Showing results for "Appomattox"
“If Grant Had Been Drinking at Appomattox” by James Thurber
James Thurber (1894-1961) was an American author, cartoonist, playwright and celebrated wit. He published mostly in the magazine The New Yorker and loved to poke fun at things other people took perhaps a little too seriously. Here is one of my favorite examples: (“Scribner’s” magazine is publishing a series of three articles: “If Booth Had Missed […]
Read more...Help Protect More Ground at Appomattox
Our friends at the Civil War Trust pass along this news of an active preservation campaign to help preserve seventy-four acres of ground at Appomattox Court House. This latest announcement comes to us from Trust President Jim Lighthizer. Continue reading to see how you can get involved in this preservation effort.
Read more...Appomattox Paroles
Emerging Civil War welcomes back guest author, Roger Futrell The Appomattox Court House paroles which General Ulysses S. Grant issued to Robert E. Lee’s surrendered Army of Northern Virginia, in April 1865, symbolized President Lincoln’s desire to unify the Nation. While Mr. Lincoln held the Confederate government in contempt, he had compassion for its rank-and-file […]
Read more...Dr. Henry A. Minor’s Account of Lee’s Surrender at Appomattox
We are pleased to share an account passed along to us by Mary Zelinka, who reaches out to us all the way from Albany, Oregon. Mary shares with us an account from her ancestor, Dr. Henry A. Minor, of Lee’s surrender at Appomattox. The account originally appeared in the Macon (MS) Beacon in April 1914. “I […]
Read more...Lee and Grant at Appomattox: A Toast
You may remember James Thurber’s funny story, “If Grant Had Been Drinking at Appomattox.” In the story, the notorious tippler had binged the night before and, when General Lee showed up at the McLean house for the surrender proceedings, Grant lost sight of who was surrendering to whom. “There you are, General, “ he says. […]
Read more...Appomattox and Bennett Place: A Remarkable Contrast
I had the honor and privilege of attending and participating in a portion of the weeklong commemoration sof the surrenders at Bennett Place on April 18, 2015, the 150th anniversary of the signing of the initial peace treaty by Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman and Gen. Joseph E. Johnston. Sadly, I won’t be there for […]
Read more...Thoughts on Appomattox (part five)
On the night of April 12, as he made his way back to Richmond after leaving the remnants of the Army of Northern Virginia, Robert E. Lee pitched his camp alongside the road. Today, the spot—along modern route 60 midway between Dillwyn and Buckingham—is marked by a few historical signs and a small monument. Small […]
Read more...Appomattox (of a sorts) in Massachusetts
One place I was surprised to find to run into Lee and Grant was in Lowell, Massachusetts. There, their meeting at Appomattox is frozen in time in the main room of the city library, courtesy of artist Paul Philippoteaux, the man who painted the Gettysburg Cyclorama. The painting is one of three that depict key moments […]
Read more...Thoughts on Appomattox (part four)
The doors of Wilmer McLean’s house stand wide open–front and back–and a bevy of Parks Service volunteers stand ready to funnel the throng through. A Park Service ranger stands in the hallway to ensure no one enacts any mischief in the home as they breeze through. Where were they when Union officers cleaned the place out […]
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