work　steadily　will　lose　their　plots　of　land；　and　have　to　go　out　in　the
  world　to　work；　their　places　being　filled　by　others；　will　keep　them
  steady。〃
  〃It's　an　experiment；　Vincent；　and　we　shall　see　how　it　works。〃
  〃It's　an　experiment　I　have　often　thought　I　should　like　to　make；
  mother；　and　now　you　see　it　is　almost　forced　upon　us。　　To…morrow　I
  will　ride　over　to　the　other　plantations　and　make　the　same
  arrangements。〃
  During　the　month　of　August　many　battles　took　place　round
  Petersburg。　　On　the　12th　the　Federals　attacked；　but　were　repulsed
  with　heavy　loss；　and　2；500　prisoners　were　taken。　On　the　21st　the
  Confederates　attacked；　and　obtained　a　certain　amount　of　success；
  killing；　wounding；　and　capturing　2；400　men。　　Petersburg　was
  shelled　day　and　night；　and　almost　continuous　fighting　went　on。
  Nevertheless；　up　to　the　middle　of　October　the　positions　of　the
  armies　remained　unaltered。　　On　the　27th　of　that　mouth　the　Federals
  made　another　general　attack；　but　were　repulsed　with　a　loss　of
  1；500　men。　　During　the　next　three　months　there　was　little　fighting；
  the　Confederates　having　now　so　strengthened　their　lines　by
  incessant　toil　that　even　General　Grant；　reckless　of　the　lives　of　his
  troops　as　he　was；　hesitated　to　renew　the　assault。
  But　in　the　South　General　Sherman　was　carrying　all　before　him。
  Generals　Hood　and　Johnston；　who　commanded　the　Confederate
  armies　there；　had　fought　several　desperate　battles；　but　the　forces
  opposed　to　them　were　too　strong　to　be　driven　back。　　They　had
  marched　through　Georgia　to　Atlanta　and　captured　that　important
  town　on　the　1st　of　September；　and　obtained　command　of　the
  network　of　railways；　and　thus　cut　off　a　large　portion　of　the
  Confederacy　from　Richmond。　　Then　Sherman　marched　south；
  wasting　the　country　through　which　he　marched；　and　capturing
  Savannah　on　the　21st　of　September。
  While　he　was　so　doing；　General　Hood　had　marched　into
  Tennessee；　and　after　various　petty　successes　was　defeated；　after
  two　days'　hard　fighting；　near　Nashville。　　In　the　third　week　in
  January；　1865；　Sherman　set　out　with　60；000　infantry　and　10；000
  cavalry　from　Savannah；　laying　waste　the　whole　country…burning；
  pillaging；　and　destroying。　The　town　of　Columbia　was　occupied；
  sacked；　and　burned；　the　white　men　and　women　and　even　the
  negroes　being　horribly　ill…treated。
  The　Confederates　evacuated　Charleston　at　the　approach　of　the
  enemy；　setting　it　in　flames　rather　than　allow　it　to　fall　into
  Sherman's　hands。　　The　Federal　army　then　continued　its　devastating
  route　through　South　Carolina；　and　at　the　end　of　March　had
  established　itself　at　Goldsboro；　in　North　Carolina；　and　was　in
  readiness　to　aid　Grant　in　his　final　attack　on　Richmond。
  Lee；　seeing　the　imminence　of　the　danger；　made　an　attack　upon　the
  enemy　in　front　of　Petersburg；　but　was　repulsed。　　He　had　now　but
  37；000　men　with　which　to　oppose　an　enemy　of　nearly　four　times
  that　strength　in　front　of　him；　while　Sheridan's　cavalry；　10；000
  strong；　threatened　his　flank；　and　Sherman　with　his　army　was　but　a
  few　days'　march　distant。　　There　was　fierce　fighting　on　the　29th；
  30th；　and　31st　of　March；　and　on　the　2d　of　April　the　whole　Federal
  army　assaulted　the　positions　at　Petersburg；　and　after　desperate
  fighting　succeeded　in　carrying　them。　　The　Confederate　　troops；
  outnumbered　　and　exhausted　as　they　were　by　the　previous　week's
  marching　and　fighting；　yet　retained　their　discipline；　and　Lee　drew
  off　with　20；000　men　and　marched　to　endeavor　to　effect　a　junction
  with　Johnston；　who　was　still　facing　Sherman。　But　his　men　had　but
  one　day's　provision　with　them。　　The　stores　that　he　had　ordered　to
  await　them　at　the　point　to　which　he　directed　his　march　had　not
  arrived　there　when　they　reached　it；　and；　harassed　at　every　foot　of
  their　march　by　Sheridan's　cavalry　and　Ord's　infantry；　the　force
  fought　its　way　on。　　The　horses　and　mules　were　so　weak　from　want
  of　food　that　they　were　unable　to　drag　the　guns；　and　the　men
  dropped　in　numbers　from　fatigue　and　famine。　Sheridan　and　Ord
  cut　off　two　corps；　but　General　Lee；　with　but　8；000　infantry　and
  2；000　cavalry；　still　pressed　forward　toward　Lynchburg。　　But
  Sheridan　threw　himself　in　the　way；　and；　finding　that　no　more　could
  be　done；　General　Lee　and　the　infantry　surrendered；　and　a　few　days
  later　Generals　Lee　and　Grant　met　and　signed　terms　of　peace。
  General　Johnston's　army　surrendered　to　General　Sherman；　and　the
  long　and　desperate　struggle　was　at　an　end。
  It　was　a　dreadful　day　in　Richmond　when　the　news　came　that　the
