As Lee and his men made their way west to Lynchburg, US General Ulysses S. Grant led his men in hot pursuit until the two armies met at the Battle of Appomattox Court House. Initially, the Confederates were successful at pushing back the Union cavalry. However, the Union's infantry quickly arrived and repulsed the attack by the Confederates.
When Lee asked General Gordon, the commander of the troops who had attacked the Union cavalry, for an update, Gordon replied, "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." With this assessment, Lee realized that he could either continue fighting and destroy his army or surrender. He chose the latter.
Lee and Grant quickly made plans to meet and eventually sat down together in the parlor of the McLean House in the village of Appomattox Court House. Grant drew up the terms of surrender and gave them to Lee to officially accept. Grant thought that it would be unnecessary to require officers to hand over their personal side arms, a gracious and respectful gesture. Lee accepted the terms and the two shook hands and exited the building.
While this surrender was not the official end of the American Civil War, it is generally viewed by historians to be the symbolic end. General Robert E. Lee was a beloved general and the South placed its confidence in him and believed he would win the war. And so, the war over slavery and secession came to an end.
No comments:
Post a Comment