PETERSBURG, April 2,
1865.
His Excellency President DAVIS, Richmond, Va.:
I think it is absolutely necessary that we should abandon
our position to-night. I have given all the necessary orders on the subject to
the troops, and the operation, though difficult, I hope will be performed
successfully. I have directed General Stevens to send an officer to Your
Excellency to explain the routes to you by which the troops will be moved to Amelia
Court-House, and furnish you with a guide and any assistance that you may
require for yourself.
R. E. LEE.
SOURCE: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of
the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volume
46, Part 3 (Serial No. 97), p. 1378
