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Historic Document
Grant's Surrender Terms At Appomattox
The Civil War was, at least for the South, a war of attrition. Although Confederate General Robert E. Lee was renowned for making the best of poor odds through skillful planning and maneuver, over the four years of battle both the strength and the supply base of the southern armies suffered immensely at the hands of the North. Though his troops still had spirit, in the spring of 1865 General Lee came to the conclusion that any further fighting would simply be a waste of fine men.
In early April he wrote to Union General Ulysses S. Grant requesting terms for the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia, and expecting no easy deal after so much bloodshed. President Lincoln had authorized Grant to treat on military matters, retaining to himself the right to dictate political terms, which were not the immediate issue. Armed with this authority, Grant was able to extend to his former enemy a level of courtesy and respect equal to that for which Lee himself was renowned. Despite his reputation for demanding unconditional surrender from his foes, Grant's terms were remarkably lenient and signaled the wish, at least on the part of the Army of the Potomac, to put aside the grievances of the War.
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