there were three other principal armies in the south that had not surrendered. lee declined to surrender those armies on that occasion, saying he could not consult with jefferson davis to know his wishes. many people who come to appomattox don't realize the war did not end at appomattox. effectively, it does because once lee's army surrenders, the others follow suit. general joseph johnston surrendered at the bennett place to union general william sherman. jefferson davis was captured on may 10 and andrew johnson declared the war over on may 10, just a month after the surrender here at appomattox. him and him and him him

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 multi-day 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 generally's 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 lee-grant meeting site all the way up to the maclean house. his men are out here for several hours before the confederate approach and start leaning on the rifles, talking among themselves. as the confederate troops approach, general chamberlain calls his men to attention. they straighten up and called out shoulder arms.

he's got about 4500 men lining the road on the north and south side and is presenting this loop. general gordon at the head of the confederate column calls on his men. they come up a division of time and face front, stack their arms and turnover their flags. that's one of the hardest things for those confederate soldiers. giving them up symbolize the end of the war. the confederates would counter march, go back to the appomattox river valley and would put everything in line and reform. there are eight or nine divisions that came on this morning into the afternoon. very emotional and touching but simple on both sides.

they returned to their camps and were allowed to start their journey home. the war was over for those soldiers. now we will go to the park visitors center where we have our museum and i will show you the special objects in our collection. we are now in the park visitor center museum where i will show you a few of our most compelling items on display, including this original painting of the surrender scene. it is the most iconic painting of the surrender. but it does have inaccuracies. leeann grant never sat at the same table and grant at the time was a three-star general, not for stars as in the painting. the artist was born in france

and emigrated to richmond, virginia and was living there prior to the war. grant set for him twice. the park service acquired painting in 1964 four $1250. that was collected from locals and school kids here in appomattox county. what i would like to show you next is the first truce flag sent out to federal forces carried by captain robert sims. brought this towel in richmond and said he paid $20 or $40 confederate money for it. he was given the flag to carry out to stop the advance of custer's calvary. throughout the events of the

day, it ended up coming into the possession of a staff officer of custer named whitaker and whitaker presented it to custer. over the years, libby custer would cut off pieces of the flag to give out as souvenirs to people who are favorable toward her husband. this piece is the camp table used during the commissioners meeting on april 10. generally in general grant appointed three commissioners each. lee appointed william nelson pendleton, james long street and they went to the tavern to have the meeting but said it was a bear and cheerless place, so they repaired to the maclean house. there was no furniture left in the room because the tables had

been taken as souvenirs after the meeting on april 9. this is our display on the apple tree. what is the apple tree? it is one of those myths about appomattox and lee's surrender. why is it a myth? because the event that supposedly to waste there wasn't as it seems. lee and grant had been corresponding for several days about the possibility of lee surrendering his army. on the morning of april 9 when lee was finally ready to surrender his army, he sends a message to general grant, but general grant is moving his headquarters. lee's message catches up with him and he has to dispatch men to ride ahead to make the arrangements to meet with general lee.

he dispatches orval babcock to ride ahead and meet lee. they find the resting under an apple tree by the appomattox river. the forces are on the hills behind this apple tree and see this federal officer talking with general lee under it. lee dispatches lieutenant colonel marshall to find a place to meet and then eventually lee, babcock, and done right back to the village. the next time the confederate soldiers see generally, they learn they have surrendered. they mistakingly assume the federal officer talking to him under the tree was general grant, so they went over and started to cut the tree down for

souvenirs. before long, federal troops came over and asked them why they were cutting down the tree. the confederate soldier said this is the tree were general lee surrendered to general grant will stop the federal soldiers that i want to get part of that apple tree to and went to work doing souvenirs out of the apple tree. by that night, all the routes had been dug up in there was nothing but a hole in the ground where the apple tree stood. many visitors will come through bringing pieces of the apple tree which several of them which have been donated to the park are on display here. the apple tree myth was believed by many soldiers at the time -- it was dispatched when he wrote his memoirs. one of the most moving pieces in our collection is a letter written by charles miniter road. he was a staff officer for fitzhugh lee.

he joined the army may be against his parents wishes. as a federal infantry close down the stage road, sealing off his line of retreat, he decided he would try to escape with what calvary he could. did not know his men were going to be allowed to keep his horses. then a bullet struck him and knocked him off his horse. he looked at him and said he was a dead man and penned the note to his jacket to let his father and mother know of his death. he pulls out a piece of paper and writes a rather moving death letter to his mother and says my darling mother, i am dying, but i have fallen where i expected to fall. our cause is defeated but i do not live to see the end of it. in all things, i must see his

will be done. my greatest regret is to leave you and the rest of the dear ones. that is his letter to his mother. a federal surgeon named noris with a new york regiment binds on the battlefield, operates on him, remove the lid and saves his life. in the end, he doesn't die on the battlefield here. what we have covered today are just some of the high points at the park will stop there are many more stories to see if you come out and visit for yourself will stop appomattox is often forgotten by the american public or overlooked, but it is one of the most significant events in american history.

this is a place where the killings of americans by americans to the tune of over 700,000 and. it's also a place where we decided we would the one nation instead of two. the events at the maclean house on april 9, general grant's generosity to generally and the the events on the richmond stage road set a positive course for the nation and allowed for a stronger country to emerge. please pay us a visit or make a special pilgrimage to visit our site. >> you can watch this or other american artifacts program anytime on our website, c-span. o/history -- c-span.org/history. >> join us for live coverage

marking the 150th anniversary of president lincoln's assassination. john wilkes booth shot president lincoln at ford's theater as he sat watching our american cousins. the president was carried across 10 street to the peterson house where he died the next morning. we will be live tuesday night where they will re-create the overnight vigil. over 150 living historians will keep watch on the street and we will hear their first-person account of the assassination events, including reports from eyewitnesses and medical updates on the dying presidents condition. president lincoln's assassination, 150 years later tuesday night, april 14, beginning at 8:00 p.m. eastern. sunday, april 19 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. eastern here on c-span three.

