The McLean House – Where General Robert Edward Lee Surrendered To General Ulysses S. Grant
Category: Appomattox Courthouse
The Isbell House – The Home Of A Former Speaker Of The Confederate States Of America
The Isbell House is the former home of Thomas Salem Bocock, a former Speaker of the House of the Confederate State of America during a majority of the war.
The home is located in Appomattox, Virginia near the McLean House and the Appomattox Courthouse. The home is currently under the ownership of the National Park Service.
General Lee’s Surrender To General Grant At The Appomattox Courthouse
On April 9, 1865, after the Battle of Appomattox Courthouse, Confederate General Robert Edward Lee set up letter correspondences between himself and General Grant. Both generals agreed to meet at the Appomattox Courthouse where General Robert Edward Lee surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant. General Grant ordered that the soldiers of General Lee’s army could simply go home and that they would not be tried as traitors. When General Lee announced to his troops of the surrender, some objected stating that they could continue to fight in the mountains, but Lee countered stating that he would not mount gurella warfare.
The the site of Lee’s surrender has been designated by the U.S. Congress as the Appomattox Court House Park and is part of the U.S. National Park Service.
Author’s Note:
General Robert Edward Lee and Ulysses S. Grant were both graduates of West Point and were veterans of the Mexican-American War. Their mutual respect for one another led to a more lax set of surrender terms by General Grant.
The Origins Of The Appomattox Courthouse
The Appomattox Courthouse was originally constructed by Charles Raine as a tavern in 1848, and was purchased by Wilmer McLean in 1863.
In present day, the courthouse and the grounds are part of the U.S. National Park System.
Hamilton Historical Records 