Appomattox

In April, Thomas, Poppy, cousin Jackson, and I took an excursion to Appomattox Court House for the 150th anniversary of Lee's surrender.  We had hoped that Lance would be able to join us, but he was still wrapping up his service in another war.

The weather forecast was dismal for April 9, the date of the surrender, with predicted rainstorms for most of the time.  Miraculously, not a drop of rain fell while we were there, though the re-enactors had suffered through a storm the night before.  Soggy and tired, they were nevertheless intent on fulfilling their mission to commemorate such an important event in American history.  Civil War re-enactors can be a mixed bag, especially here in Tennessee.  Many are sloppy historians who only want an excuse to drink beer, shoot guns, and badmouth brown people.  However, the re-enactors at Appomattox were class acts.  Cavalry, artillery, and infantry units all took great pride in accurately demonstrating history. Of course, the most famous of these re-enactors were General Grant and General Lee, the "stars" of the show, who frankly must have been as exhausted as their real counterparts were 150 years ago, after posing for photograph after photograph with Civil War nerds like us.  

Several speakers took the stage to comment on the sesquicentennial.  Some were historians, others were politicians, military heroes, and descendants of folks who played a role in, witnessed, or were directly affected by the surrender.  Not surprisingly, the predominant theme was racial equality and the great strides America has taken in civil liberties since the Civil War.  (I understand that Bruce Catton, one the the most respected Civil War historians  of the 20th century, gave the commencement address at the centennial in 1965--one year after the land mark Civil Rights Act was passed into law.  I wonder what he had to say.) Tried and true historian Bud Robertson gave the commencement address this time.  But, I think the most insightful speech was the keynote given by Dr. Edward Ayers, historian and president of the University of Richmond.  Ayers rightly noted that the surrender demonstrated America at its finest: a respectful, honorable, and peaceful moment that ended a long, bloody war.  General Lee was not taken prisoner, nor were his men humiliated (they were even allowed to keep their horses for spring plowing.)  However, as Ayers noted, the moment did not last.  Within days of the surrender, anti-black codes were being established in the South.  And when reconstruction officially began, there was a great misunderstanding about what the surrender terms even meant.  Lee (and others) thought that allowing the South to peacefully re-enter the Union meant that the status quo would be re-established (with slavery intact).  The North, however, was not willing to strike that bargain.  They were the victors, and they would set the new rules. Thus, the "Old South" faded away, and the America that we now know was born. 

To be expected, neither Jackson nor Thomas were too interested in scholarly analysis. Jackson gravitated towards the re-enactments.  Thomas, however, was on a mission to get his National Parks passport stamped.  An added bonus was that he also got it signed by Grant, Lee, and Eli Parker, the Native American officer on Grant's staff who drafted the terms of the surrender.  Unfortunately, we couldn't track down my favorite general--Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain--for an autograph.  (He, as some may know, gained fame at Gettysburg when he commanded his 20th Maine to fix bayonets and hold Little Round Top.  Chamberlain was nearly killed at Petersburg the following year, but he survived and went on to be the general in charge of accepting the Confederate arms after the surrender.)  Well, there's always the bicentennial to get more autographs!  

Originally, my goal was to take Thomas to one sesquicentennial event each year, starting in 2011.  But, we only made it to two: Shiloh in 2012 and Appomattox this year.  I was bit by the history bug on these battlefields when I was a tot. Thomas is young and tender too--just what the history bug likes.  We'll see if he continues to itch 30 years later too.

After Appomattox, we traveled to D.C. to visit Ford's Theatre to commemorate Lincoln's assassination--an event that, in my opinion, had more sway on the course of U.S. History than Lee's surrender.  If Lincoln had lived, I doubt that it would have taken 100 years to pass a Civil Rights Act, and perhaps the streets of Baltimore would be a little calmer today.  D.C. was a different ballgame than the pastoral village of Appomattox.  It took us 30 minutes to drive to the metro station (a roundtrip we had to take twice because I left our Ford's Theatre tickets in the hotel room).  At the station, the line for metro tickets was longer than a football field.  Even after we begged our way to the front of the line, we stood for nearly an hour waiting to use the dispensing machine.  A thirty minute metro ride and a 15 minute walk landed us at Ford's Theatre, where we took a quick tour and then had to leave because of a matinee performance.  I didn't get to see the special objects on display like the overcoat Lincoln was wearing on the night of his assassination.  And unfortunately, I forgot my phone/camera, so I didn't get any pictures.  

