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The Battle of Fort Sumter, fought between Union and Confederate forces in 1861, marked the beginning of the American Civil War. Fort Sumter, a sea fort in South Carolina, was constructed to protect the region from naval invasions after British forces captured Washington during the War of 1812. This battle resulted in the surrender of the fort by the United States Army, beginning the American Civil War.

Battle of Fort Sumter, Summary, Overview, Significance, 1861 (americanhistorycentral.com)

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Battle of Fort Sumter, Summary, Overview, Significance, 1861

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The Battle of Fort Sumter was fought on April 12–13, 1861. It was the opening battle of the Civil War and ended in a Confederate victory.

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The First Battle of Bull Run was fought between 35,000 Union soldiers and 20,000 Confederate troops near Manassas Junction, Virginia, where the Confederates emerged victorious.

Who Won the Battle of Bull Run? - History (historyonthenet.com)

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The First battle of Bull Run or First Manassas was the first large land battle fought during the Civil War. It ended up a clear victory for the

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Fight between the Monitor and the Merrimack-March 9, 1862

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Fight between the Monitor and the Merrimack-March 9, 1862

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On March 9, 1862, the Union's Monitor and Confederacy's Virginia engaged in a four-hour battle off Hampton Roads. Despite poor training, Virginia's gunners disarmed the Monitor, wounding the captain. Both sides claimed victory, with the North citing Virginia's withdrawal as victory, and the South citing the destruction of the Monitor as victory.

Battle between the Monitor and the Merrimac (Virginia) (u-s-history.com)

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At the outbreak of the American Civil War, the navies of the world still relied primarily on wooden ships. The battle between two ironclad vessels, the Union's Monitor and the Confederacy's Virginia, on March 9, 1862, signaled the start of the era of armored navies. On April 20, 1861, Union forces at the Norfolk Naval Yard scuttled a federal frigate, the Merrimac, in order to keep it out of enemy hands. The ship, whose name was sometimes spelled "Merrimack," was later raised by Confederate forces and rechristened the CSS Virginia. The vessel underwent major renovations, including removal of the superstructure above the waterline and the construction of a slanted top (prompting some observers to compare the ship to a floating barn roof). Eight inches of iron sheeting was applied to the exterior. Ten 12-pound cannons were installed as well as a massive battering ram on the bow. The craft was extremely long and cumbersome to maneuver, requiring almost a mile to turn around. Her commander was Captain Franklin Buchanan. The Union forces were aware of the Confederate ship and looked for counter measures. A design by John Ericsson was approved and the name "Monitor" adopted. Built on Long Island at Greenpoint, she had a displacement of almost a thousand tons and a length of 172 feet. It was a strange-looking vessel, presenting only a flat deck topped by a 9-foot by 20-foot revolving turret which housed two guns. The majority of the crew was stationed below the waterline. The initial performance of the Monitor was not impressive. After an unsuccessful harbor trial on February 27, 1862, she put out to sea on March 3 under the command John L. Worden, but was forced to return due to rudder problems. On March 6, she set out again from New York City, this time towed by a tug. Hampton Roads is the a channel through which the waters of three rivers, the James, Nansemond and Elizabeth, flow into Chesapeake Bay. On the northern side is Newport News and on the south are Norfolk and Portsmouth. On March 8, the Virginia ventured into these waters off Newport News, Virginia, and attacked a number of federal wooden vessels, destroying two and running another, the Minnesota, aground. The victory was not without cost to the Virginia, as the cast iron ram attached to the prow broke off when it rammed the Cumberland and two of its guns lost their muzzles. Following its triumph, the ironclad returned to port. If not halted, the Virginia would have destroyed the Union blockade in a matter of a few weeks. That night, however, the Monitor reached Hampton Roads. On the following day, the Monitor, made its appearance. Never before had two ironclad vessels engaged in naval battle. The first two be built were France's Gloire and Britain's Warrior, built in 1859 and 1860, respectively, but they had never met in combat. The ships engaged one another off Hampton Roads in a four-hour battle. The two ships passed each other repeatedly, firing at close range. Due to the poor training of both crews, much of the fire was to no effect. However, the Virginia's gunners managed to hit the Monitor's turret, largely disabling the vessel and wounding the captain. The Monitor was faster and more maneuverable, but was limited to one shot every seven or eight minutes. After a couple of hours, the Monitor entered shallower waters into which the larger Virginia could not follow, in order to replenish the supply of ammunition in its turret. The Virginia took the opportunity to do further damage to the Minnesota, which was still aground. The Virginia itself then went aground at the same time that the Monitor was returning to the fray. After some difficulty, the Virginia freed itself and headed for deeper water with the Monitor in pursuit. The Virginia attempted to ram the Monitor, but the missing iron prow diminished its effect and its smaller and nimbler opponent escaped with just a glancing blow. The Monitor again headed to shallow waters and the Virginia returned to the navy yard at Norfolk, bringing the battle to a close. Both sides claimed victory. The North cited the withdrawal of the Virginia as evidence of their claim, while the South pointed to the disabling of the Monitor as evidence of victory. Many in the South believed that they had discovered a means of breaking the Northern blockade. The engagement between these two ironclad ships was a watershed in naval warfare; the days of the wooden navies were numbered. These particular vessels did not engage each other again. The Virginia was scuttled by her crew when the Confederates abandoned Norfolk on May 11, 1862, and the Monitor sank in a gale off Cape Hatteras on December 31, 1862. However, the U.S. Navy recognized the value of the design and ordered 35 more ships of that class in 1862 and another 24 in 1863, although many of them were never completed.

