President Lincoln

Even from the grave the treacherous hand of the Confederacy reaches forth to take our great President from us. The assassin, John Wilkes Booth, should not be allowed to die a single death but many for the horrendous deed that he hath committed. Seeing that victory was beyond their reach, the Confederates resolved to injure us in the worst way possible, to take our great leader from us.

Not only did they decide to take away our beloved President, they desired to cripple us in every way possible. That very day, there was an attempt on Secretary of State, Mr. Seward. He was stabbed but survived. His son, however, is said to have been fatally wounded.

Is this how the South deals with defeat? When we show them kindness when they surrender, they decide to stab us while we turn to go home? No, this cannot be said of all of the South. I believe that General Lee and the Confederate Army would not stoop to such low means. It may be a man of the South who was responsible for such a deed but he did not speak for all the South.

Source:
Memoirs of General W.T. Sherman

Appomattox

"The General commanding announces to the army that he has official notice from General Grant that General Lee surrendered to him his entire army, on the 9th inst., at Appomattox Court-House, Virginia.

Glory to God and our country, and all honor to our comrades in arms, toward whom we are marching!

A little more labor, a little more toil on our part, the great race is won, and our Government stands regenerated, after four long years of war." (Sherman, 12 April, 1865)

April 12, 1865
-W.T. Sherman, Major-General commanding

Source:
Memoirs of General W.T. Sherman