american history tv was live thursday from appomattox courthouse. the site where confederate general robert e lee surrendered to union general ulysses s grant , effectively ending the civil war. next, the commemorative ceremony marking the time, 150 years ago that grant and lee met to discuss terms of surrender. ed aires hosts. also part of the program reenactments of grant's arrival and lee's departure. this is about one hour and 45 minutes. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2015]

>> my name is robin snyder and it is my honor to welcome each and every one of you on this historic day in our nation's history. this courthouse village stands as not just a symbol of war's end, but a place of departure for a transformed nation. the significance of what took place here 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. letters of union soldiers reflected jubilation, but also concerned. in the front lines of appomattox, from james mulligan,

he wrote, "though the army of northern virginia is ours, still grave questions remain to be settled, for which god alone can give wisdom and guidance." the confederate artillery, private berkeley, recorded a diary entry on april 11, after confirming that lee had surrendered his army. "surely, the last 24 hours has been a day of intense mental anxiety i have ever experienced. thousands of thoughts have passed through my mind as to what awaits my country, my family, my neighbors, my friends , and myself. and several months earlier,

morgan carter, with in the 28th colors troop and expressed his concerns and a letter home. "you know, we have been trampled under the white man's heels, and we have a choice to elevate ourselves and what i can do toward it i will do willingly. if i should die before i receive the benefit of it i will have the consolation of knowing that the generations to come will receive the blessing of it. i think that is the duty of all men of our race to do with they can." the diaries and letters of these soldiers reflect uncertainty but also hope. hope is our path as a nation and it is central to the story of appomattox. when lee, when grant said the confederate soldiers could carry back their horses and baggage,

they fueled their hope. we said that his army would not scatter to the countryside to fight a guerrilla war, he embodied the hope of lincoln grant, and other soldiers, that the conflict would end quickly and with ceremony, rather than slowly and with destruction. for slaves, appomattox represented the realization that the dreams of freedom and field fueled new hope that the path forward would bring us this and inequality. -- justice and equality. as we gather and reflect on this immense event, played out in this village, let us take hope from the events we recall and strength from the people we know walked on this ground 150 years ago. let us remember that the hope of

a moment often requires the efforts of generations to realize. in that way, we remain active participants in our nation's efforts to realize the hopes and aspirations born out of appomattox 150 years ago, today. at this time i would like to introduce to you patrick mendonca, senior director of the office of the postmaster general. a career postal employee, we are happy to have patrick join us for this event. [applause] >> good afternoon, thank you for that kind introduction.

thank you, robin for the kind introduction. i would like to first thank the national park service and the u.s. postal service for this fine preparation for this event today and recognize a couple of my colleagues here today from the district the district manage, district office, wendy english, william acres, darryl see, ed chabin post master roanoke and post master from appomattox, linda lawthorn. thank you for being here. i am tremendously honored to be here representing the u.s. postal service as we dedicate the final two stamps of our five-year civilñi war essentialcentennial series. it is humbling to be at the site where 150 years ago today general robert e. lee surrendered the army of northern virginia to general ulysses s. grant ending the bloodiest war americans have ever known. the setting is very fitting

because today we come full circle with our civil war stamp series. four years ago, we began the series with our fort sumptner and first battle of bull run stamps. the wars engulfedym the farm of mclean whose home was commandeered by general beauregard as his headquarters. union aermz,you till artillery shells struck his farm. here his family lived peacefully until april 8th, 1865, when charles marshall an aid for general lee, asked mr. mclean to show him a place that was suitable for robert e. lee and another general to meet. when his first suggestion was

rejected, mr. mclean offered up his own residence for the meeting and the rest is history. mr. mclean and colonel marshall most likely would not have happened if not for a battle that took place about 80 miles to the east in dunwoody county virginia, the battle of five forks. this was a decisive clash that forced confederates to abandon their capital and ultimately led to the surrender of the army of northern virginia. today, the united states postal service is pleased and proud to conclude its series bya5 issuing two new stamps, one thatíu depicts the battle of five forks and one that depicts robert e. lee's sur rend surrender to ulysses s. grant. using thee inging the images of these events, we have the stamps we have today. the battle of five forks stamps

features a preproduction of a painting by a french artist who is best known for creating the 360 degree battle of gettysburg cyclerama that went on display 1983 and can be seen at the gettysburg national military park. the appomattox court house stamp is a reproduction of a 1985 painting, peace in the union by thomas nas the political cartoonist who popularized the donkey as the symbol of the democratic party and the elephant to represent the republican party. in these images we see the story of america and remarkably all this has done on the size of a postage stamp. from this day forward, this image of the these historic events will be carried on letters and packages to millions of households and businesses throughout the united states. on a personal note i would experience and i finally remembered the centennial of the civil war. i believe it was my first t-shirt that had something on

it. it demonstrated to me how exciting the history of our nation is and how much there is to learn from it. in terms of learning my daughter went to gettysburg college, my wife and son went to shepherd university situated between sharpsburg and harpers ferry, so the civil war has always been very close to my family and myself. so in closing, let me state that in issuing these new stamps the united states postal service has been proud to participate in a valuable effort to commemorate and reflect anew on a critical area of our nation's history. so now on behalf of the united states postal service i would like to ask robin and dennis to come up on the stage and help us unveil the stamp. [ applause ] >> one, two, three.

[ applause ] >> ladies and gentlemen, we're going to make a stage change here. okay. we're going to make a bit of a stage change and get to our program focused on the surrender meeting between lee and grant in the mclean house on april 9th, 1865. give us a couple of moments.