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Battle between the Monitor and the Merrimac (Virginia)

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At the outbreak of the American Civil War, the navies of the world still relied primarily on wooden ships. The battle between two ironclad vessels, the Union's Monitor and the Confederacy's Virginia, on March 9, 1862, signaled the start of the era of armored navies.

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Farragut captures New Orleans - April 1862

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Farragut captures New Orleans - April 1862

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In 1862, in the night of April 24, Admiral David Farragut led a fleet of 24 gunboats, 19 mortar boats and 15,000 soldiers in a daring run past the forts. He led the Union's victory in the Capture of New Orleans, gaining control of the Mississippi River's mouth and sealing off the Southern port.

Union captures New Orleans | April 28, 1862 | HISTORY

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Union troops officially take possession of New Orleans, completing the occupation that had begun four days earlier.

The capture of this vital southern city was a huge blow to the Confederacy. Southern military strategists planned for a Union attack down the Mississippi, not from the Gulf of Mexico. In early 1862, the Confederates concentrated their forces in northern Mississippi and western Tennessee to stave off the Yankee invasion. Many of these troops fought at Shiloh in Tennessee on April 6 and 7. Eight Rebel gunboats were dispatched up the great river to stop a Union flotilla above Memphis, leaving only 3,000 militia, two uncompleted ironclads, and a few steamboats to defend New Orleans. The most imposing obstacles for the Union were two forts, Jackson and St. Phillip. In the middle of the night of April 24, Admiral David Farragut led a fleet of 24 gunboats, 19 mortar boats and 15,000 soldiers in a daring run past the forts.

Now, the river was open to New Orleans except for the ragtag Confederate fleet. The mighty Union armada plowed right through, sinking eight ships. At New Orleans, Confederate General Mansfield Lovell surveyed his tiny force and realized that resistance was futile. If he resisted, Lovell told Mayor John Monroe, Farragut would bombard the city and inflict severe damage and casualties. Lovell pulled his troops out of New Orleans and the Yankees began arriving on April 25. The troops could not land until Forts Jackson and St. Phillip were secured. They surrendered on April 29, and now New Orleans had no protection. Crowds cursed the Yankees as all Confederate flags in the city were lowered and stars and stripes were raised in their place.

The Confederacy lost a major city, and the lower Mississippi soon became a Union highway for 400 miles to Vicksburg, Mississippi.

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Union troops officially take possession of New Orleans, completing the occupation that had begun four days earlier. The capture of this vital southern city was a huge blow to the Confederacy. Southern military strategists planned for a Union attack down the Mississippi, not from the Gulf of Mexico.

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The Union forces, led by Major General Ulysses S. Grant, secured a victory in the second major engagement of the American Civil War in southwestern Tennessee.

