Appomattox, Virginia

Appomattox is the site of the surrender of General Lee to General Grant at the end of the Civil War.  In the last days of the war Grant sent word to Lee asking for him to surrender.  Lee continued to fight.  The Union Army kept pouring in, surrounding the area.  Lee was marching towards Appomattox; his troops heading for the train station to pick up the sorely needed food and supplies.  Grant's soldiers got there first and when the train whistle blew Lee knew that he was too late.

In a fresh uniform sitting high on his horse Lee rode into Appomattox.  A short time later Grant arrived and the two men met in McLean's house for 90 minutes working out the terms of surrender.  

President Lincoln had instructed General Grant to ensure that the terms of surrender would allow for the Confederate soldiers to return to their homes.  Grant told Lee that if a soldier brought their horse or mule from their farms to use in the war, then they were to take it home with them.  If they needed transportation, they could use trains or boats to aid in their travels.  Each soldier would receive a parole that would ensure their safety and provide them with meals along their journey home. They printed the paroles in the McLean house and each Confederate officer signed and delivered them to their men.  The Union Army lined the road and as the Confederate soldiers marched into Appomattox expecting jeers and insults.  The Confederate soldiers were treated with respect, they laid down their arms in the center of the road, received their paroles from their officers, and went home.  General Lee received a parole from General Grant.  Lee would not be tried for treason.  The war was over and we were an nation undivided once more.

After the soldiers went home, the towns people dug up the Confederate soldiers who were buried in shallow graves around the town.  They made coffins for them and buried the men in a special cemetery dedicated to their Civil War townsmen   They found one Union soldier in a shallow grave and buried him along side their men.  Below is a photo of the cemetery, notice in the foreground the US flag on the Union soldier's grave.

I enjoyed the presentations at Appomattox by the staff. They brought to life the story of the impact of the war on this small town.  Two women spoke of "their families" lives in character of former town women.  The hardships of surviving without their men, waiting for letters, caring for their children, the fear of the Union soldiers, and of the 100 townsmen who went to war, and the 9 who came home.