When Did Lee Surrender to Grant?

The Confederate soldiers who defended the town of Petersburg, Virginia surrendered their horses and gave up their weapons to the Union forces. It was this move that signaled to the Confederacy that they did not have a chance of gaining victory. However, it also signified that the Union was not likely to make any significant advances against the Confederacy.

Time

The time when Lee surrendered to Grant was a crucial turning point in the Civil War. When the Army of Northern Virginia was surrounded by Union forces, Lee was forced to choose between surrendering or regaining control of his troops. He also had to decide whether or not to continue his rebellion.

At around 1:00pm on April 9, 1865, a letter from Lee arrived at the headquarters of U. S. General Ulysses S. Grant. In the letter, Lee announced his willingness to surrender and asked for a meeting.

Lee and Grant agreed to meet at a convenient location. They arranged to meet at the home of Wilmer McLean, which was located in the nearby Appomattox Court House.

As they arrived, they greeted each other and shook hands. After a short exchange of greetings, they sat down at a table adjacent to each other. During the meeting, they talked briefly and shared some of their ideas for ending the war.

A separate order allowed men to keep their mounts. Grant and his entourage sat in the background, while Marshall and Babcock stood at the front of the room, watching out for Grant and keeping an eye on the ensuing negotiation.

Although a number of Confederates deserted, Grant offered Lee a blanket pardon. This would allow Lee’s troops to return home, and Grant would distribute rations to them.

At the time when Lee surrendered to Grant, the war was in its final stages, and the south had lost the war. While the terms of the pardon were not perfect, they did serve as a signal that the South had lost the war.

The formal surrender, while not exactly the best known event in the history of the Civil War, was nonetheless important. It served as a model for subsequent Confederate surrenders.

Place

When Lee surrendered at Appomattox Court House, he was surrounded by the overwhelming force of the Union Army. He asked for a meeting with Grant to discuss surrender terms. The two men met in a parlor in Wilmer McLean’s house.

The meeting lasted two and a half hours. Grant was there with his officers and General Sheridan. They drafted the terms of surrender. These terms served as the blueprint for future Confederate surrenders.

Grant and Lee decided on three things that would be important in the terms of their surrender. First, Lee would be allowed to keep his horses. Second, his army would be given rations. Third, all of the Confederate forces would be permitted to return home.

After the meeting, the two men exchanged small talk. Lee told Grant that he was willing to surrender and Grant replied. But neither man had reconciled himself to the idea of surrendering.

At first, Lee attempted to escape. But the Union counter-attack forced him back. In the process, a large part of his army was destroyed. By June, about a quarter of his army had surrendered.

Nevertheless, the Unions countered with massive reinforcements. After the fighting at Appomattox, several Confederate armies were still in the field. Some, including Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia, were trapped.

Grant responded to Lee’s request for a meeting with terms of surrender. After the meeting, Grant and Lee exchanged messages. While Grant had respect for Lee, he was also aware that the Southerners were rebuilding and could face mass imprisonment.

Several months later, Lee was attempting to link up with General Joe Johnston’s army in North Carolina. However, his attempt was blocked by the Union cavalry.

Confederate soldiers surrendered their horses

One of the most important moments in the Civil War occurred in Appomattox, Virginia. On April 9, 1865, Confederate General Robert E. Lee requested a surrender from Union General Ulysses S. Grant.

Grant immediately responded to the request. However, the surrender didn’t actually take place.

Lee and Grant discussed the terms of the surrender, which focused on military matters. They agreed to exchange military property and agree that Grant would treat Lee’s army well. Ultimately, the two men decided on a more formal arrangement, including a written document with specific terms.

Grant personally handed Lee the terms of the surrender. He was accompanied by his personal staff. The two men met on horseback on the eastern edge of town.

Grant offered to help feed Lee’s hungry troops. He also allowed Lee to keep some of his horses. In return, Lee agreed to sign a peace agreement.

A week later, Grant launched a counterattack at Five Forks. The Army of Northern Virginia was surrounded by a large number of federal soldiers. Lee’s cavalry was harassed. Eventually, his cavalry was outmatched by the federal infantry and he had to turn back.

Lee’s surrender was the first in a series of Southern surrenders. After Appomattox, Union forces took control of the major transportation link at Five Forks. This resulted in a large number of Confederates being returned home.

Lee and Grant then exchanged small talk. Lee mentioned that he had attempted to break out of the army with several thousand troops. But there was no way for him to escape.

Grant, on the other hand, believed that he could have the surrender he desired. He knew that Lee was approaching the end of his Army of Northern Virginia. As Grant rode west, he made it his mission to convince Lee to give up his army.

After Gordon’s retreat

Lee and Grant met on April 11, 1862, after the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia. Lee’s army had been pinned down in trenches in Richmond and Petersburg. The Union counter-attack forced him to withdraw.

Lee contacted Grant at the Appomattox Court House. He wanted to discuss his surrender. Grant agreed. However, he did not know what Lee expected. It was considered a gentleman’s agreement.

Grant was relieved to receive the letter. As a matter of fact, he believed that Lee’s pride was speaking. Several hours later, Grant left for Washington, D.C. with his personal staff.

On the way to Appomattox, Lee had two staff members with him. One was Colonel Charles Marshall, who accompanied him to the meeting. The other was General Phil Sheridan.

When Grant reached Appomattox Court House, he saw Lee in a brand new uniform. Grant told Lee that he was wearing a sword of considerable value.

He was also relieved to see Lee’s men in full military uniform. After hearing that, Grant agreed to discuss the surrender.

Lee, however, had asked to have a meeting. He wanted to see if Grant was ready to agree to his terms. He was given discretion over the location of the meeting. If Lee wanted, he could meet at the McLean home. Alternatively, he could meet at the Appomattox court house.

Grant arrived around 1:30 p.m., after a four-hour drive from Richmond. He had a headache, but believed that the two of them could resolve the matter in a single hour.

Before the meeting, Grant wrote a letter to Lee. It was the first time the general met with the Confederate commander.

Signaling no hope of victory for the Confederacy

When the Confederacy surrendered to the Union, there was no guarantee that the South would win the war. The situation presaged the moral and political confusion that would occur in the aftermath of the war.

Lee and Grant reached an agreement that was intended to signal the end of the war. Their meeting took place at Appomattox Court House, Virginia.

The two men met on horseback at around ten in the morning. They decided that a three-person commissioner for the surrender would be appointed for each army. This delegation would also be responsible for making sure that the terms of the surrender were carried out.

As the day wore on, the conditions of the surrender continued to irritate Lee. His troops were not allowed to remain in the Union line, and he was not allowed to rejoin the Confederate forces in North Carolina.

He was ordered to abandon Richmond and seek food and supplies in Virginia. He could not break through the Union cavalry screen, and he was surrounded by an overwhelming number of troops.

Lee asked for terms of the surrender, including allowing his men to keep their horses. He also suggested that he be released from his command of the army. However, he believed that Grant would be waiting for him on the back.

On the day of the surrender, Lee rode with his two aides toward Appomattox Court House. He hoped to make his appearance as best as possible.

He had been wearing his finest uniform, and he had a sword in his possession of considerable value. When he reached the top of the stairs, he “smote” his hands three times.