>> shoulder arms. present. >> at 1:30 -- about 1:30 in the afternoon on april 9th, 1865, ulysses grant and small entourage of officers arrived

here at the mclean house. if you look to your right giving you a sense of that moment, 150 years ago. >> after he arrived in the yard general grant dismounted, and he would move directly up the steps of william mclean's house and

disappeared into the home to discuss with robert e. lee the surrender of the army of northern virginia.

>> robert e. lee arrived here about one half hour prior to grant and was already in the parlor awaiting his arrival. for the next hour and 15 minutes, we will talk about this event, 150 years to the minute after it happened. robert e. leigh was accompanied that day by charles marshall one of his aides, ulysses grant was accompanied by a large group of officers among them his military secretary ellie s. parker and a dozen other officers gathered with lee in the mclean house to negotiate, to record and to sign the terms of surrender of lee's army. today, 150 years ago to this

minute, we are going to revisit that afternoon in the mclean parlor. that great meeting. we remember it in its fabric, assisted by some descendants of those who were there that day but we also look for its larger meaning, for our nation, and for its people. at about three minutes -- excuse me, at five minutes after 3:00 today, after lee departs the house, a moment you will witness here at 3:00, at about 3:05 we will signal from this stage the beginning of bells across the land. this is an effort by which dozens if not hundreds of communities across the country will be tolling bells at 3:15 eastern daylight time this afternoon. the liberty bell will ring at 3:15 this afternoon. the bell in boston's old north church will ring at 3:15.

as will the bell in the state capital in richmond and every firehouse in chicago and at hundreds of churches and schools across our nation. but the first of those bells will ring here, from this stage, just a few minutes before 3:15. the bells will ring here and across the land for four minutes, one minute for each year of the war. we hope after lee departs this scene at 3:0c9that you'll stay with us as we ring the bell. and now we begin. appomattox court house early appomattox courthouse. before war came, the courthouse looked not unlike hundreds of other communities across america. the tavern served travelers on the richmond to lynchburg stage road as it had for decades. francis meeks ran a common

general store across the lawn from the tavern right behind you. he also served he did, as the village's postmaster and pharmacist. one thing rendered appomattox different than many villages. it was the county seat. it's an undeniable curiosity that when in 1845, the virginia legislature created appomattox county and designated the county seat at this village then called clover hill. it's an undeniable curiosity that local leaders decided to build the jail before they built the courthouse. once the courthouse opened in 1846 appomattox commenced a distinct rhythm that persisted for decades. monthly court days brought life to this community once a month as citizens gathered from across the county to conduct business to run for office, to sell goods, to sell slaves. to witness court proceedings.

it's likely and probably that the only world famous residents at that timec probably made appearances at court days here prior to the war. sheriff wilson went about his business in early 1865 like many american sheriffs did, except that in 1865 he spent much more time rounding outzv confederate dezserters than outlawyers. lewis isbel lived over here to my right. he was the commonwealth's attorney. another 150 or so residents lived in and around the village. beyond were farms small and large. almost all of them cultivated by enslaved people. slaves were central to appomattox county. the slaves who lived and worked

here were worth almost twice as much as the land that they worked upon. their homes, simple frame or log buildings dotted the farms and backyards of the county and village. it's likely that by 1865 many of the men, women and children who lived in these cabins had heard of the emancipation proclamation. but the union army and the freedom that would accompany it i company it had always been miles and miles away from appomattox until april 1865.ok >> in a small town like this, new neighbors met big excitement. they seem to come along only once a decade or so. and wilmer mclean, his wife virginia, son wilmer jr. and young daughter lulu arrived here in 1863. the curiosity was surely intensified. while appomattox experienced war

only from afar, the mcleans moved here from the midst of it. indeed, a close reading of confederate newspapers in 1861 would've rendered the locals here familiar with the mclean name, long before the family arrived. wilmer mclean had married well. and in 1861, in addition to his pursuits as a sugar speculator and merchant he sizable plantation along bull run. a crossing of bull run borne mclean's name and became moderately famous during the first major battles of the civil war. two,u general beauregard made mclean's house the headquarters during the first part of the war and mentioned it in his reports. wilmerñi mclean was no joel sweeney. so far as celebrities went, but

he likelyc arrived in appomattox with a tinge of fame. wilmer mclean had a complex relationship with the war and the confederacy. the war tangibly threatened his home. mclean's livelihood depended on the confederacy. he did a good business renting buildings and supplying the confederate army around manassas junction and with various goods and services. he reinvested some of his profits back into the confederacy, buying hundreds of dollars worth of confederate bonds. in early 1862, when the confederates departed northern virginia, so did the mcleans. at least his business.ñr he sent his family and some of his slaves a i way for security sake. and after the second battle bloodied the field of manassas mclean decided to leave it all

together. the decision brought him here to appomattox appomattox. a place that had seen none of the war and had felt its hardships only through the letters home of the serving soldiers and the dire news of death by battle and sickness. wilmer mclean his family, and at least some of their slaves moved into75rq comfortable brick house next to us here. there, mclean would disappear from history@oeñ until april 9th, 1865 when one of robert e. lee's staff officers encountered him on the dirt streets of the village at appomattox courthouse. >> robert e. lee it's likely in 1865 -- his name has come to us in simple terms as a man of marvel, status a product of

effective simplicity unaffected dignity and incredible boldness. but there is more to lee than that. he was deeply analytical and saw the implications of his acts more clearly than even most of his ardent admirers did. he became unshakably committed to the success of the confederacy. to sustaining the differences between north and south by forging a new independent nation. and he did, perhaps, more than anyone else to nearly make that happen. in the middle of 1862, robert e. lee began a year-long stretch of stunning military successes perhaps unmatched in our nation's history. in fredericksburg and chancellorsville. every one of them spectacular against significant odds. the victories brought him fame, but more importantly, they brought the confederacy hope. while lee won victories in

virginia, around him, the confederate war effort stumbled. he knew well victories by him and his army stood as the only beacon of hope for the confederacy. he knew too, that the feats inflicted by him might challenge the will of the northern people to continue this war. the psychological impact of his successes he knew would far outstrip their military value. his every decision his every act was purposeful. hoping for a decisive blow that would tip the scales in the confederacy's favor. hoped and believed a soldier from south carolina declared no

one can incite our enthusiasm like he does. it makes one feel better to look at him. unlike many of his opponents, lee spent little time worrying about what union generals might do to him. instead, he spent his energy figuring out what he could do to union generals and their armies. his was a mind that craved the initiative. and he was most effective when he possessed it. and that he largely did until may 1864 when ulysses s. grant arrived in virginia. >> unlike lee, there would be few profuse descriptions of ulysses s. grant, commander of all union armies. one veteran officer described him as stumpy, unmilitary, slouchy, and western looking. very ordinary, in fact. a private soldier who saw him in a review said he rode his horse like a bag of meal.

another noted in walking he leans forward and toddles. though the bearing he could not have been more different than robert e. lee. by the time the armies arrived at appomattox, he might have been only slightly less famous than his opponent. certainly, he had become a central to his nation's aspirations as lee was to the confederacy. charles francis adams jr., a grandson of presidents conceded grant's awkward ways but saw the man within. he's a remarkable man. he handles those around him so quietly and well. he has a faculty of disposing of work. and managing men.

president lincoln recognized grant's skills, but especially admired his persistentsy sissistencey of purpose. he has the grit of a bulldog. another officer put it in even more colorful terms. he habitually wears an expression as if he is determined to drive his head through a brick wall and was about to do it. general grant attached himself to the army of the potomac in 1864 and promptly set about taking the initiative from robert e. lee. with a determination that matched lee's and with an army larger than the army of northern virginia, grant thundered through virginia through the wilderness, to the cold harbor. in front of richmond and petersburg. on april 1st 1865 he imposed

disaster on the confederates at five forks. petersburg fell on april 2nd and richmond the next day. lee and his army fled westward trying to escape. the parallel pass of the army finally intersected here at appomattox courthouse not far from the home of the newcomer, wilmer mclean. >> the apple tree. grant first proposed that lee surrender near farmville on april 7th. but lee danced around the issue trying to buy some time. keeping his options open. until all hope was extinguished. that moment came on the morning of september -- excuse me, sunday, april 9th. the supplies lee had hoped would feed his army in appomattox station fell into union hands.

before dawn that morning sensing what the day might bring and knowing that how he portrayed himself in defeat mattered a great deal lee dressed in a new gray uniform and sash. and buckled on his sword, something he rarely did. at some point, he received the worst news at his headquarters east of the river. his army could not breakthrough the union lines west of the courthouse. on dozens of fields, lee had always had options. but no more. there's nothing left for me to do, he said, than to go see general grant. and i had rather die a thousand deaths. over the next many hours, lee sent three notes through the lines to grant. the last was simple and direct. quote, i ask a suspension of hostilities pending the adjustment of the terms of surrender of this army. about 10:30 in the morning of

april 9th 1865, the guns of the armies fell silent. lee waited for a response under an apple tree along the stage road near the narrow banks of the appomattox river about a mile from where we are. not far from the banjo playing sweeneys' home, all the brothers were dead by now. a staff officer hauled up some fence rails for lee to sit upon as he waited. for a time, the general fell asleep. as he awaited word from grant. just before 1:00 p.m., the union staff officer bearing a flag of truce and a note from grant arrived at lee's apple tree headquarters. grant's note informed lee i will push forward to the front for the purpose of meeting you. it is now my pleasure to call forth patrick schroeder who for 20 years has explored the lanes the fields and the home places of appomattox courthouse as an

historian for the national park service. today, he will carry our story from the apple tree into mclean's parlor, 150 years ago to this minute. >> thank you, john thank you for all of you being in attendance today to remember this important date in our country's history. the union officer carrying grant's letter was lieutenant colonel orville babcock. named william mckee dunn. they found lee resting under that apple tree by the appomattox river. lee had with him only lieutenant colonel charles marshall, his aid to camp of his staff and an orderly named joshua johns. his other aid to camp, walter

taylor had begged off from having to suffer the humiliation of attending the surrender meeting. marshall did not. in fact, lee refused to duck the responsibility himself. attending the meeting in person. the previous correspondence, grant offered to save lee the humiliation anymore that he would meet with anyone that lee designated. lee's father, light horse harry lee had been with washington at yorktown and witnessed what he deemed to be the shameful behavior of lord corn wallaceñr by sending a subordinate to formally surrender the british army. lee would not shame the family's name by transferring the responsibility to a subordinate.

as the small party left the apple tree site and reached the appomattox river, lee's horse traveler stopped to drink. continued into the village behind us. and encountered wilmer mclean who was outside of his house, perhaps looking to have a guard posted at his home. mclean first showed him a building most likely in the front corner of his yard. the rain tavern as it was known but the buildings was unfurnished. then mclean offered his own home, which stands behind us. behind me and in front of you. it was a fine brick home. marshall returned to lee to guide him to the location. the group arrived at the house at about 1:00 p.m. they left lieutenant dunn at the

gate. he was posted there to watch for the approach of grant. joshua johns held the horses of lee and marshall outside the house, probably in this area where this stand is set up. babcock, marshall and lee entered the house, turned to the left and took seats in the parlor. lee's biographer suggested this may have been the longest half hour of lee's life. after riding for more than 20 miles, grant arrived with his staff in tow at about 1:30 in the afternoon. he picked up general sheridan and ord at the top of the ridge in front of you. on his way to the mclean house. in fact, he asked sheridan where general lee was and sheridan said he is over in that house

