Lesson 19: The Civil War part 17

Surrender at Appomattox Court House

By March of 1865, it was clear that the end of the Confederacy was near. President Davis fled Richmond.

On April 9, 1865, General Lee and Grant met in a Virginia village called Appomattox Court House and arranged a Confederate surrender.

The terms were generous. Lincoln did not want to impose harsh terms on the Confederates.

As a result, Grant pardoned Lee’s soldiers. He sent them home with their personal possessions, horses, and three days’ worth of rations. Officers were permitted to keep their side arms.

Returning to his camp after meeting with U.S. Grant at Appomattox, Lee told his army, "Men, we have fought the war together, and I have done the best I could for you." He then doffed his hat, uttered a heartfelt good-bye, and returned to his tent. A tattered soldier turned in the ranks and shouted, "We still love you, General Lee!" 

Lee urged his fellow Southerners to accept defeat and unite as Americans again, when some Southerners wanted to fight on after Appomattox

Within a month, all Confederate resistance collapsed. After four long years, the Civil War was over.