Battle of Appomattox Courthouse

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Battle of Appomattox Courthouse

The Battle of Appomattox Courthouse (April 9, 1865) was the final engagement of Confederate

Confederate States Army

The Confederate States Army was a military organization whose primary mission was to provide the necessary forces and capabilities to support the National Security and defense of the Confederate States of America during its brief existence from 1861 to 1865....
General

General

A General officer is an Officer of high military rank. The term or equivalent is used by nearly every country in the world. General can be used as a generic term for all grades of general officer, or it can specifically refer to a single rank that is just called general....
Robert E. Lee

Robert E. Lee

Robert Edward Lee , was a career United States United States Army officer , an engineer, and among the most celebrated generals in American history....
's Army of Northern Virginia

Army of Northern Virginia

The Army of Northern Virginia was the primary military force of the Confederate States of America in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War of the American Civil War....
before it surrendered

Surrender (military)

Surrender is when soldiers, nations or other combatants stop fighting and become prisoners of war, either as individuals or when ordered to by their commissioned officers....
to the Union Army

Union Army

The Union Army was the army that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S....
under Lt. Gen.

Lieutenant General (United States)

In the United States Army, the United States Marine Corps and the United States Air Force, lieutenant general is a 3 star rank general officer rank, with the U.S....
Ulysses S. Grant

Ulysses S. Grant

Ulysses S. Grant, born Hiram Ulysses Grant , was an United States general and the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States ....
near the end of the American Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several Naming the American Civil War, was a civil war in the United States....
.

pril 1, 1865, Maj. Gen.

Major General

Major General or Major-General is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of Sergeant Major General. A Major General is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of Lieutenant General and senior to the ranks of Brigadier and Brigadier General....
Philip Sheridan

Philip Sheridan

Philip Henry Sheridan was a career United States Army officer and a Union Army General officer in the American Civil War. His career was noted for his rapid rise to Major general and his close association with Lieutenant general Ulysses S....
's cavalry

Cavalry

The Cavalry is the second oldest of the Combat Arms, and as soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback in combat, it represents the mobility and offensive power of the armed forces....
turned Lee's flank at the Battle of Five Forks

Battle of Five Forks

The Battle of Five Forks was fought on April 1, 1865, southwest of Petersburg, Virginia, in Dinwiddie County, during the Appomattox Campaign of the American Civil War....
. The next day Grant's army achieved a decisive breakthrough, effectively ending the Siege of Petersburg

Siege of Petersburg

The Richmond-Petersburg Campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War....
. Lee abandoned Petersburg

Petersburg, Virginia

Petersburg is an independent city in Virginia, United States located on the Appomattox River and 23 miles south of Richmond, Virginia. The population was 33,740 as of the United States Census 2000....
and Richmond

Richmond, Virginia

Richmond is the Capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. Like all Virginia municipalities incorporated as cities, it is an independent city and not part of any county....
and headed west to Appomattox Station

Appomattox Station

File:Appomattox train depot.jpgFile:Appomattox Station visitor info center.jpgFile:Battle of Appomattox Station 1865.jpgAppomattox Station is located in the town of Appomattox, Virginia....
, where a supply train awaited him.

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Encyclopedia

The Battle of Appomattox Courthouse (April 9, 1865) was the final engagement of Confederate

Confederate States Army

General

Robert E. Lee

Robert Edward Lee , was a career United States United States Army officer , an engineer, and among the most celebrated generals in American history....
's Army of Northern Virginia

Army of Northern Virginia

Surrender (military)

Surrender is when soldiers, nations or other combatants stop fighting and become prisoners of war, either as individuals or when ordered to by their commissioned officers....
to the Union Army

Union Army

The Union Army was the army that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S....
under Lt. Gen.

Lieutenant General (United States)

In the United States Army, the United States Marine Corps and the United States Air Force, lieutenant general is a 3 star rank general officer rank, with the U.S....
Ulysses S. Grant

Ulysses S. Grant

American Civil War

The American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several Naming the American Civil War, was a civil war in the United States....
.

Background

On April 1, 1865, Maj. Gen.

Major General

Philip Sheridan

Cavalry

Battle of Five Forks

Siege of Petersburg

The Richmond-Petersburg Campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War....
. Lee abandoned Petersburg

Petersburg, Virginia

Richmond, Virginia

Appomattox Station

Joseph E. Johnston

Joseph Eggleston Johnston was a career United States Army officer, serving with distinction in the Mexican-American War and Seminole Wars, and was also one of the most senior general officers in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War....
's army in North Carolina

North Carolina

North Carolina is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north....
. On April 8, 1865, Union cavalry under Brig. Gen.

