Hello everyone, I’m Kianna Davis. I’m a freshman at Old Dominion University, majoring in Human Service with a minor of Criminal Justice. My topic was Surrendering in Appomattox with Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee. The surrender takes place in Appomattox Court House which is like 30 Minutes away from Lynchburg. I believe the surrender took place because of a disagreement between the Union and the Confederate.
Due to the surrender on April 9, 1865 in the town of Appomattox, Virginia the civil war ended. General Robert E. Lee surrendered his army to General Ulysses S. Grant. General Lee army was Northern Virginia and was surrendered to the union. In result of the surrender, a war took place. The Battle of Appomattox Court House was the war that took place, which only lasted for a couple of hours. Good thing about this war is it will bring the 4-year civil War to an end.
Before the surrender in Appomattox, there were a lot of events that took place that led off to the surrender. The main one was when union general Philip Sheridan blocked Lees troops in the Virginia countryside. This stopped the remaining confederate troops from retreating and gaining more supplies. Robert lost many troops to death and thousands were taken as prisoners. With this event taking place, Lee knew he needed to sit down with Grant. he quoted and said, “There is nothing left for me to do but to go and see Gen. Grant, and I would rather die a thousand deaths.” but he knew there was no other way. Lee had recognized that he still had troops remaining. There were about twenty-eight thousand troops the would quickly devastate the countryside for them to survive.
When the Mexican-American War (1846-1848) took place Lee and Grant had kind of already known each other. When they see each other, they were dressed in their personal attire. Robert E. Lee was fully dress with his sash and the sword while Ulysses S. Grant had on his muddy field uniform. Lee had come to ask grant for the surrender terms. Grant wrote them for Lee and all the men and officers were forgiven. They were sent home to their families. The men and officers were granted their property and horses. The horses were the most important thing to the men. The starving men that was with Lee was given union rations and the officer will always keep their sides armed. Grant told the officers “the war is over. The Rebels are our countrymen again.” The final skirmish of the civil war took place on May 12 and May 12 at the Battle of Palmito Ranch near Brownsville, Texas.
In conclusion, Robert E. Lee surrender his army to Ulysses S. Grant in Appomattox Court House, Virginia. On April 9, 1865 everything came to an end. The union was given their rations, and everybody ended up happy. Officers got their horses which was the only thing they cared about in the end.
Citaions
- “Appomattox: The Surrender.” American Battlefield Trust. April 09, 2018. Accessed February 12, 2019. https://www.battlefields.org/learn/videos/appomattox-surrender.
- Editors, History.com. “Appomattox Court House.” History.com. November 09, 2009. Accessed February 12, 2019. https://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/appomattox-court-house.
- “Robert E. Lee Surrenders.” History.com. November 24, 2009. Accessed February 12, 2019. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/robert-e-lee-surrenders.