Battle of Appomattox Court House
Appomattox Court House, Appomattox County, Virginia, USA
What happened
Union armies under General Ulysses S. Grant surrounded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia under General Robert E. Lee. At the end of the American Civil War, Lee's army retreated west and found its path blocked by Union cavalry and infantry. After a final attempt to break out failed, Lee asked for a truce. That afternoon he met Grant in the McLean House and surrendered; Grant let the soldiers go home and keep their horses for spring planting.
Why it matters
Why it matters: The surrender is widely seen as the close of the American Civil War. It was followed by a chain of surrenders across the South.
What came next
On 12 April 1865, Confederate soldiers formally laid down their weapons. The last sizeable Confederate force surrendered on 23 June 1865.
Did you know?
Wilmer McLean moved to Appomattox to escape the war after the First Battle of Bull Run was fought on his land, and the surrender was signed in his parlour.
Timeline
- 9 April 1865Lee surrenders to Grant at the McLean House.
- 12 April 1865Confederate soldiers stack their arms.
- 26 April 1865Joseph E. Johnston surrenders to Sherman.
- 1949The rebuilt McLean House opens to the public.