Lee surrendered april 9, 1865 shortly after noon on april 9, 1865, general robert e. General lee leaves the mclean house after the surrender meeting with gen. The civil war in the united states ended in april of 1865 when confederate general robert e. On the 9th of april in the year 1965, the commander of the northern virginia army by the name of robert e. Lees son says his father was talking to his first cousin cassius leemay 22, 1808 jan 23, 1890. General grant and the union army had the confederates surrounded. Grant was the commanding general of the united states, and later became the 18th president of the unites. Grant at the appomattox court house in appomattox, virginia. Lee surrenders his 28,000 troops to union general ulysses s.
Lee surrendered his confederate troops to the unions ulysses s. On april 9th, 1865 general lee met general grant at the home of wilmer and virginia mclean in appomattox to sign the documents of surrender. Lee surrendered to brigadier general ulysses grant. The surrender painting by keith rocco shows generals lee and grant shaking hands near the end of the meeting. Lees army had little food, and they began to desert in large numbers on the retreat. Grant standing near a large tree, possibly on the old stage road to richmond, between the picketlines of both armies with officers for each standing nearby. Grant at appomattox court house in virginia, effectively ending the civil war. Joseph joe johnston, which was contending with the union army led by maj. Knowing that colonel marshall was general lees military secretary, present at appomattox and outlived general lee, in addition to being the grandnephew of justice marshall. Grant felt that they would need them to put in crops, as the surrender happened in april, so he issued an order. After a series of notes between the two leaders, they agreed to meet on april 9, 1865, at the house of wilmer. In accordance with the substance of my letter to you of the 8th instant, i propose to receive the surrender of the army of northern virginia on the following terms, to wit. When lee and grant met at appomattox realclearpolitics.
Lee, and his army of northern virginia before it surrendered to the. Making the decision to meet with grant and seek terms was painful for lee, but. The surrender meeting appomattox court house national. With the battle of petersburg lost, confederate general robert e. Lees surrender sword, and echoes of the lost cause, at. The last surrenders of the civil war national archives. A full transcript of lees letter to grant is available. Grant emerged as the supreme commanders of the confederate and union armies respectively by 1864. Grant adamantly believed that taking down the confederate armies was most important to the war effort, and to that end, set out to track down and destroy general robert e. The official surrender document of lees troops to the union army, signed at appomattox court house on. The two generals met in the house you see in the picture. Details of the day as recalled by general ulysses s.
Lee was clad in full dress uniform, complete with sword, while general grant, with. A historical marker located in pineville in rapides parish, louisiana. The purpose of this commissioners meeting was to hammer out the details of the formal surrender ceremony and to define who was subject to the surrender. Lee recalled that, thinking of a successor, he concluded that mahone had acquired the highest qualities of organization and command. Where did general robert e lee surrender to general us. Lee surrendered april 9, 1865 it would be useless and therefore cruel, to provoke the further effusion of blood, said confederate general robert e. Lee, and his army of northern virginia before it surrendered to the union army of the potomac under the commanding general of the united states, ulysses s. What terms did grant offer lee when lee surrendered at. A running battle ensued as each army moved farther to the west in an effort to out flank, or prevent being out flanked by the enemy. Grant said it was my duty to shift from myself the responsibility of any.
General lee and 21 confederate generals on horseback. Here are some facts about the battle and the surrender to help shed a little light for newcomers. The war was essentially over, and lee, having accepted that fate, praised his troops for their duty faithfully performed, bidding them an affectionate farewell. Title lees surrender, civil war summary drawing shows general robert e. Grant at appomattox court house, virginia, marking the beginning of the end of the grinding fouryearlong american civil war. As many have noted, grant and lee were not friends, and while they treated each other respectfully after the war, one gets the distinct impression that this was grudging on lees part. Grant, a general greater than lee, described his feelings upon meeting lee in april 1865 at appomattox, as lee surrendered his army of northern virginia. Lee made one request, which grant accepted, that the southern soldiers be allowed to keep their horses which they had personally owned.
Leejan 19, 1807 oct 12, 1870 3rd hand, decades after his death. With his army surrounded, his men weak and exhausted, robert e. Lee surrenders his 28000 troops to union general ulysses s. Grants terms, according to colonel marshall, was carefully written as to not. Lee to us general grant is referred to as the surrender at the appomattox court house. Forced to abandon the confederate capital of richmond, blocked from joining the surviving confederate force in north carolina. Actually, several other confederate armies remained in the field, including the remnants of the confederacys secondlargest, the army of tennessee under. Lee realized there was little choice but to consider the surrender of his army to general grant. Grant was riding toward appomattox court house where union cavalry, followed by infantry from the. Grant and the american civil war is officially brought to an end. But two years later, on april 9, 1865, it seemed like the relic of a misguided dream.