waiting to surrender to you. and he invited sheridan to come along with him. he said, come on, let's go. when grant enters the parlor, lee met him. there, indeed was a contrast between the two men. first of all, lee was 58 years old, grant was 42. there was a 16-year difference between each -- the two men. and sometimes, i think too much is made about their dress. general lee put on a new uniform that day. said he expected to be general grant's prisoner, and wanted to make his best appearance. general grant was never a fancy dresser. he had just rode over 20 miles on virginia muddy roads. as you probably experienced

today. grant wasn't riding by himself. he had his staff with him. had an escort. third west virginia calvary. none of grant's staff was clean. it wasn't like the mud just stuck to grant and no one else. they were all mud splattered. general lee had put on a new uniform and he rode only about a mile and a mile and a half to this meeting. grant explained that he did not have his baggage with him and he didn't want to makelp general lee wait. general lee said he was glad that grant didn't make him wait and he came to the meeting. they found common ground they began to discuss. grant brought up he met general lee in the mexican war. general lee recalled that he had met grant. as the generals are speaking

general grant's staff files into the room. and after some time of conversation about mexico, lee called grant's attention to the matter at hand and inquired to the terms. grant replied that the terms would be substantially the same as what he had wrote the previous day. lee then asked grant to put his terms in writing. and then lee sat down near a large marble top white table. while puffing on a cigar, grant sat at a small wooden table that had an oval top on it and began writing in pencil in his manifold order book. observing lee as he wrote, grant said he could not discern lee's true feelings. and he said the initial joy he had felt at receiving lee's letter wanting to meet with hill to surrender had dissipated. and now, he felt sad and depressed. he recalled i felt like

anything rather than rejoicing at the downfall of a foe. the wishes of lincoln came out in the terms. grant had met lincoln on april -- march 28th and discussed the end of the war. and in effect lincoln had said, let them up easy. after all, these men would become, hopefully, worthy united states citizens again.ñ grant was generous. he was not going to send the confederate soldiers to prison camp. they would beá:siñ paroled and allowed to go home. the officers were allowed to keep their side arms and personal baggage. and their private horses. with the terms written lee would not have to surrender his sword. he would not suffer that humiliation. after reading these generous terms, lee said this will have a very happy effect upon my army.

then he inquired if the enlisted men of the army could keep their horses, as well. grant stated the terms did not allow this. and lee acknowledged they did not. but grant was perceptive and caught lee's anxiety on the matter and he acted quickly. he was not going to make lee beg for this concession. he said to lee that he did not know that the confederate soldiers own their own horses. but he assumed that many of the men were small farmers and they would need toes horses to put in a crop. he then stated he would not change the terms as written but would give instructions to allow the confederate soldiers to take their horses home to work their farms. grant well understood that this meeting taking place in this parlor was about the future of the country. grant -- or lee responded once

again, this will have the best possible effect on my army. lee found the terms agreeable. the task of putting the final draft into ink fell to lieutenant colonel e. lee parker. a native american of the seneca people. who was said to have the best penmanship on the general's staff. parker sat down to write, but he lacked ink. lieutenant colonel charles marshall lee's aid to camp alleviated the problem by producing a box wood ink stand for parker. parker wrote beautifully and the final copy, the final letter which is on loan to the national park here at appomattox from stratford hall is on display in our visitors' center.pu9ñbx marshall was tasked with writing lee's acceptance letter of the terms.

but marshall lacked paper. grant's staff quickly produced paper for colonel marshall. right there in the mclean parlor, you have the inner dependency between the north and the south. while waiting for the final letters to be completed, lee mentioned a grant he had a thousand of grant's men prisoners. mainly captured at the april 6th battle of high bridge near farmville. and lee dropped another rather large hint saying he had no food for grant's men and, indeed, he had nothing for his own men. no food for his own men. grant responded that he could send over 25,000 rations to feed lee's army. lee gratefully acknowledged that that was ample. well drafting the letters continued, grant introduced some

of the officers in the room with him, including general seth williams. general lee knew seth williams well. williams had been lee'sage grant introduced was a young captain that had joined his staff less than one month earlier. his name was robert lincoln. he was the son of abraham lincoln, recently graduated from harvard and joined general grant's staff in mid-march. and he is here in the mclean parlor. we don't have a record of how general lee reacted to meeting robert lincoln. the eight-year-old daughter of wilmer mclean left a ragdoll on

the couch in the parlor where the meeting occurred. when everybody came in, they placed the doll on the mantle. afterward, the officer started tossing the ragdoll around. it was kept as a war souvenir by captain thomas moore. they called it the silent witness. the family kept that doll in new york, and they would exhibit it as a war souvenir. in the early 1990's, the ladies of the family wanted that doll to come back to appomattox courthouse. it is now on the second level of our museum. once the letters were finished they were exchanged. the commanders did not sign one document, they simply exchanged letters. the meeting concluding, lee and

grant shook hands, general lee went onto the porch. called for john's and traveler. once lee mounted, grant came out of the house and tipped his hat to leave. lee returned that gesture and began to ride to his army. upon approaching his men, and -- in the appomattox river valley, general lee informed them that they had been surrendered. then he told them to go home and make as good citizens as you have soldiers. went general grant left mclean house, he heard the separate -- celebratory firing of muskets and cannons being discharged. he ordered the firing stop. he said the rebels are our countrymen again. when the meeting concluded, a path was set for the future of the nation.

