Changes

====Final year of the war====

====Final year of the war====

:''"I'm afraid they're going to get me a general I don't understand."'' Lee, on the many changes of generals at the helm of the Army of the Potomac.

:''"I'm afraid they're going to get me a general I don't understand."'' Lee, on the many changes of generals at the helm of the Army of the Potomac.

In May 1864, Lee faced a proved fighter: [[Ulysses S. Grant]], just appointed as commanding general of all Union forces, who went after Lee with enormous superiority in men, cavalry, and logistics.  For his part, Grant could neither defeat nor outmaneuver Lee during the next several months; Grant sustained losses of 50,000 men between May and June in the battles of the Wilderness, Spotsylvania Court House (nearby at Yellow Tavern, Lee would suffer the loss of Jeb Stuart, his favorite cavalry commander and most effective scout), the North Anna, and Cold Harbor (Lee, pp 124-125).   

In May 1864, Lee faced a proved fighter: [[Ulysses S. Grant]], just appointed as commanding general of all Union forces, who went after Lee with enormous superiority in men, cavalry, and logistics.  For his part, Grant could neither defeat nor outmaneuver Lee during the next several months. Starting with the Battle of the Wilderness, Lee and Grant met in a series of battles that made up the Overland Campaign. Marked by heavy entrechment that would culminate in the Siege of Petersburg, the Campaign began with the Battle of the Wilderness and continued with a series of redeployments Southward as Grant attempted to continuously move around Lee's right flank. At the battles of Wilderness, Spotsylvania Court House, North Anna, and Cold Harbor, Grant sustained heavy losses of 50,000 men. Lee would also suffer heavy losses, as well as the death of his cavalry commander, J.E.B. Stuart, at the battle of Yellow Tavern, and the temporary loss of James Longstreet, wounded by friendly fire at the Wilderness.   

But Grant kept after him, his losses replaced by new recruits, while Lee’s army was draining in both men and supplies.  Lee had lost the initiative, and when Grant made a move toward the vital rail connection at Petersburg, Lee had no other choice but to place his starving men in defensive positions and endure a long siege; due to Lee’s mastery of engineering his field fortifications were able to hold the Federals back from June 1864, to April 1865.   By then, Lee knew it would be a matter of time before the lines would break.  

But Grant kept after him, his losses replaced by new recruits, while Lee’s army was draining in both men and supplies.  Grant realized that his current line of attack was not working, and made a large redeployment to Petersburg, an important rail junction South of Richmond. Lee had no other choice but to place his starving men in defensive positions and endure a long siege; due to Lee’s mastery of engineering his field fortifications were able to hold the Federals back from June 1864, to April 1865. As his army began to dissipate due to lack of supplies and desertions, Lee realized it would only be a matter of time before the lines broke. By the end of March, the final supply connections to Lee's armies were broken, and on April 2, Lee was forced to retreat from Petersburg.

Lee was forced to abandon Petersburg on April 2, making a long retreat toward the west, where he hoped to meet with a supply train to feed his men. Several days later, his army finally stopped at Appomattox Court House, he had no choice but to surrender [http://www.civilwarhome.com/grantlee.htm][http://www.civilwarhome.com/surrender.htm], which took place on April 9; the pain of the surrender considerably lessened by the generous terms offered by Grant, who not only allowed the surrendered officers to retain their swords and side arms, but allowed the men to take with them their horses and mules to get a badly-needed spring crop planted if the country was to rebound from the years of war (Lee, pg. 153).  Lee conceded this would have the best possible effect on the men, and would do much to reconciliate the country.  With the formalities of surrender over, there was one order left to pass on to his men:

Forced to abandon Petersburg and Richmond, lee attempted to escape to the West. Several days later, his army was finally surrounded at Appomattox Court House. On the morning of April 9, he ordered one last attempt to break out, but found he had no choice but to surrender [http://www.civilwarhome.com/grantlee.htm][http://www.civilwarhome.com/surrender.htm]; the pain of the surrender considerably lessened by the generous terms offered by Grant, who not only allowed the surrendered officers to retain their swords and side arms, but allowed the men to take with them their horses and mules to get a badly-needed spring crop planted if the country was to rebound from the years of war (Lee, pg. 153).  Lee conceded this would have the best possible effect on the men, and would do much to reconciliate the country.  With the formalities of surrender over, there was one order left to pass on to his men:

:''HDQRS. ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA,''

:''HDQRS. ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA,''