Virginia Facts and History

Exactly how much are you aware concerning the final days of the war in Virginia? Here are some facts about the struggle as well as the surrender to aid drop a little light for newcomers and test the data of veterans.

Gen. Ulysses S. Give (Library of Congress)

Reality no. 1: Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered to Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant after a struggle earlier that morning.

The surrender associated with Army of Northern Virginia – many celebrated Confederate army – accompanied a defeat within the last fight associated with the war in Virginia. The Battle of Appomattox Court House had been the orgasm of a campaign that began eleven days earlier in the day at Battle of Lewis’ Farm.

Truth # 2: within over seven days before the fight at Appomattox Court House, Lee had lost more than half of his army.

Gen. Robert E. Lee (Library of Congress)

through the Siege of Petersburg from Summer 1864 - April 1865 Lee had about 60, 000 males under his demand to oppose more than 100, 000 Union troops. On April 1, a Union triumph within Battle of Five Forks managed to make it easy for Grant's forces to wrap-around Petersburg, leaving Lee’s entrenchments susceptible. When Federals smashed through Confederate defenses at Petersburg the next day, Lee ended up being forced to evacuate.

Countless troops had been captured within battles of Five Forks, the Petersburg Breakthrough, and particularly Sailor’s Creek – in which about a quarter regarding the army surrendered after being stop from Lee. Grant's causes harried the Rebels continuously as they continued to escape west along their particular tenuous supply lines. Desertion ended up being widespread among the list of starving and beleaguered troops, and Confederates took hefty casualties at a few battles.

Fact # 3: At Appomattox Court House, Lee made his final attempt to escape give's go.

Gen. Charles Griffin (Library of Congress)

Greatly outnumbered and low on supplies, Lee’s situation had been serious in April 1865. However, Lee led a few grueling evening marches, looking to achieve materials in Farmville and eventually join Maj. Gen. Joseph E. Johnston’s army in North Carolina.

On April 8, the Confederates unearthed that the army’s escape had been blocked by Federal cavalry. The Confederate commanders decided to you will need to break through the cavalry display, in the hope your horsemen were unsupported by other soldiers. Grant anticipated Lee’s tries to escape, however, and purchased two corps (XXIV and V) beneath the instructions of Maj. Gen. John Gibbon and Bvt. Maj. Gen. Charles Griffin to march all-night to bolster the Union cavalry and cut off Lee’s escape.

At dawn on April 9, the remnants of Maj. Gen. John Brown Gordon’s Corps and Maj. Gen. Fitzhugh Lee’s cavalry drove off the Federal cavalrymen. Upon shooting the ridge that the Yankees had defended the Confederates discovered that they was indeed gravely mistaken: Gibbon and Griffin’s corps had finished their night marches, and promptly drove back the weary Rebels.

Truth no. 4: Lee made a decision to surrender his military to some extent because he desired to avoid unneeded destruction towards the south.

When it became clear on Confederates which they had been extended also thinly to split through Union lines, Lee observed that “there is nothing remaining us to do but going and find out Gen. Grant, and I would prefer to die one thousand fatalities.” Not totally all their subordinates decided with him; one particular officer, Brig. Gen. Edward Porter Alexander, proposed that Lee disperse the army and tell the men to regroup with Johnston’s army or go back to their particular says to carry on fighting. Lee rejected the theory, outlining that “if I took your advice, the guys is without rations and under no control over officials. They might be compelled to rob and steal being live. They'd come to be simple bands of marauders…. We Might cause a situation of matters it can use the nation many years to recover from.”

Truth number 5: give consented to parole the whole military of Northern Virginia instead of take all of them as prisoners.