when the meeting concluded, it meant that after four years of slaughter, americans would stop butchering americans. there would be a lasting peace and a more permanent binding for the nation. lee's letter of acceptance of grant's terms made the emancipation proclamation effective throughout virginia. and i firmly believe and agree with what a west virginia soldier an infantrymen named cunningham who was present at the battle of appomattox courthouse on april 9, 1865, when he wrote -- what he wrote home to his family in a letter. the letter stated, april 9 is the greatest day in american history. thank you. [applause]

john hennessy: thank you. we have seated throughout the observances, like mclean descendents carry , a sense of celebrity. i am -- we are honored today to welcome a slew of notable people, we are happy to feature one of them once again. a man who is this ended from the -- descended from the only confederate officer who accompanied lee into the parlor. dennis bigelow is the great

great grandson of charles marshall. as i said, the only officer to join lee in the house. on most days, mr. bigelow works as a costume interpreter for james monroe. we asked dennis if you would take a few minutes this afternoon and share with you his perspective of having a family connection to an historic event of such magnitude. mr. dennis bigelow. [applause] dennis bigelow: you don't need a repeat of what you have already heard about the surrender and the mclean house

so i'm not going to read that of grandfather marshall's book. i think you would like to hear this. punctuated by the laws of the -- of a third of the armies of northern virginia, on april 6, with confederate general gordon having been stopped dead by a c -- sea of general sheridan's blue coats on the morning of the ninth, general lee knew his shrinking army could not remain whole. and could not break out. that after four years of arduous service marked by unsurpassed courage and fortitude, the army of northern virginia must yield

to overwhelming numbers and resources. in the wee hours of april 9, general lee's aid and long street and gordon took their only refreshment of the day, cornmeal gruel they shared. from a heated shaving 10. and grandfather marshall noted later that this was our last meal in the confederacy. our next was taken in the united states. [applause] the agreement of surrender 150 -- surrender, which took place

in the mclean house 150 years ago was the culmination of seven letters between general grant and general lee, exchanges initiated by grant on the seventh and closed by grant on the morning of the ninth. the number seven, which might be seen as the number of completion , if not perfection. grandfather marshall noted that here, on the ninth of april, at the little village of appomattox, when general lee met general grant, the question of undeniable question of the united states passed into history. never to be revised. [applause]

but what must never be forgotten here, he felt, was the conduct here of victorious americans in blue towards the defeated americans in gray particularly, marshall said, of the federal. they loved the enemies and did good to those who hated them. disgrace kindness, and magnanimity from the ninth to the 12th, from agreement of terms, from the conduct of general grant to the gracious spirit of general chamberlain, from the soldiers of the blue toward the gray, from the strong to the broken and lifting them up, forever

molded charles marshall's life after appomattox, making him a peacemaker. and he readily alluded to matthew 5:9 -- blessed are the peacemakers, for they are the children of god. [applause] and so, after that, he became the peacemaker among the diehards of the lost cause renewing him as a citizen of the united states of america. he did that until he died in 1902. but before he died, in 1892, a memorial day, he was asked to give a keynote speech before

grant's tomb that he may carry on the work of peacemaking which is our job today. [applause] john hennessy: thank you dennis. it is probably at this moment 150 years ago that lieutenant colonel parker of grant's staff was transcribing the final terms of the surrender for grant 's signature. a copy of the surrender document is on display in the visitor center. we met this morning a number of descendents, including a great great grand nephew of eli

parker, a seneca indian who would become somewhat famous for what he did here, but would remain legendary for a story told earlier today, when lee met parker at the conclusion of the meeting. i one account lee wondered or flinched or wondered at the presence of a man in the room who was not white. after he recovered himself, lee looked at eli parker, extended his hand and said i'm glad to see one real american. eli parker grasped lee's head in return and told the confederate general, the general, the man at appomattox who probably had more cause to doubt his status as an

american, being assured of his status as an american by a man who had had to strive hard to be seen as an american. parker turned and shook his hand and said, we are all americans today. i would like to take this moment to introduce you just briefly to acknowledge his presence here. al parker, who is the great great grand nephew of eli parker of the seneca nation. [applause] al parker: in the seneca language, i wish to acknowledge everybody who is here today. and that you enjoy your day here at appomattox.

a wonderful time tremendous commemoration, it is an honor to represent the parker family and take part in this commemorative event. thank you very much. thank you. [applause] john hennessy: all of us who work for the national park service, many of us have done many events over the 150th. i have to say we are in off -- awe at the number of people here. we thank you very much for being here. we have looked at the afternoon of april 9, 1865. as this meeting wound down, it's time to take a step back and see the events through a larger lens.

we are honored to welcome dr. edward ayers. the president of the university of richmond. some of you have met him before, if you were in the sweltering heat at manassas, he gave the keynote address at manassas on that day. it seems a very, very, very long time ago. he was more recently at the driving force behind the outstanding events in richmond last weekend, commemorating the fall of richmond. dr. edward ayers is one of america's preeminent civil war historians and i do not say that lightly. he is one committed not just to impeccable scholarship, but reaching people beyond academia. he roots out untold stories, he amplifies voices unheard, and he constantly challenges us to see events in new ways, always with a sense of historical justice

for those who were there. perhaps more than any historian working in the field, he helped us assign meaning to events that were almost always far more complex and far-reaching than we imagined them to be. he is retiring from the university of richmond this summer. while it is a great loss to the university, the prospect of dr. ayers devoting his energies to history is good news for the rest of us. it is my pleasure to introduce to you dr. edward ayers. [applause] edward l. ayers: thank you. there are indeed very many of you. and it is convenient that all of you come labeled. i can see where everybody is from the baseball cap, so i see everything from boston to mississippi. it seems very fitting. i'm going to take a few moments to think about what it has meant

for this country to have a national park service step up throughout the sesquicentennial for a year after year, day after day, to make the sites available to us, comprehensible to us, welcoming to us. it is true, i was at manassas. it was approximately 800 degrees. i also had the good fortune of being at fort sumter the evening before the firing. i happened to be at gettysburg, where it was also hot. as john mentioned, we had thousands of people in richmond to commemorate what it was like when the confederates fled that city, and united states colored troops and abraham lincoln came into it. it is one of the more powerful moments of my life. does the americans come together and remember our history.

