Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant · Chapter
LXVII: Negotiations at Appomattox explained
Grant describes the final negotiations leading to the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox Court House, including his correspondence with Lee, the terms of surrender, their cordial meeting, and Grant's efforts to prevent
What happens
Grant describes the final negotiations leading to the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox Court House, including his correspondence with Lee, the terms of surrender, their cordial meeting, and Grant's efforts to prevent exultation over the defeated Confederates.
Themes in this chapter
Reconciliation and Magnanimity
Grant stops the salute of a hundred guns to avoid exulting over the defeated Confederates, and grants generous terms including allowing soldiers to keep their horses.
The Horrors and Cost of War
Lee notes his army has been living on parched corn; Grant reflects on the destruction of property and loss of life, and hopes this will be the last battle.
Leadership and Humility
Grant suffers from a sick headache but continues his duties; he treats Lee with respect and avoids any display of triumph.
Characters to notice
- Ulysses S. Grant
Narrates the surrender negotiations, suffers from a sick headache that vanishes upon receiving Lee's note, and personally meets with Lee to discuss terms.
- Robert E. Lee
Surrenders the Army of Northern Virginia, meets Grant at Appomattox, and requests rations for his starving army.
- Philip H. Sheridan
Commands troops facing the Confederate army; receives Lee's flag of truce and hesitates to suspend hostilities.
- George G. Meade
Commands the Army of the Potomac; receives Lee's flag of truce and hesitates to suspend hostilities.
- Edwin M. Stanton
Secretary of War; Grant telegraphs him with news of the surrender.
- James Longstreet
Designated by Lee to confer with Union officers to facilitate paroling the Confederate troops.
- John B. Gordon
Designated by Lee to confer with Union officers to facilitate paroling the Confederate troops.
- John Gibbon
Designated by Grant to carry into effect the paroling of Lee's troops.
Key passages
“When news of the surrender first reached our lines our men commenced firing a salute of a hundred guns in honor of the victory. I at once sent word, however, to have it stopped. The Confederates were now our prisoners, and we did not want to exult over their downfall.”
Upon hearing of the surrender, Union soldiers began firing a victory salute, but Grant ordered it stopped because he did not want to gloat over the defeated Confederates.
Demonstrates Grant's magnanimity and desire for reconciliation.
“I then suggested to General Lee that there was not a man in the Confederacy whose influence with the soldiery and the whole people was as great as his, and that if he would now advise the surrender of all the armies I had no doubt his advice would be followed with alacrity. But Lee said, that he could not do that without consulting the President first.”
Grant urged Lee to use his influence to recommend the surrender of all Confederate armies, but Lee declined, saying he must first consult President Jefferson Davis.
Highlights Lee's sense of duty and the limits of his authority.
“The much talked of surrendering of Lee's sword and my handing it back, this and much more that has been said about it is the purest romance. The word sword or side arms was not mentioned by either of us until I wrote it in the terms.”
The popular story of Lee ceremoniously surrendering his sword and Grant returning it is entirely fictional; the topic of side arms only came up when Grant wrote the terms.
Grant corrects a common myth about the surrender.
