*44) would like to see General Lee again; so next morning I rode out beyond our lines towards his headquarters, preceded by a bugler and a staff-officer carrying a white flag.
Lee soon mounted his horse, seeing who it was, and met me.