Brigadier General

Brigadier General is the lowest ranking General Officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of Colonel and Major General.The rank can be traced back to the militaries of Europe where a brigadier general, or simply a brigadier, would command a brigade in the field....
George Armstrong Custer

George Armstrong Custer

George Armstrong Custer was a United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the Indian Wars. At the start of the Civil War, Custer was a cadet at the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, and his class's graduation was accelerated so that they could enter the war....
captured and burned three supply trains waiting for Lee's army at the Battle of Appomattox Station

Battle of Appomattox Station

The Battle of Appomattox Station was fought April 8, 1865, during the Appomattox Campaign of the American Civil War. Major General#United States George Armstrong Custer's Union Army cavalry, en route to Appomattox Station, clashed with the reserve artillery of the Confederate States Army Third Corps, Army of Northern Virginia, under Colonel R...
. Now both the Army of the Potomac

Army of the Potomac

The Army of the Potomac was the major Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War of the American Civil War....
and the Army of the James

Army of the James

The Army of the James was a Union army Army that was composed of units from the Department of Virginia and North Carolina and served along the James River during the final operations of the American Civil War in Virginia....
were converging on Appomattox.

The road to Appomattox

With his supplies at Appomattox destroyed, Lee now looked to the railway at Lynchburg

Lynchburg, Virginia

Lynchburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 71,282 at the 2007 United States Census. Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains along the banks of the James River , Lynchburg is known as the "City of Seven Hills", "The Hill City" and sometimes described as "A City Unto Itself" mostly in ref...
, where more supplies awaited him. While the Union Army

Union Army

The Union Army was the army that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S....
was closing in on Lee, all that lay between Lee and Lynchburg was Union cavalry. Lee hoped to break through the cavalry before infantry arrived. He sent a note to Grant saying that he did not wish to surrender his army just yet but was willing to discuss how Grant's terms would affect the Confederacy. Grant, with a throbbing headache, stated that "it looks as if Lee still means to fight." The Union infantry was close, but the only unit near enough to support Sheridan's cavalry was Maj. Gen. John Gibbon

John Gibbon

John Gibbon was a career United States Army officer who fought in the American Civil War and the Indian Wars....
's XXIV Corps

XXIV Corps (ACW)

XXIV Corps was a corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War.In December 1864, the white and black units of the Army of the James were divided into two corps....
of the Army of the James

Army of the James

Edward Ord

Edward Otho Cresap Ord was the designer of Fort Sam Houston, and a United States Army officer who saw action in the Seminole War, the Indian Wars, and the American Civil War....
, commander of the Army of the James, arrived with the XXIV Corps around 4:00 a.m. with the V Corps

V Corps (ACW)

The V Corps was a unit of the Union Army Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War....
close behind. Sheridan deployed three divisions of cavalry along a low ridge to the southwest of Appomattox Court House.

The last battle

At dawn on April 9, the Confederate Second Corps

Second Corps, Army of Northern Virginia

The Second Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia was a military organization within the Confederate States Army Army of Northern Virginia during much of the American Civil War....
under Maj. Gen. John B. Gordon attacked Sheridan's cavalry and quickly forced back the first line. The Confederate cavalry under Maj. Gen. Fitzhugh Lee

Fitzhugh Lee

Fitzhugh Lee , nephew of Robert E. Lee, was a Confederate States Army cavalry General officer in the American Civil War, Governor of Virginia, diplomat, and United States Army general in the Spanish-American War....
moved around the Union flank. The next line, held by Brig. Gens. Ranald S. Mackenzie

Ranald S. Mackenzie

Ranald Slidell Mackenzie was a career United States Army officer and general in the Union Army during the American Civil War, described by General Ulysses S....
and George Crook

George Crook

George Crook was a career United States Army officer, most noted for his distinguished service during the American Civil War and the Indian Wars....
, fell back. Gordon's troops charged through the Union lines and took the ridge, but as they reached the crest they saw the entire Union XXIV Corps in line of battle with the Union V Corps to their right. Fitz Lee's cavalry saw these Union forces and immediately withdrew and rode off towards Lynchburg. Ord's troops began advancing against Gordon's corps while the Union II Corps

II Corps (ACW)

There were five corps in the Union Army designated as II Corps during the American Civil War.* Army of the Cumberland, II Corps commanded by Thomas L....
began moving against Lt. Gen. James Longstreet

James Longstreet

James Longstreet was one of the foremost Confederate States Army General officers of the American Civil War and the principal subordinate to General Robert E....
's corps to the northeast. Colonel Charles Venable of Lee's staff rode in at this time and asked for an assessment, and Gordon gave him a reply he knew Lee did not want to hear: "Tell General Lee I have fought my corps to a frazzle, and I fear I can do nothing unless I am heavily supported by Longstreet's corps." Upon hearing it Lee finally stated the inevitable: "Then there is nothing left for me to do but to go and see General Grant and I would rather die a thousand deaths."

