General Robert E. Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia to General Ulysses S. Grant at the Battle of Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865. This effectively ended the American Civil War. Lee and Grant met in the parlor of the home of Wilmer McLean, a former Unionist who had fled the area when the Confederate army moved in. Lee agreed to Grant's terms of surrender, which allowed the Confederate soldiers to keep their side arms and return to their homes on the condition that they would not take up arms against the United States again. Lee also asked Grant to provide food for the starving Confederate soldiers.
After the surrender, Lee returned to his home in Richmond, Virginia. He served as president of Washington and Lee University from 1865 until his death in 1870.
Ulysses S. Grant
General Ulysses S. Grant accepted the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia at the Battle of Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865. This effectively ended the American Civil War. After the war, Grant served as the 18th President of the United States from 1869 to 1877.
During his presidency, Grant oversaw the Reconstruction of the South, the ratification of the 15th Amendment, which gave African American men the right to vote, and the establishment of the National Park System. He also signed into law the Indian Peace Policy, which aimed to promote peace between the United States government and Native American tribes.
After leaving office, Grant traveled the world and wrote his memoirs. He died of throat cancer in 1885.
Both Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant are considered to be two of the most iconic figures of the American Civil War. They were both brilliant military leaders and played a major role in shaping the course of American history.