On the last day of the trip, we went to Manassas battlefield.  Here, the first major battle of the Civil War took place in the summer of 1861.  I thought Thomas would be excited about visiting Manassas because he loves to watch the part of The Blue and the Gray miniseries that depicts this battle.  However, he was more interested in pestering Jackson than seeing where Stonewall Jackson got his nickname.  By the end of the day, Thomas was completely incorrigible, and at one point thrust himself on the ground and refused to go any further.  I guess he was ready for the war to be over.

Thomas holding his National Parks passport in front of the Union encampment.

Jackson getting ready for war

Lady realizing that hoops probably aren't too practical in camp

Thomas with General Grant's great-great grandson.
Meeting this delightful gentleman was one of the hilights of the trip.

Thomas and Jackson in front of the court house

Re-enactment of one of the last engagements before the surrender

The North is going to win!

The 26th North Carolina charging at us

Soldier from the 26th NC shaking Thomas's hand

Another soldier showing the ammunition that each infantryman was alloted

Jackson and Thomas in front of the McLean house where the surrender took place.  The story of Wilmer McLean is one of the great ironies in American history. McLean originally lived outside the town of Manassas, and one of the first skirmishes of the war took place in front of his house.  Afterwards, he moved his family to the "peaceful" village of Appomattox to  escape the war.  Four years later, Lee surrendered to Grant in McLean's house.  McLean said that he could safely say that "the war began in my front yard and ended in my front parlor."  The story of the McLean house itself is also interesting.  Nearly three decades after the war ended, the house was dismantled and was supposed to be reconstructed in Chicago for the Columbian Exposition (World's Fair) in 1893 and then later moved to Washington D.C. to be part of a Civil War museum.  However, the project was aborted after funding was lost, and the house remained in a pile on its original site.  Over time, the original wooden elements rotted, and sight-seers took bricks as mementos.  It wasn't until 1950 that the house was finally reconstructed (with as many original bricks as possible) and Appomattox Court House made a National Historic Park.  

Lee on the steps after the surrender

The bell ringing ceremony.  After the surrender in 1865, bells were rung to commemorate the peace.  This year, a bell was rung at the McLean house, to be followed by bells in the county and then bells across the nation--including the Liberty Bell.  Among those who rang the bell this time were African-Americans whose descendants were slaves near Appomattox and General Grant's great-great grandson.

General Grant saluting passing troops

Thomas and Grant (with his famous muddy boots)

Thomas, Jackson, General Lee, and Traveler (who would rather be taking a nap)

Thomas, Jackson, and Eli Parker (this man is actually a descendant of the real Parker),
who drafted the terms of the surrender.  Parker was a member of the Seneca tribe.

Grant and Lee's meeting on the day after the surrender--most likely to talk about paroles for the Confederates

This kid really looked the part--he had the look of gruff innocence
 (a combination of "Kill the damn Yankees!" and "I want my Momma!")
  that you see in so many daguerrotypes of Civl War soldiers.

Flag of the 20th Maine

Soldiers getting ready to stack their arms

Confederate arms stacked on the road

A lone soldier

Printing facsimiles of the parole passes that were distributed among the surrendered Confederates on April 10, 1865.
 These passes allowed the soldiers food and free passage on trains and boats.

Mariah Wright House, where the Confederate white flag of truce was accepted
by General George Custer and General Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain
as they were preparing to enter engagement

The newly reconstructed ice house at the McLean House.

The kitchen at the McLean House--whitewashed inside and out!

Interior of the McLean kitchen

Interior of the McLean kitchen

Slave quarters at the McLean House.

Thomas and Jackson at the statue of a more famous Jackson

The Stone House, a tavern that was used as a hospital in both the first and second battles of Manassas

Facsimile newspaper ad hanging in the Stone House

Walking along the unfinished railroad, a natural trench for the soldiers

Shooting across the trench

Mommy--I found a way to get across!

The obligatory cannon photo

The site of the slaughter of the 5th New York Zouaves, who lost a higher percentage of troops than any other regiment during a single engagement in the war during the battle of Second Manassas (of 525 men, approximately 120 were killed and 330 were wounded in less than 10 minutes).  Near this spot, our own "regiment" also suffered a casualty: Jackson cut his finger on a blade of grass.  You can see him holding a tissue on the wound in the photo.

Thomas and Jackson on the stone bridge over Bull Run

Henry House Hill, site of intense fighting during First Manassas.
The current house was built after the war.  The original was smaller.

The grave of Judith Henry, an elderly lady who refused to leave her home and was killed during the battle.
This scene is depicted in The Blue and the Gray.  Thomas usually requests to see "when the old lady is killed."

View of Henry House Hill and a pouting Thomas (at left)