Many of Lee's officers, including Longstreet, agreed that surrendering the army was the only option left. The only notable officer opposed to surrender was Longstreet's chief of artillery

Artillery

Artillery is a military Combat Arms which employs any apparatus, machine, an assortment of tools or instruments, a system or systems used as weapons for the discharge of large projectiles in combat as a major contribution of fire power within the overall military capability of an armed force....
, Brig. Gen. Edward Porter Alexander

Edward Porter Alexander

Edward Porter Alexander was an engineer, an officer in the United States Army, a Confederate States Army general in the American Civil War, and later a railroad executive, planter, and author....
, who predicted that if Lee surrendered then "every other [Confederate] army will follow suit". At 8:00 a.m., Lee rode out to meet Grant, accompanied by three of his aides. With gunshots still being heard on Gordon's front and Union skirmisher

Skirmisher

Skirmishers are infantry or cavalry soldiers stationed ahead or alongside of a larger body of friendly troops. They are usually placed in a skirmish line to either harass enemy troops or to protect their own troops from similar attacks by the enemy....
s still advancing on Longstreet's front, Lee received a message from Grant. After several hours of correspondence between Grant and Lee, a cease-fire was enacted and Grant received Lee's request to discuss surrender terms. Lee's aide, Col. Charles Marshall

Charles Marshall (Colonel)

Charles Marshall was a Confederate Army officer during the American Civil War. Marshall served as an aide de camp, assistant adjutant general and military secretary to General Robert E....
, was sent to find a location for Grant and Lee to meet. Marshall selected the home of Wilmer McLean

Wilmer McLean

Wilmer McLean was a wholesale grocer from Virginia. It is said that the American Civil War started in Wilmer McLean's front yard and ended in his front parlor....
, coincidentally the same man who was forced to lend his home to Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard at the First Battle of Bull Run

First Battle of Bull Run

The First Battle of Bull Run, also known as the First Battle of Manassas , was the first major land battle of the American Civil War, fought on July 21, 1861, near Manassas, Virginia....
, the first major battle of the war.

The surrender

Dressed in an immaculate uniform, Lee waited for Grant to arrive. Grant, whose headache had ended when he received Lee's note, arrived in a mud-spattered uniform—a government-issue flannel shirt with trousers tucked into muddy boots, no sidearms, and with only his tarnished shoulder straps showing his rank. Suddenly overcome with sadness, Grant found it hard to get to the point of the meeting and instead the two generals briefly discussed a previous encounter during the Mexican-American War. Lee brought the attention back to the issue at hand, and Grant offered the same terms he had before:

In addition to his terms, Grant also allowed the defeated men to take home their horses and mules to carry out the spring planting and provided Lee with a supply of food rations for his starving army; Lee said it would have a very happy effect among the men and do much toward reconciling the country. As Lee left the house and rode away, Grant's men began cheering in celebration, but Grant ordered an immediate stop. "I at once sent word, however, to have it stopped," he said. "The Confederates were now our countrymen, and we did not want to exult over their downfall."

The formal surrender of arms

On April 10, Lee gave his farewell address

Lee's Farewell Address

General Robert E. Lee issued his Farewell Address to his Army of Northern Virginia on April 10, 1865, the day after he surrendered the army to Ulysses S....
to his army. The same day a six-man commission gathered to discuss a formal ceremony of surrender, even though no Confederate officer wished to go through with such an event. Brig. Gen. Joshua L. Chamberlain was the Union officer selected to lead the ceremony, and later he would reflect on what he witnessed on April 12, 1865, and write a moving tribute:

That day, 27,805 Confederate soldiers passed by and stacked their arms.

Aftermath

Roughly 175,000 Confederates remained in the field across the country. Just as Porter Alexander had predicted, it was only a matter of time before the other Confederate armies began to surrender. As news spread of Lee's surrender, other Confederate commanders realized that the Confederacy was all but dead, and decided to lay down their own arms. Joseph E. Johnston's army in North Carolina, with which Lee had hoped to combine forces, surrendered to Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman on April 26. Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith

Edmund Kirby Smith

Edmund Kirby Smith was a career United States Army officer, an educator, and a Full General in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War, notable for his command of the Trans-Mississippi Department of the Confederacy after the fall of Battle of Vicksburg....
surrendered the Confederate Trans-Mississippi Department in May and Brig. Gen. Stand Watie

Stand Watie

Stand Watie was a leader of the Cherokee and a Brigadier General of the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. He commanded the Confederate Indian cavalry of the Army of the Trans-Mississippi made up mostly of Cherokee, Creek and Seminole....
surrendered the last sizable organized Confederate force on June 23, 1865.

There were several more small battles after the surrender, with the Battle of Palmito Ranch

Battle of Palmito Ranch

The Battle of Palmito Ranch, also known as the Battle of Palmito Hill and the Battle of Palmeto Ranch, was fought on May 12 – May 13, 1865, during the American Civil War....
commonly known as the final military action of the Confederacy.

Lee never forgot Grant's magnanimity during the surrender, and for the rest of his life would not tolerate an unkind word said about Grant in his presence. Likewise, General Gordon cherished Chamberlain's simple act of saluting his surrendered army, calling Chamberlain an example of the "purest of knights".

Battle of Appomattox Courthouse

Background

The road to Appomattox

The last battle

The surrender

The formal surrender of arms

Aftermath

Further reading