On April 9, 1865, the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia in the McLean House in the village of Appomattox Court House, Virginia signaled the end of the nation's largest war. The war that ended at Appomattox did not subside into a happy story of fraternal reconciliation, but into an ongoing struggle between those who believed the war had brought a new age of freedom and equality into existence, and those who fought to keep the South's feudal past upon its throne. The American Battlefield Trust and our members have saved more than 53,000 acres in 24 states! However, a sizable portion of his fatiguing troops were cut off from the rest of the army at Sailor’s Creek on April 6. The Confederate cavalry initially held their own and even succeeded in driving the Union horsemen from their position atop a nearby ridge. When Lee departed from Amelia Court House, he saw that Grant’s army was marching parallel to his movements west along the Appomattox River. Opened in 2012, the American Civil War Museum in Appomattox, Virginia, is unique among Civil War museums. Corrections? Show your pride in battlefield preservation by shopping in our store. Some weird right-book-at-right-time mojo must have been working in order for me to listen to and *enjoy* a 10 book series based on the battles of the Civil War. The Appomattox Campaign begins with the Siege of Petersburg and the Breakthrough Battle, so we’ll start our ultimate Civil War day trip off in Petersburg. https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Appomattox-Court-House After an engagement with Federal cavalry, the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia was surrounded at Appomattox, seat of Appomattox county, Virginia, 25 miles east of Lynchburg. The meeting lasted approximately two and one-half hours and at its conclusion the bloodliest conflict in the … Union cavalry under Brig. D rawing from its rich collection of artifacts and documents, this American Civil War Museum location interweaves the story of the Confederate States government, the military, civilians, and enslaved and free African-Americans. Lee determined that he would be unable to proceed southwest and into North Carolina as planned. With his army surrounded, his men weak and exhausted, Robert E. Lee realized there was little choice but to consider the surrender of his Army to General Grant. Omissions? Federal Identification Number (EIN): 54-1426643. 100% Satisfaction ~ STARTING POINT, PETERSBURG: Between June 1864 and March 1865, Petersburg was the site of a grueling campaign between the armies of Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant. That day Lee lost eight generals and some 8,000 men. Please consider making a gift today to help raise the $170,000 we need to preserve this piece of American history forever. First, however, Lee hoped to reverse his fortunes and attacked Fort Stedman outside Petersburg on March 25, 1865. Smaller Confederate armies continued to fight throughout the Deep South and west of the Mississippi River. Lee intended to resupply there before heading to Lynchburg, Virginia, and then south to Danville, Virginia. Two important questions about its future were answered. Union cavalry destroyed a significant number of Confederate wagons at Paineville, Virginia, an action that made a swift arrival at Farmville more imperative than ever. Grant agreed to let Lee choose the meeting place at which they would discuss terms, so his aide chose the home of Wilmer McLean, a retired Virginia militia officer. Federal soldiers at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, photograph by Timothy H. O'Sullivan, April 1865. Appomattox led to the collapse of the Confederate government and the beginning of systematic “Reconstruction” across the entire South. 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