  lines　of　Petersburg　were　forced；　and　that　General　Lee　no　longer
  stood　between　the　city　and　the　invaders。　The　president　and
  ministers　left　at　once；　and　were　followed　by　all　the　better　class　of
  inhabitants　who　could　find　means　of　conveyance。　　The　negroes；
  Irish；　and　some　of　the　lower　classes　at　once　set　to　work　to　pillage
  and　burn；　and　the　whole　city　would　have　been　destroyed　had　not　a
  Federal　force　arrived　and　at　once　suppressed　the　rioting。
  Whatever　bad　been　the　conduct　of　the　Federal　troops　during　the
  last　year　of　the　war；　however　great　the　suffering　they　had　inflicted
  upon　the　unarmed　and　innocent　population　of　the　country　through
  which　they　marched；　the　terms　of　peace　that　General　Grant　agreed
  upon；　and　which　were；　although　with　some　reluctance；　ratified　by
  the　government；　were　in　the　highest　degree　liberal　and　generous。
  No　one　was　to　be　injured　or　molested　for　the　share　he　had　taken　in
  the　war。　　A　general　amnesty　was　granted　to　all；　and　the　States　were
  simply　to　return　to　the　position　in　the　Union　that　they　occupied
  previous　to　the　commencement　of　the　struggle。
  More　liberal　terms　were　never　granted　by　a　conqueror　to　the
  vanquished。
  Vincent　was　with　the　cavalry　who　escaped　prior　to　Lee's　surrender；
  but　as　soon　as　the　terms　of　peace　were　ratified　the　force　was
  disbanded　and　he　returned　home。　　He　was　received　with　the
  deepest　joy　by　his　mother　and　sister。
  〃Thank　God；　my　dear　boy；　that　all　is　over；　and　you　have　been
  preserved　to　us。　　We　are　beaten；　but　no　one　can　say　that　we　have
  been　disgraced。　　Had　every　State　done　its　duty　as　Virginia　has　we
  should　never　have　been　overpowered。　　It　has　been　a　terrible　four
  years；　and　there　are　few　families　indeed　that　have　no　losses　to
  mourn。〃
  〃It　was　well　you　were　not　in　Richmond；　mother；　the　day　of　the
  riots。〃
  〃Yes；　but　we　had　our　trouble　here　too；　Vincent。　　A　number　of　the
  slaves　from　some　of　the　plantations　came　along　this　way；　and
  wanted　our　hands　to　join　them　to　burn　down　their　quarters　and　the
  house；　and　to　march　to　Richmond。　　Tony　and　Dan；　hearing　of　their
  approach；　armed　themselves　with　your　double…barreled　guns；　went
  down　and　called　out　the　hands　and　armed　them　with　hoes　and
  other　implements。　　When　the　negroes　came　up　there　was　a
  desperate　quarrel；　but　our　hands　stood　firm；　and　Tony　and　Dan
  declared　that　they　would　shoot　the　first　four　men　that　advanced；
  and　at　last　they　drew　off　and　made　their　way　to　Richmond。
  〃Your　plan　has　succeeded　admirably。　　One　or　two　of　the　hands
  went　to　Richmond　next　day；　but　returned　a　day　or　two　afterward
  and　begged　so　hard　to　be　taken　on　again　that　I　forgave　them。　　Since
  then　everything　has　been　going　on　as　quietly　and　regularly　as
  usual；　while　there　is　scarcely　a　man　left　on　any　of　the　estates　near。〃
  〃And　now；　mother；　that　I　find　things　are　quiet　and　settled　here；　I
  shall　go　down　to　Georgia　and　fetch　Lucy　home。　　I　shall　be　of　age　in
  a　few　months；　and　the　house　on　the　estate　that　comes　to　me　then
  can　be　enlarged　a　bit；　and　will　do　very　well。〃
  〃Not　at　all；　Vincent。　　Annie　will　be　married　next　month。　　Herbert
  Rowsell　was　here　two　days　ago；　and　it's　all　settled。　　So　I　shall　be
  alone　here。　　It　will　be　very　lonely　and　dull　for　me；　Vincent；　and　I
  would　rather　give　up　the　reins　of　government　to　Lucy　and　live　here
  with　you；　if　you　like　the　plan。〃
  〃Certainly；　I　should　like　it；　mother；　and　so；　I　am　sure；　would　Lucy。〃
  〃Well；　at　any　rate；　Vincent；　we　will　try　the　experiment；　and　if　it
  does　not　work　well　I　will　take　possession　of　the　other　house。〃
  〃There　is　no　fear　of　that；　mother；　none　whatever。〃
  〃And　when　are　you　thinking　of　getting　married；　Vincent？〃
  〃At　once；　mother。　　I　wrote　to　her　the　day　we　were　disbanded　saying
  that　I　should　come　in　a　week；　and　would　allow　another　week　and
  no　longer　for　her　to　get　ready。〃
  〃Then；　in　that　case；　Vincent；　Annie　and　I　will　go　down　with　you。
  Annie　will　not　have　much　to　do　to　get　ready　for　her　own　wedding。
  It　must；　of　course；　be　a　very　quiet　one；　and　there　will　be　no　array　of
  dresses　to　get；　for　I　suppose　it　will　be　some　time　yet　before　the
  railways　are　open　again　and　things　begin　to　come　down　from　the
  North。〃
  Happily　Antioch　had　escaped　the　ravages　of　war；　and　there　was
  nothing　to　mar　the　happiness　of　the　wedding。　Lucy's　father　had
  returned；　having　lost　a　leg　in　one　of　the　battles　of　the　Wilderness　a
  year　before；　and　her　brother　had　also　escaped。　　After　the　wedding
  they　returned　to　their　farm　i