Curated Groupings

This Cruel War Is Over: Grant, Lee, and the End of the Civil War

After four long years of war, the end was finally in sight by spring of 1865.  The Union Army of the Potomac, operating under commands from General Ulysses S. Grant, had laid siege on the city of Petersburg for nine months in an effort to cut off supply lines to Petersburg and Richmond, the Confederate capital.  By March 1865, the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia under command of Robert E. Lee was crumbling under Union pressure.  The following days were marked by battles, raids, and skirmishes, leaving a trail of war across Virginia from Petersburg to Appomattox.  Ultimately, the Union triumphed, the Confederacy fell, and the United States was on the path to reunification.

Learn more about the final days of the Civil War by clicking through the above images.