Changes

"He still means to fight," Grant said.

"He still means to fight," Grant said.

   

   

====Surrender====

==Surrender==

At dawn on April 9, [[John B. Gordon]]'s Second Corps attacked Sheridan's cavalry and quickly forced back the first line, while Confederate cavalry under [[Fitzhugh Lee]] moved around the Union flank. The second line, held by Ranald S. Mackenzie and George Crook, fell back. Gordon's troops charged through the Union lines and took the ridge, but as they reached the crest they saw the entire Union XXIV Corps in line of battle with the V Corps to their right. Immediately the battle fizzled out; Fitz Lee's cavalry withdrew and rode off towards Lynchburg. Ord's troops began advancing against Gordon's corps while the Union II Corps began moving against General [[James Longstreet]]'s corps to the northeast. Colonel Charles Venable of Lee's staff rode in at this time and asked for an assesment, and Gordon gave him a reply he knew Lee didn't want to hear: "Tell General Lee I have fought my corps to a frazzle, and I fear I can do nothing unless I am heavily supported by Longstreet's corps." Upon hearing it Lee finally stated the inevitable: "Then there is nothing left me to do but to go and see General Grant, and I would rather die a thousand deaths."  He then penned out a letter to Grant, and sent it through the lines:

At dawn on April 9, [[John B. Gordon]]'s Second Corps attacked Sheridan's cavalry and quickly forced back the first line, while Confederate cavalry under [[Fitzhugh Lee]] moved around the Union flank. The second line, held by Ranald S. Mackenzie and George Crook, fell back. Gordon's troops charged through the Union lines and took the ridge, but as they reached the crest they saw the entire Union XXIV Corps in line of battle with the V Corps to their right. Immediately the battle fizzled out; Fitz Lee's cavalry withdrew and rode off towards Lynchburg. Ord's troops began advancing against Gordon's corps while the Union II Corps began moving against General [[James Longstreet]]'s corps to the northeast. Colonel Charles Venable of Lee's staff rode in at this time and asked for an assesment, and Gordon gave him a reply he knew Lee didn't want to hear: "Tell General Lee I have fought my corps to a frazzle, and I fear I can do nothing unless I am heavily supported by Longstreet's corps." Upon hearing it Lee finally stated the inevitable: "Then there is nothing left me to do but to go and see General Grant, and I would rather die a thousand deaths."  He then penned out a letter to Grant, and sent it through the lines:

But on the 10th of April there were still several major rebel armies in the field which had to be dealt with.

But on the 10th of April there were still several major rebel armies in the field which had to be dealt with.

====The surrender ceremony====

==The surrender ceremony==

On April 10, Lee gave his farewell address to his army. The same day a six-man commission gathered to discuss a formal ceremony of surrender, even though no Confederate officer wished to go through with such an event. Brigadier General Joshua L. Chamberlain was the Union officer selected to lead the ceremony, and later he would reflect on what he witnessed on April 12, 1865, and write a moving tribute:

On April 10, Lee gave his farewell address to his army. The same day a six-man commission gathered to discuss a formal ceremony of surrender, even though no Confederate officer wished to go through with such an event. Brigadier General Joshua L. Chamberlain was the Union officer selected to lead the ceremony, and later he would reflect on what he witnessed on April 12, 1865, and write a moving tribute:

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{{Template:Campaignbox Appomattox}}

{{Campaignbox Appomattox}}

{{Template:ACW Battles of 1865}}

{{ACW Battles of 1865}}

[[Category:American Civil War Battles]]

[[Category:American Civil War Battles]]