What Is Appomattox Courthouse National Historical Park?
This park preserves the old town of Clover Hill, former seat of Appomattox County, where Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant, a major catalyst in the end of the Civil War!
What Makes It Historical?
Starved out of Richmond following the almost 10-month siege of Petersburg, the Army of Northern Virginia fled the Confederate capital on April 2, 1865, with the Union in hot pursuit! Their goal was to meet up with General Joseph Johnston’s Army of Tennessee in Amelia Court House, regroup, and launch a counteroffensive. Only, there were no supplies or reinforcements waiting at Amelia Court House, so they moved on. Along the way, the Union burned bridges and supply wagons, and General Grant sent several notes to General Lee asking if he was ready to surrender!
On the morning of April 9th, surrounded and cut off from the supplies he hoped he’d find at Appomattox Station, General Lee agreed to surrender. He sent his aide, Charles Marshall, into town to pick an appropriate building, and he settled on the home of Wilmer McLean, who thought he had escaped the war by fleeing here from Manassas! After some small talk, they exchanged one 5-sentence letter and one 3-sentence letter. The Confederates would surrender their weapons and other military property, and if they did not try to fight again, the US government would not prosecute them for treason! They would also get to keep their horses, since they’d had to provide those themselves.
This was a monumental moment in the war, but far from the last. Robert E. Lee refused to encourage any other Confederate generals to surrender, so the battles dragged on for weeks. The largest surrender of the war was by General Johnston’s 90,000 troops following the battle of Morrisville Station on April 12th. More factions would fall until Jefferson Davis was captured near Irwinville, Georgia on May 10, 1865!
How Can I #HelpTheHelpers?
- Volunteer at Appomattox Courthouse National Historical Park!
- Become a member of the Appomattox 1865 Foundation!
- Be a responsible visitor! Remember the old adages: Pack out what you pack in! Take nothing but pictures and leave nothing but footprints!
How Do I Get There?
111 National Park Dr
Appomattox, VA 24522
(Take Me There!)
When Should I Visit the Park?
The park is open daily from 9:00 AM until 5:00 PM, except on federal holidays!
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