He commanded the army of northern virginia in the american civil war from 1862 until its surrender in 1865 a son of revolutionary war officer henry light horse harry lee iii, lee was a top graduate of the united states military academy. Lee surrendered the portion of the army of northern virginia under his direct control on april 9, 1865. Lees surrender of the army of northern virginia to lieutenant general ulysses s. Grant, effectively ending the american civil war april 16, 1865 2237x2539. Surrender documents american experience official site. Actually, several other confederate armies remained in the field, including the remnants of the confederacys secondlargest, the army of tennessee under the command of gen. The location was the appomattox court house in appomattox, virginia. Lees surrender at appomattox from the pages of harpers weekly. He sent a note to grant saying that he did not wish to surrender his army just. The battle of appomattox court house, fought in appomattox county, virginia, on the morning of april 9, 1865, was one of the last battles of the american civil war 18611865. Lees surrender was the key which in all practical terms ended. On this day, lee surrenders at appomattox national constitution. The result of last week must convince you of the hopelessness of further resistance on the part of the army of northern virginia in this struggle.
Rolls of all the officers and men to be made in duplicate, one copy to be given to an officer to be designated by me, the other to be retained by. When grant accepted the surrender of confederate forces by his rival robert e. The correct option among all the options given in the question is option b. Keith rocco the next day, april 10 th, a second meeting of six officers, three confederate and three union, would convene in the mclean parlor. The appomattox court house, located in virginia, is where gen. Lee learned on the morning of april 9, 1865, that union infantry was both in front and behind of his meager army of. Lee sent general grant a letter and asked to discuss the terms of surrender. The army of northern virginia was the most successful of the southern armies. Lee led his army of northern virginia in retreat to the west pursued by grant and the army of the potomac.
Grant at appomattox court house on april 9, 1865, is often called the end of the american civil war. At fort buhlow, soldiers quickly fled home, feeling that the end of the war was near. Lee surrenders his army to union general ulysses s. Where did general lee surrendered to general grant answers.
On sunday, august 9, the two men met at a home in the village of appomattox court house. They appear in the book written by lees son recollections and letters of general robert e. Lee, confederate commander of the army of northern virginia and later all southern armies during the american civil war 186165. Lee in april 1865, he generously allowed confederate soldiers to retain their weapons and horses and return to their homes.
Lee in 1863 a tribute to the virtuous knight of the confederacy. Lee and grant agreed to meet on april 9, 1865, at the house of wilmer mclean in the village of appomattox courthouse, to discuss the terms. Robert edward lee january 19, 1807 october 12, 1870 was an american and confederate soldier, best known as a commander of the confederate states army. Grant at the appomattox courthouse on april 9, 1865 after defeats at vicksburg, richmond, and petersburg. The next day general grant wrote to lee asking him to surrender that portion of the confederate states army known as the army of northern virginia.
He was one of the most capable commanders in the northern virginia army, standing out above all in the summer of 1864 at the battle of crater, on the outskirts of petersburg. Lincoln put him commander of the union army in 1864. Lee realized that the retreat of his beleaguered army had finally been halted, u. Grant, generalinchief of all united states forces, at the home of wilmer mcclean in the village of appomattox court house, virginia. Grant at appomattox court house, virginia, marking the beginning of the end of the grinding. Lee, and i have arranged to meet with general grant with a view to surrender. The surrender at appomattox court house occurred in april 1865 when confederate general robert e. Like many generals in both armies, both men were educated at the. Only five days later, president abraham lincoln is shot by confederate sympathizer john wilkes booth, making this quite a week for highemotion headlines. Why the civil war actually ended 16 months after lee. It was the final engagement of confederate general in chief, robert e. The confederates were low on supplies, many soldiers were deserting, and they were. Desertions were mounting daily, and by april 8 the confederates were.
When lee arrived at appomattox, he found that his path was blocked. Where did general robert e lee finally surrender to. In appomattox court house, virginia, confederate general robert e. Lee was a confederate army general who fought against the union. I had known general lee in the old army, and had served with him in the mexican war. On april 3, richmond fell to union troops as robert e. Deserting soldiers and the end of the war historical marker.
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