For preservation was initiated in the 1880s and 1890s when the veterans were at the height of their power in government and Industry Leaders and all of them. It was because battlefields ironically these places of conflict could become places of comfort. So americans always put tremendous emphasis on these places as a tool of reconciliation. The key part of the battlefield that came from the sons of confederate veterans stipulated the government would care for this battlefield and not detract from the glory. The dedication speech i helped managed. 1927, said the keynote speaker said we do more than dedicate these fields in memory of things that have passed. We consecrate them in the spirit of lee and lincoln to a more perfect understanding to south and north. For the next 50 years or so would faithfully carry out that charge. Where americans can come together and understand the war in a very human level. Just to give you a sense of how deep this tradition is and how its perceived by the
Place in mr. Mcleans parlor settled the issue of who would be the victors of the American Civil War but many questions remained unanswered. Soldiers echoed their thoughts in letters and diary entries. While letters of Union Soldiers reflected jubilation, their words also reflected concerns. In the front lines of appomattox chaplain jl mulligan of the 140 pennsylvania wrote a few days later, though the army of Northern Virginia is ours, still grave questions remain to be settled, for which god alone can give the true wisdom and guidance. A confederate are atillerist had an entry on april 11th that lee had surrendered his whole army. Surely the last 24 hours has been a day of the most intense mental anxiety i have ever experienced. Thousands of thoughts have passed through my mind as to what fate awaits my country my family my neighbors, my friends, and myself. And several months earlier morgan w. Carter, with the 28th United States colored troops expressed his concerns in a letter home.
At appomattox. There was still kirby smith with the army in texas and his official surrender is not until june 2, 1865. The surrender at appomattox was a multiday process. After leeann grant met, they appoint commissioners to work out the details of how they surrender will take place. That is done by the commissioners on april 10 and the confederate cavalry is set to surrender their sabers and carbines, the artillery, and the bulk of generallys army surrenders on april 12. Over 22,000 men and i will take you to to the road where they surrendered now. We are once again standing on the richburg wichman stage road. The signals were the last artillery shots were fired on the morning of april 9. Also is the home of george pierce, the county clerk. He had a special guest for dinner, general jocelyn kj general jocelyn chamberlain. Over the course of their dinner conversation, chamberlain has the leegrant meeting site all the way up to the Maclean House. His men are out here for several hours
Retirement community for Union Soldiers here at Appomattox Courthouse, and they buy up land west of the village. They are unsuccessful in selling off these lots to Union Veterans, and they decide theyre going to dismantle the house and move it to washington d. C. And create a museum out of it. The house is dismantled. And unfortunately there is a financial panic in 1893 and the firm goes bankrupt. And all the supplies or materials outside start to rot away or are taken as souvenirs. The park service, when it takes over the facility in 1940 determines the one thing theyre going to do is rebuild the mcclain house. Fortunately, the same company that took the house apart got the bid to rebuild the house, and they still had the plans so its been rebuilt on the exact location, using the original plans. There are a few bricks to the heart in the basement 5,500 original bricks are used on the front of the house. So when youre walking up to the house, you will pass through bricks that were here
Mcclaine house to discuss terms of surrender. University of richmond president ed airs provides the key note address and other speakers include decedents of key grant and lee aides who took part in that historic meeting. Also part of the program reenactments of grants arrival at the mcclaine house as well as lees departure following the surrender. This is about an hour and 45 minutes. My name is robin snyder and i am currently the acting superintendent at Appomattox Courthouse National Historical park. It is my distinct hopper on behalf of the National Parks service and the United States Postal Service to welcome each of you here today on this s hef historic day intr our nations history. This courthouse village stands not just as a symbol of wars end, but as a point of departurepart for aur transformed nation. The significance of what took place in mr. Mcclaines parlor settled the issue of who would be the victors of the american civil war, but many questions remained unanswered. Soldi