Shiloh Battle Facts and Summary | American Battlefield Trust (battlefields.org)

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Our Battle of Shiloh page includes history articles, battle maps, photos, web links, and the latest preservation news for this important 1862 Civil War battle in Tennessee.

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battle of Antietam - September 17, 1862

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battle of Antietam - September 17, 1862

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The Battle of Antietam, fought on September 17, 1862, marked the Union's victory over Lee's campaign, resulting in the bloodiest single day of the Civil War.

Who Won the Battle of Antietam? (thecollector.com)

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In September 1862, as the American Civil War dragged on, the South gambled on taking the war into the North to pressure the Union and impress foreign powers.

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The Battle of Fredericksburg - December 11, 1862

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The Battle of Fredericksburg - December 11, 1862

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In 1862, the American Civil War's devastating Battle of Fredericksburg took place in Fredericksburg, Virginia. The outcome was a crushing.

Battle of Fredericksburg | Facts, Casualties, & Aftermath | Britannica Union loss.

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Battle of Fredericksburg | Facts, Casualties, & Aftermath

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Battle of Fredericksburg, clash between Union and Confederate forces on December 11–15, 1862, during the American Civil War. The Union troops, despite outnumbering the Confederates, suffered a crushing defeat. It was one of the largest battles of the Civil War in terms of troops involved.

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Emancipation Proclamation signed - January 1, 1863

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Emancipation Proclamation signed - January 1, 1863

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The Emancipation Proclamation, signed by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, said that all slaves in the states that were at the time rebelling against the Union "shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free."
Emancipation Proclamation ‑ Definition, Dates & Summary | HISTORY

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Emancipation Proclamation - Definition, Dates & Summary

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Issued after the Union victory at Antietam on September 22, 1862, the Emancipation Proclamation carried moral and strategic implications for the ongoing Civil War. While it did not free a single enslaved person, it was an important turning point in the war, transforming the fight to preserve the nat…

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The Battle of Gettysburg is considered the pivotal moment in the war and was fought 35 miles southwest of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. More research and analysis has likely been done on the conflict than any other in American history, and it was a decisive loss for the South. The Union's win over General Robert E. Lee's Confederate forces was significant because it prevented their invasion of the northern provinces.

Battle of Gettysburg | Summary, History, Dates, Generals, Casualties, & Facts | Britannica

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Siege of Vicksburg- May 18- July 4, 1863

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Siege of Vicksburg- May 18- July 4, 1863

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The Siege of Vicksburg, fought from May 18 to July 4, 1863, marked the final major military action in the Vicksburg Campaign of the American Civil War. In a sequence of maneuvers, General Ulysses Grant and his Union Army crossed the Mississippi River and forced the Confederate army into defensive lines.

Siege of Vicksburg (May 18-July 4, 1863) Summary & Facts (totallyhistory.com)

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Siege of Vicksburg (May 18-July 4, 1863) Summary & Facts

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Siege of Vicksburg Date May 18 – July 4, 1863 Location Warren County, Mississippi Victor Decisive Union victory Contenders United States (Union) Confederate States Military Leaders Ulysses S. Grant John C. Pemberton Military Units in Battle Army of the Tennessee Army of Vicksburg Unit Strength 77,000 ~33,000 Casualties and Deaths Total: 4,835 3,202 killed or

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Gettysburg address given - November 19, 1863

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Gettysburg address given - November 19, 1863

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President Abraham Lincoln gave what is today considered to be one of the most influential speeches in American history on the ninth of November 1863, while attending the dedication of a military cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Lincoln captured the meaning of the Civil War in around 270 words. Lincoln's war goals were to abolish slavery and maintain the Union.

Abraham Lincoln delivers Gettysburg Address, Nov. 19, 1863 - POLITICO

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General Grant Leads the Union - March 9, 1864

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General Grant Leads the Union - March 9, 1864

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President Abraham Lincoln formally promotes then-Major General Ulysses S. Grant to the rank of lieutenant general of the U.S. Army on March 10, 1864, by signing a brief paper. The future president is tasked with commanding all Union forces in the fight against the Confederate Army.

President Lincoln signs Ulysses S. Grant’s commission to command the U.S. Army | March 10, 1864 | HISTORY

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During the American Civil War, on April 12, 1864, the Confederacy massacred African American Federal troops stationed at Fort Pillow, Tennessee. This event is known as the Fort Pillow Massacre. The employment of Black soldiers by the North infuriated the South, which led to the action. The majority of the Union soldiers slaughtered were Black members of the U.S. Colored Troops, out of the more than 500 surrendering Union soldiers that were massacred.

Fort Pillow Massacre | Definition, Significance, & Facts | Britannica

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What is the significance of the Fort Pillow Massacre?

What started the Fort Pillow Massacre?

Where did the Fort Pillow Massacre take place?

How many people died in the Fort Pillow Massacre?

What was the result of the Fort Pillow Massacre?

Fort Pillow Massacre, Confederate slaughter of African American Federal troops stationed at Fort Pillow, Tennessee, on April 12, 1864, during the American Civil War. The action stemmed from Southern outrage at the North's use of Black soldiers. From the beginning of hostilities, the Confederate leadership was faced with the question of whether to treat Black soldiers captured in battle as slaves in insurrection or, as the Union insisted, as prisoners of war.

Background

The Battle of Fort Pillow occurred as part of Confederate Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest's spring 1864 raid into West Tennessee and Kentucky, areas held by Union troops. By the third year of the war, the Confederacy was facing severe manpower shortages and a dearth of supplies-including the horses necessary to maintain active cavalry campaigning. Consequently, Forrest launched the expedition in an attempt to gain recruits, provisions, and mounts for his command. Furthermore, Union Gen. William T. Sherman was massing forces in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in anticipation of his drive on Atlanta. Forrest and his superiors hoped that his raid would disrupt Sherman's preparations. By this stage in the conflict, Forrest had already earned a reputation as a fierce, temperamental, and violent commander who drove his men relentlessly and often issued "surrender or die" ultimatums to his Union adversaries.

American Civil War Events

Fort Pillow is located at a bend in the Mississippi River roughly 40 miles (65 km) north of Memphis, Tennessee. Built in 1861, the fort was originally a Confederate installation named after Brig. Gen. Gideon J. Pillow. In 1862 the combined might of the Union army and navy seized control of most of the Mississippi River and West Tennessee, rendering untenable the Confederate position at Fort Pillow, which was abandoned. Union forces moved into the vacant fort, using it as a supply depot and recruitment centre. In a tragically ironic prologue to the Fort Pillow story, Sherman, the commander of the District of Tennessee, ordered that the fort be abandoned in January 1864-about four months prior to the massacre. Union Maj. Gen. Stephen A. Hurlbut, in command in West Tennessee, initially obeyed and then disregarded his superior's directive, evacuating the fort in January but then ordering it to be reoccupied in February.

Initial attack

The fort contained a garrison of between 500 and 600 troops (consisting primarily of unionist Southerners, Confederate deserters, and African Americans) when Forrest's troops arrived. The 1,500 to 2,500 Confederate cavalrymen surrounded the fort with relative ease on the morning of April 12. For its defenders, the lay of the land around the fort combined with the poorly constructed entrenchments and fieldworks made the defense of Fort Pillow difficult. While the fort consisted of some 2 miles (3.2 km) of defenses, the Union troops had taken up position in an inner redoubt within the larger fortification. Confederate sharpshooters kept up constant fire throughout the day, wreaking havoc within the garrison. Union Maj. Lionel Booth, the fort's commander, was killed by a sniper's bullet. His second in command, Maj. William Bradford-who would prove to be an inept leader-assumed control. Even the Union gunboat New Era, tasked with aiding the defense of the fort from the river, proved ineffectual against the combined challenges presented by the topography and Forrest's artillerymen. At 3:30 pm, after hours of rifle and artillery fire, Forrest demanded the fort's surrender.

Overestimating the support he would receive from Union ships and wishing to confer with his officers, Bradford requested a one-hour cease-fire. Soon, however, Forrest spied Union boats-possibly carrying reinforcements-approaching Fort Pillow. Preparing for this eventuality, the Confederate commander ordered a detachment of his men to the northeast end of the fort to block the possible landing of Union troops. Convinced that Bradford was deceptively using the cease-fire to strengthen his garrison, Forrest informed him the fort would be stormed in 20 minutes. Further heightening an already tense situation, the troops in and around the fort began exchanging insults during the cease-fire.

Final attack and massacre

After Bradford's allotted 20 minutes had passed, Forrest-from a position roughly 400 yards (360 metres) from the front-ordered his men to assault the fort. The dismounted cavalrymen easily surmounted the ditches and parapets separating them from the Union defenders. The ill-led, outmanned, and outgunned Federals were unable to mount an effective defense from the fort's walls out of fear of the Confederate snipers and could do little to stop the attacking horde.

Forrest's men quickly gained the upper hand. The situation within the fort's walls degenerated into chaos, and command and control on both sides vanished. Some Union soldiers doggedly continued to resist; others threw down their arms in an attempt to surrender; and others-including Major Bradford-fled toward the Mississippi River.

The actual final assault on the fort's walls and the subsequent fighting lasted less than half an hour. By that time Forrest and his staff had arrived in the fort to restore some semblance of order. Both Confederate and Union witnesses claimed that an unknown number of Federal soldiers-most of whom were African American-were gunned down after attempting to surrender. Many more were shot as they fled, while others drowned in the Mississippi River. While it is impossible to determine how many were killed in the battle as opposed to the massacre, between 277 and 295 Union troops-the majority of whom were African American-were killed in total. Only 14 Confederates were killed.

Congressional investigation

Allegations of a massacre were made immediately following the battle. A congressional committee was tasked with ascertaining what in fact had occurred during the melee. The committee, under the leadership of two Republicans-Sen. Benjamin F. Wade, a leading Radical Republican, and Rep. Daniel W. Gooch-deemed what occurred at Fort Pillow a massacre without parallel. Although the committee interviewed numerous witnesses and compiled a detailed case that included much valuable testimony, the biases of Wade and Gooch led to a propagandist slant. Like most Radical Republicans, Wade and Gooch advocated for tougher wartime policies toward the South. Further sensationalizing what was already a brutal episode would bring validity to their desired policies. Despite the propagandistic nature of the report, it permeated Northern public opinion.

Likewise, the South soon had its own equally enduring version of the battle. Most white southerners denied the occurrence of a massacre. Not only did Forrest vehemently deny that his men did anything wrong, but he and his supporters argued that those killed at Fort Pillow were the victims not of violent racism but of the chaos of battle, the ineptitude of their leaders, and their refusal to surrender.

Despite the initial arguments of Confederates-and the continued insistence of Forrest's apologists-proclaiming that no massacre had occurred, evidence to the contrary is simply too overwhelming. While not as overblown as the arguments put forward by Wade and Gooch, the interpretations of the vast majority of modern historians convincingly show that a massacre took place. Twice as many Union soldiers were killed during the battle than were wounded-an inverse ratio for Civil War battles. Moreover, only 20 percent of the Black soldiers present were taken prisoner, while roughly 60 percent of the white troops present were captured.

Legacy

Although in terms of size and strategic importance Fort Pillow pales in comparison with other often-studied Civil War engagements, it did have some significant consequences. Like the Alamo a generation earlier, the Fort Pillow Massacre became a rallying cry for a people fighting for their independence. It served to harden the resolve of African American soldiers, and "Remember Fort Pillow!" became their battle cry.
Robert L. Glaze

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Fort Pillow Massacre | Definition, Significance, & Facts

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Fort Pillow Massacre, Confederate slaughter of African American Federal troops stationed at Fort Pillow, Tennessee, on April 12, 1864, during the American Civil War. The action stemmed from Southern outrage at the North's use of Black soldiers. Learn more about the massacre, including its legacy.

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United States presidential election of 1864 was an American presidential election held on November 8, 1864, in which Republican Pres. Abraham Lincoln defeated Democrat George B. McClellan.

United States presidential election of 1864 | Abraham Lincoln vs. George McClellan, American Civil War, Reelection, & Results | Britannica

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United States presidential election of 1864, American presidential election held on Nov. 8, 1864, in which Republican Pres. Abraham Lincoln defeated Democrat George B. McClellan . As the election occurred during the American Civil War , it was contested only by the states that had not seceded from the Union.

Wartime discord

As the 1864 election approached, the prospect that Pres. Abraham Lincoln would gain a second term was very much in doubt. The war between the North and the South had persisted longer than many had anticipated, and the Union army's efforts in early 1864 provided little hope for an expeditious conclusion. Many Northern Democrats who supported the war as a means of preserving the Union had been dismayed by the Emancipation Proclamation (1863), the promulgation of which suggested to them that slaves' rights had also become a principal objective of the conflict. At the same time, a faction within Lincoln's own party-the antislavery Radical Republicans-contended that the actual emancipation of slaves was not being accomplished quickly enough and that the president's proposals for readmitting Confederate states to the Union were too lenient. Both sides, furthermore, were critical of Lincoln's wartime restraints on civil liberties.

Several names were discussed as potential Republican challengers to Lincoln. In early 1864 Secretary of State Salmon P. Chase began a surreptitious campaign for the nomination but hastily ended it after pamphlets intended for private distribution were leaked to the press. A more formidable challenge came from former Republican presidential nominee John C. Frémont , who in May won the nomination of the Radical Democracy Party, formed by a group of disaffected Republicans. The official convention for Republicans was held in Baltimore several weeks later. Despite misgivings among some Republican party leaders, Lincoln won renomination on the first ballot. More committed to their broad strategic policies than to strict partisanship, the Republicans attempted to siphon the support of pro-war Democrats by temporarily renaming themselves the National Union Party and by replacing Vice Pres. Hannibal Hamlin on the ticket with Andrew Johnson , a former Democratic senator from Tennessee.

Although the Democratic Party was generally unified in its opposition to emancipation, in 1864 it found itself divided between those who favoured the continuation of the war and those who sought peace through a negotiated settlement with the South. The former faction found a candidate in Gen. George B. McClellan, who had led the Union army in 1861-62 but was personally contemptuous of Lincoln. The latter faction, centred mainly in the Midwest and popularly known as the Copperheads , gravitated toward New York Gov. Horatio Seymour. At the Democratic convention in August, a compromise was struck whereby McClellan was nominated as the party's presidential candidate and the Copperheads were allowed authority over the party platform; accordingly, they inserted a plank calling for immediate peace negotiations. In addition, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, Ohio Rep. George Pendleton , was an advocate for peace.

Momentum for Lincoln

As late as August 23, Lincoln considered it "exceedingly probable" that he would not be reelected. However, Union Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman's capture of Atlanta in early September significantly boosted Northern morale. In the wake of the victory, Frémont withdrew his candidacy, and newspapers and churches both provided enthusiastic endorsements of Lincoln. Though Lincoln did not shift his policies, he appeased the Radical Republicans somewhat by replacing a member of his cabinet whose conservative views on racial issues had come under criticism. Meanwhile, McClellan's campaign flailed as his repudiation of the peace plank in the Democratic platform provoked further tensions within his party.

On election day, Lincoln prevailed handily, winning 212 of 233 total electoral votes. Contributing to his victory were the predominantly Republican votes of Union soldiers, many of whom had been allowed to cast ballots in the field or else had been furloughed to vote in their home districts. McClellan won only the states of Delaware, New Jersey, and Kentucky. The strategic selection of Johnson as a vice presidential candidate proved unexpectedly consequential when Lincoln's assassination less than two months into his second term elevated Johnson to the presidency.

For the results of the previous election, see United States presidential election of 1860. For the results of the subsequent election, see United States presidential election of 1868.
John M. Cunningham

Results of the 1864 election

The results of the 1864 U.S. presidential election are provided in the table.

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united states presidential election of 1864

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United States presidential election of 1864 | Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Johnson & Reelection

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United States presidential election of 1864, American presidential election held on Nov. 8, 1864, in which Republican Pres. Abraham Lincoln defeated Democrat George B. McClellan . As the election occurred during the American Civil War , it was contested only by the states that had not seceded from

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Sherman’s March to the Sea - November 15, 1864 - December 21, 1864

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Sherman’s March to the Sea - November 15, 1864 - December 21, 1864

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Union activities in the Confederate state of Georgia came to an end during the American Civil War campaign. Union Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman launched a scorched-earth campaign after taking Atlanta with the goal of destroying the South's ability to wage war and injuring the Confederate people.