it has been a long war. i think maybe just people -- i'm going to say -- i would like to thank -- i would like to take this moment to thank the folks from the national park service for the remarkable work. [applause] [applause] [drumming] i thought it was very characteristic that i looked john in the eye and pay cap and he was already outworking. patrick, you will have to convey the standing ovations. some volunteering to stand, some already standing. i feel a great sense of responsibility at this moment, what could i possibly say?

the meaning of these events seem firmly embedded in our national story. there is a reason all of you came here, to see the story that you know. in our national understanding, appomattox is america at its best. the gentlemanly drama on this landscape showed americans to be principled, generous, and fundamentally decent. the shaking of hands, the [indiscernible] the role of eli parker. the humility of both general grant and general lee. all of those things tell us that the bloodletting of the previous four years, of which was the equivalent of 8 million people died had been an anomaly. the stories of confederate soldiers and of them melting

away suddenly civilians back to their homes has reassured generations of americans that americans are different from other nations. we are fundamentally on warlike -- un-warlike, fundamentally unified. this is the story in our textbooks. this is the story we teach our children, this is story of our best sellers. we like it because it shows us at our best selves. it elevates soldiers into men of discipline, principled restraint, and courage. it allows everybody to be a hero. even an icon. that general grant himself did much to create this version to -- of the story. here is what he wrote in his memoirs 20 years later dying in upstate new york, desperate to tell the

story of the civil war. he recalled of this day that he ordered no firing or salutes or other what he called unnecessary humiliation of confederates. they were, quote now prisoners , we did not want to exalt over their downfall. indeed, as you heard from patrick, grant's feelings which had been quite jubilant, were sad and depressed. i felt like anything rather than rejoicing at the downfall of a folk who fought so long and valiantly and had suffered so much. then there is just a comma not a semicolon, a dash, and he completes that sentence.

saying that he felt sad and depressed. and that his foes suffered so much that the cause was the worst for which have people ever thought. that is the feeling that all americans have to wrestle with from that day on. that is a remarkable six and it is self-contradictory. it is non sequitur that has defined our understanding of this event ever since. the cost could not have been worse and there is no excuse for that fight and yet, the man who led the fight, has fought long and valiantly. the cause that grant identified was the dismantling of the united states. the world's most hopeful democracy to create a new nation that would be explicitly based on slavery. it was that severing of the

cause and the fight that established the bargain that the white north and the white south would hold onto for generations. despite the terrible cause grant continued quote, i do not question the sincerity of the great mass of those who were opposed to it. sincerity. indeed, who could have doubted the sincerity of the confederacy, who it let itself -- had bled itself to death in pursuit of that cause. the confederacy was profoundly sincere, the soldiers were sincere in their longing to leave the united states, sincere in their hatred of what they saw as an invading army, sincere in their hatred of the abolitionist and a black republicans that they blamed for starting the war, sincere and there believe -- in their belief that they had

the best army and the best general. there were never shaken's -- shaken in their beliefs all the way up to appomattox and beyond for generations. so general grant was right, not to doubt their sincerity. now, general grant's betrayal at appomattox gave the white south what it most wanted and thought it had earned. respect. the soldiers were not fooled into fighting, they said, we were not traitors, they said, but we were sincere believers and we have held the same ideals that other americans have held. our own freedom, our own independence, our own rights. they used exactly the same words as the northern counterparts. as a result, the fighting, and the confederate side could be and was divorced from the worst cause for which people ever fought. they could say they did not fight for slavery, but rather

for home and rights. they would say that three fourths of them were not slaveholders, but that all were citizens and soldiers. indeed, the root cause that abraham lincoln said that all they knew was somehow the cause of the war, was buried deeply most of the time during the war. the confederates never charged into battle shouting about slavery. their generals never exhorted them to fight over slavery. the fact that the nation they fought to create was based on / -- based on slavery was not the rally cry, but it was the reality underneath. while grant, lee, and her comrades, slavery was dying elsewhere. it had been mortally wounded across the south during the war itself, dissolving everywhere it could dissolve, everywhere the united states army one

-- went, everywhere the slaveholders fled. now, it was dying in a letter city hall in washington, where the 13th and then it passed the -- where the u.s. senate passed the 13th amendment the day before grant and lee met here. the confederacy's purpose had already disappeared. with jefferson davis fleeing into the southern night. with sherman marching into the southern spring with the confederate army scattered and powerless. despite later fantasies of guerrilla fighting, he knew the war was over, the confederacy was over. all of the other confederate generals followed his example.

though the war, slavery, and confederacy ended in the spring of 1865, nobody could claim to know what would come next. everything was up in the air. when the events that we are commemorating today unfolded. the story of elizabeth has helped us understand what happened here, quote, the union victory was one of right over wrong, he believed that his magnanimity no less than his victory vindicated free society and the unions ' way of war. his generosity of spirit, he continued to say, this is what the north is actually like. this is the spirit of generosity that we bring. she continued, grant's eyes are on the future, a future in which southerners chase into every part would join the northern

brethren in the march toward national progress. she sees lee acting differently. by contrast, he believes that the union victory was one of might over right and if you listen, to the orders that you just heard, it is that we have succumbed to superior numbers and resources. it does not say we have succumb to a better purpose. in his view, southerners have nothing to repent of and have survived the war with her honors -- there honor and principles intact. he was intent on restoration, on turning the clock back as much as possible to the days where virginia led the nation and before sexual extremism alienated the north from the south. each man believe that he was on the high moral ground, but they were believing that they were on different high moral ground. for supporters of lincoln and republicans, including abolitionist, blacks, and whites, grant's generosity of

