Appomattox Court House Museum: The Place Where Our Nation Reunited By Peter Smolens Almost 150 years ago in the small Virginia village of Appomattox Court House, General Robert E. Lee leader of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant. The War Between the States that ripped this country apart had finally ended after more than four years. During the war at least 630,000 Americans died - more than in all of our other wars together. In addition, another million were wounded. Although it s not much more than a dot on the map, this small town in the Southwest part of Virginia is where the Civil War ended. Located east of Lynchburg, VA the town of Appomattox Court House was little more than a small cluster of buildings. that spread across the Virginia Piedmont. The National Park Service has put together an impressive museum recreating the town to look just like it did in 1865 to illustrate what life was like at the end of Civil War. This museum is a tribute to the dignity, the honor and the generosity of the two sides in the final days of the conflict. 1
The McLean House the site of Meeting The End of Civil War In the center of the town is the old courthouse building. As the visior center for the museum, it provides an overview by taking you back to the time period. Throughout the building are a number of exhibits showing some artifacts from the time period. On the walls there is a list of all the men who were in the town at the time of the surrender. To help get you acclimated upstairs in the theature there are two 15minutes movies shown throughout the day that explain the final days of the war from two different points of view. In late March of 1865 Union army leader Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant cut off the three of the four railroad lines that brought supplies from south to Petersburg and Richmond that serviced the Confederate capital. Losing the railroads meant the confederate army would soon run out of food. Leading his men to Danville, Lee found a train full of munitions and clothing, but no food. It was there that they encountered the Union army. The Battle of Five Forks was fought on April 1, 1865 a battle that many believe was the Waterloo of the Confederacy. The confederate army was defeated, capturing nearly a third of Lee s men. As Grant s men pursued, Gen. Lee took the rest of his troops to a Confederate supply train at Appomattox Courthouse near Lynchburg. The battle at Sailors Creek cost Lee another 7,700 men including Lee s own son Custis, who was captured in heavy fighting. Grant sent a group of men under the leadership of Major General Philip H. Sheridan and General George Armstrong Custard to Appomattox Station. They captured and destroyed the supply train. Sign at Appomattox Court House 2
Seeing his supply lines cut off from the South, the James River to his north and an army full of starving men, Lee sent Grant a message requesting a meeting in this small village. The most prominent place in town was owned by Wilber McLean. The Meeting Upstairs on the second floor of the courthouse building an audio description and a Tom Lovell painting of the famous meeting between Grant and Lee that took place at the McLean House. Located just a short walk down the gravel road from the courthouse, it was in the parlor where on April 9, 1865 that Lee and Grant met to discuss and sign terms that ended the Civil War. Although the originals are located at the Smithsonian and other museums, visitors can see authentic reproductions of the two small tables and chairs that sit about 10 feet apart. On that day General Lee arrived at the Mclean home shortly after 1:00 p.m., followed 30-minutes later by General Grant. Just as it was depicted in the painting, once in the parlor Grant and Lee sat across from each other. It was decided that it would be best if the surrender terms could be put in writing. Grant writes out his terms in pencil and hands it to Lee for review. After reading the document Lee makes a few minor requests. Grant agrees to the changes and the final draft is put to ink, making duplicate copies for each side. Once completed, each signed the documents ending the war. Afterwards they shook hands and Lee left. The meeting lasted approximately an hour and a half. Interpeter playing a Confederate solider The Museum On April 10, 1940 Appomattox Court House National Historical Monument was created by Congress to include approximately 970 acres. Eighty-four years after the historic meeting reuniting the country, the National Park Service opened the McLean House for the first time to the public. A crowd of approximately 20,000 witnessed Major General U.S. Grant and Robert E. Lee IV cut the ribbon at the dedication ceremony on April 16, 1950. In truth while McLean did own the house, he was not living there at the time of the battle. He had rented the place to the Confederate army (at reportedly a very high price). After the battle he became a sugar speculator, selling sugar from the Caribbean to the confederate army. With all his money tied up in confederate bills, when the war ended McLean lost everything. 3 One of the most impressive aspects of this museum is seeing the last days of the war from both sides. Periodically throughout the day during the summer months, interpreters provide a human perspective to the last days of the Civil War. A Confederate soldier from town described the last months of the war from his point of view. Although they never lost pride in their cause, there were frustrating days of having no food. On the other hand, a Union soldier explains how after Grant tightened his grip around the Confederate capital in Richmond, Virginia they chased Johnny Reb west to this small town in the middle of the Virginia Piedmont, beating them at every turn.
Replica desk where General Ulysses S. Grant sat during the signing Replica desk where General Robert E. Lee sat during the signing. The rest of the museum is a self-guided walking tour (pamphlet available at the Visitor Center) that includes a six-mile History Trail along with an audio-visual program. Overall there are 27 structures in the national historical park that have been restored. Inside the CloverHill Tavern you will see a replica of the printing press used to create the parole passes for the Confederate solders. Built in 1819 it s the oldest original structure in the museum. A Stillness at Appomattox is the title historian Bruce Catton gave to this time at the end of the Civil War. The museum at Appomattox Court House is a tribute to the compassion, generosity and honor both sides showed after four long years of war. ### 4