56 LIVES OF THE PRESIDENTS January 7, Schofield was directed to bring his army, then at Clifton, Tenn., to the sea-coast. It reached Washington and Alexandria, January 31, and on February 9 arrived at the mouth of Cape Fear river, with instructions to operate against Wilmington and penetrate the interior. He entered Wilmington on February 22, it having been evacuated by the enemy, and took 51 heavy guns, 15 light guns, and 800 prisoners. His own loss in these operations was about 200 in killed and wounded. He moved thence to Goldsboro, where it was intended he should form a junction with Sherman. On March 2, Lee addressed a letter to Grant, suggesting a personal meeting with a view to arranging subjects of controversy between the belligerents to a convention ; but Grant replied that he had no authority to accede to the proposition; that he had a right to act only on subjects of a purely military character. Sheridan moved down the valley of Virginia, from Winchester, February 27, and defeated Early at Waynesboro, March 2, capturing and scattering nearly his entire command. He then turned east ward, destroyed many miles of the James river canal, passed around the north side of Richmond, and tore up the railroads, arrived at White House on the 19th, and from there joined the Army of the Potomac. Grant had been anxious for some time lest Lee should suddenly abandon his works and