Sherman’s March to the Sea | Significance, Map, Casualties, & The Civil War | Britannica

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On April 9, 1865, the Battle of Appomattox Court House took place in the Virginia town. It was among the American Civil War's last engagements. The war was over when Confederate General Robert E. Lee turned over his Army of Northern Virginia to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House.
Appomattox Court House ‑ Definition, Date & Location | HISTORY

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Table of Contents

1. Battle of Appomattox Court House

2. Lee Surrenders to Grant

3. The Final Battle of the Civil War?

The Battle of Appomattox Court House was fought on April 9, 1865, near the town of Appomattox Court House, Virginia, and led to Confederate General Robert E. Lee's surrender of his Army of Northern Virginia to Union General Ulysses S. Grant. Days earlier, Lee had abandoned the Confederate capital of Richmond and the city of Petersburg; his goal was to rally the remnants of his beleaguered troops, meet Confederate reinforcements in North Carolina and resume fighting. But the resulting Battle of Appomattox Court House, which lasted only a few hours, effectively brought the four-year Civil War to an end.

Battle of Appomattox Court House
WATCH: Appomattox Court House
In retreat from the Union army's Appomattox campaign, which began in March 1865, the Army of Northern Virginia stumbled westward through the Virginia countryside stripped of food and supplies. At one point, Union cavalry forces under General Philip Sheridan had outrun General Lee's troops, blocking their retreat and taking approximately 6,000 prisoners at Sayler's Creek.

Confederate desertions were mounting daily, and by April 8 the Rebels were almost completely surrounded. Nonetheless, early on the morning of April 9, Confederate troops led by Major General John B. Gordon mounted a last-ditch offensive that was initially successful. Soon, however, the Confederates saw that they were hopelessly outnumbered by two corps of Union soldiers who had marched all night to cut off the Confederate advance.

Later that morning, Lee-cut off from all provisions and all support-famously declared that "there is nothing left me to do but to go and see Gen. Grant, and I would rather die a thousand deaths." But Lee also knew his remaining troops, numbering about 28,000, would quickly turn to pillaging the countryside in order to survive.

With no remaining options, Lee sent a message to General Ulysses Grant announcing his willingness to surrender the Army of Northern Virginia. The two war-weary generals met in the front parlor of the Wilmer McLean home at one o'clock that afternoon.

Lee Surrenders to Grant

Lee and Grant, both of whom held the highest rank in their respective armies, had known each other slightly during the Mexican-American War (1846-48) and began their dialogue by exchanging awkward personal inquiries. Characteristically, Grant had arrived in his mud-splattered field uniform while Lee had turned out in full dress attire, complete with sash and sword.

Did you know? In 1869, the house where Lee surrendered to Grant was sold at public auction after owner Wilmer McLean defaulted on his loan repayments. In the ensuing years, the house had a series of owners before it was reconstructed and opened to the public by the National Park Service in 1949.

Lee asked for the terms of surrender, and Grant hurriedly wrote them out. Generously, all officers and men were to be pardoned, and they would be sent home with their private property-most important to the men were the horses, which could be used for a late spring planting. Officers would keep their side arms, and Lee's starving men would be given Union rations.

Quieting a band that had begun to play in celebration, Grant told his officers, "The war is over. The Rebels are our countrymen again." Although scattered resistance continued for several weeks-the final skirmish of the Civil War occurred on May 12 and 13 at the Battle of Palmito Ranch near Brownsville, Texas-for all practical purposes the Civil War had come to an end.

The Final Battle of the Civil War?

News of the surrender traveled slowly. Although scattered resistance continued for several weeks-there were six battles that took place after Appomattox, with the final skirmish of the Civil War occurring on May 12 and 13 at the Battle of Palmito Ranch near Brownsville, Texas-for all practical purposes, the Civil War had come to an end.

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Appomattox Court House - Definition, Date & Location

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The Appomattox Court House, located in Virginia, is where Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered to Gen. Ulysses S. Grant in April 1865, bringing an end to the Civil War.