as sheridan planted his cavalry squarely across lee's path of retreat, the worn but heroic tatters of a proud army prepared to sell themselves for a bloody ransom and go down fighting, but grant had demanded their surrender, and, seeing back of the galling, skirmishing cavalry solid walls of confident infantry, the terms of surrender were accepted by general lee, and april 9 the confederate army stacked its arms near appomattox court-house.