The surrender of Robert E. Lee’s army to the Union forces led by Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Courthouse in Virginia on April 9, 1865 was a bittersweet day for the Union forces. The war was over, and that was good. But millions of men had died to bring about this end.
For the Confederates, surrender was entirely bitter. The Army of Northern Virginia and the Confederacy were exhausted. They had fought until there was no more fight left in them.
