Historical1865
Lee Surrenders at Appomattox
Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered his Army of Northern Virginia to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, effectively ending the Civil War. Grant offered generous terms, allowing Confederate soldiers to return home with their horses.
Why It Matters
The surrender preserved the Union and ended the deadliest conflict in American history, beginning the difficult process of Reconstruction and national reconciliation.