Appomattox Courthouse was the final battle fought between General Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia and General Grant’s Army of the Potomac. The reenactment took place exactly 150 years after the original battle, and the weather was much like that fateful day in 1865: wet, chilly, and misty.
Pay no attention to the “Budget” truck in the background… These aren’t the droids you’re looking for!
Going to a reenactment is a wonderful way to get an inkling of what it might have been like to really be there. The main thing missing is the huge scale of the original armies. My guess is that there were less than a thousand reenactors at Appomattox, while about 100,000 men were on the field in the original battle. Regardless, I felt privileged to be there. Thanks to the National Park Service for putting on such an informative, moving, and well-organized event!
Luckily I had a camera so I could document some of the best moments. You can view all seventy-two photos on Google Docs, but here are my favorites:
