It was, as we shall discover later in this series to mark the 160th anniversary of the end of the American Civil War, a very low-key affair – when, on 9 April 1865, the Confederate commander Robert E Lee offered his surrender to Ulysses S Grant, the commanding general of the opposing Union forces, in a now-famous encounter in the parlour of Wilmer McLean’s house in Appomattox, Virginia.
The moment had been a long time coming – the final act in a cataclysmic drama, acted out between the United States and the 11 Southern states that in 1860-1861 had seceded to form the Confederate States of America. But as Lee, resplendent in his best dress uniform, and Grant, arriving straight from the battlefield in drab attire and mud-spattered boots, shook hands to agree the Confederate capitulation, an atmosphere of magnanimity and mutual respect hung in the air.
As it was, the terms offered by Grant were generous. Lee’s soldiers would have to hand in their weapons, but officers would be allowed to keep swords and sidearms. All could then return to their homes, and any man who needed to plough his fields could keep his horse or mule once the army was paroled. On being told that Lee’s troops were living on parched corn, Grant also offered his adversary 25,000 rations from Federal stores. For his part, Lee was gratified by his opponent’s solicitousness. ‘This will have the best possible effect upon the men,’ he said.
Just days after their meeting, the American Civil War would officially be over – and after four years of fighting that had left at least 750,000 soldiers dead, the country could begin to rebuild. In our special feature for this issue, and over the next two editions of MHM, historian Fred Chiaventone marks the 160th anniversary of the war’s end by tracing the long and painful road to Appomattox – from Southern secession to final surrender.
This is an extract from a special feature on the American Civil War from the February/March 2025 issue of Military History Matters magazine.
Read the full article online on The Past, or in the print magazine: find out more about subscriptions to Military History Matters here.