American Civil WarStuff Happened · War
Battle · Eastern Theatre
Appomattox Court House
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The lines break
The Lines Break
Five Forks cracks the flank, Petersburg and Richmond fall, and Lee runs west. Sailor’s Creek tears off a third of his starving army.
2The last march
The Last March
Custer (North) seizes the supply trains at Appomattox Station. Now Union cavalry is in front of Lee, not just behind. Letters pass between the lines.
3The last attack
The Last Attack
Gordon’s dawn assault breaks the cavalry, crests the ridge, and finds a wall of Union infantry. The road west is shut. The guns go quiet.
4The surrender
The Surrender
Lee and Grant meet in Wilmer McLean’s parlor. The terms, the rations, General Orders No. 9, and a final salute: honor answering honor.