spirit proved their moral as as well as their material superiority. they were giving the south a chance to acknowledge that it was wrong as well as defeated. for supporters of the confederacy and for the many northern enemies of lincoln and his party, on the other hand lee's dignity proved that the south could be restored into the nation and whatever slavery became we changed the racial order as little as possible. throughout the war, lincoln's enemies in the north had hauled -- called in the you did as it was, and when lee was surrendering here he believed that that is what he was helping restore, the union as it was. both republicans and the democrats, the north and the south, claim victory in the ceremony, claim vindication for their cause. even though they claimed different things. now it was no accident that lee

and grant grew farther and farther apart as the months and years past after this date. the powerful moment we commemorate today which seemed to stand outside of the war and outside of politics became ever more entangled in the messy politics that followed. in fact, appomattox became ever more elevated in our national imagination not because it resolved what followed, but because everybody could see it what they wanted. they could see here their highest aspirations. the white south envisioned nothing like the reconstruction that would follow. they thought that the honorable surrender here meant we fought, we lost, we are back in the united states, they did not imagine that the united states army would press on with reconstruction, they could not imagine that more would be demanded of them. they saw appomattox as the end

as a resolution, not as the beginning of a more profound revolution in american life. they could not have imagined that the same army was gathered here would, in two years, help oversee the men who were held in slavery for 250 years up to this day would then become voting men in the south. they could not imagine that the enslaved people all around here in virginia would be insisted upon as being full citizens in in the 13th and 14th amendments. that is not what they thought that they were surrendering. they did not believe that they were undergoing a revolution in which the north would call the shots in american politics, and public life, for generation after generation to follow. many people in the north, by contrast, saw appomattox as the cessation of hostility but not

as the culmination, the fulfillment of all that the war had been. enemies of slavery new that -- knew that in the the mere -- that free people would have to begin a chance to make lecture themselves with law, with education, with an opportunity to gain property, with the right to the ballot box. and enemies in the south determined that it would not be prevented -- permitted and honored in the white house, and congress, and the supreme court, that it had enjoyed since the founding of the nation. the american south had controlled much of america's history up to the civil war, like the north says, no longer. we have won the war, we will now run the nation. grant's generosity of spirit was a generosity not only of the general, but of a man whose thought he stood for the future. a future in which the south has sacrificed its place of authority in the united states.

lee and grant i really expressed -- probably expressed their profound disappointment in each other of the next few years. that was one reason the grant became more -- than he had been on the state agency five. he thought that the white south had not fulfilled the spirit of the surrender that he struck here. when he saw the black vote in months of this time, when he saw the rights in memphis and new orleans, when he saw the ku klux klan rise up, grant's says, that is not the spirit of appomattox. that is the spirit of revenge unit that is the spirit of retaliation. that is the spirit of contrary of what we agreed upon. lee, for his part, burned with resentment, that even though he had surrendered in good faith, bringing the war and its purposes to an end, grant and the north continue to present

for more and more in the five years after appomattox. lee was appalled when grant was elected president of the united states. he wrote that are self government is fast becoming the laughing stock of the world. that is not very long after these events that those are years that were filled with a profound reimagining of what this country might mean. what would it mean, not only of slavery were gone, what would it mean, not only of the north but what would it mean -- the north was unified, but what would it mean if black americans, 4 million of them actually had a chance to be full americans? so from these perspectives, reconstruction was a violation here to read a bargain that would have restored things close to the way they had been in 1851 as possible. now that's one reason that the memory of this place has not been stable. people did not immediately flock to this as the kind of shrine

that it is today. african-americans celebrated this place first because of the role of the united states colored troops here. the white southerners are much more ambivalent. this was not a place that white southerners flocked to. that is one reason that appomattox did not become a national park site until 1950. so it takes a long time to people to decide that what this place means -- and it may not be and -- be an accident that it is in the wake of world war ii -- it takes them that long to decide, yes, this is the place that we want to remember the best that america is. this is the place we want to remember what america became reunited. so the debates have never stop you may not be surprised to know that historians still argue about these things. that is because people see in these events both testimony to american shared greatness and testimony to processes unfulfilled.

both of those things are real. let me be clear. it mattered enormously that the death and the suffering and the chaos ended here. it did matter that the union army was gracious, it did matter that the confederates went home peacefully. most civil wars as we can see in our television sets every day do not end this way. most civil wars end with rampant bloodshed and while american politics were forever changed after this, outright war did not resume, although many people worried that it would. we should be great for the -- grateful for the accomplishments that happened here. on the other hand, it did matter that fundamental issues of freedom, of rights, and of power could not be settled here. generations of struggle followed. and still follow. to fulfill those rights for all americans.

i think that is why we all come here. it is that we come here to remind us of how much sacrifice there was to create a foundation on which we can build. that is why today it is important, it is not merely a celebration, but a commemoration, remembering of just what was at stake here. and what was at stake here was nothing less than the future of the united states and all the people who live in it. appomattox was not an ending but a beginning of a long journey on which we are still traveling, in which the best days of the united states life -- lie not behind us but before us. thank you very much. [applause] john hennessy: thank you, dr. ayers. the clock ticks for 3:00.

as the meeting between lee and grant neared its conclusion, the armies waited under flags of troops sprawled from miles around you. it is likely, that after 10:30 that morning, not shot -- even before official word of the surrender came out, confederates realized what the silence portended. they had risk everything in the quest for independence, and now, any chance for recompense and its pride was gone. a south carolinian wrote, the emotion can only be imagined. i cannot describe it. we looked into each other's paces, we were blank and fathomless to bear with it, nor said one aware, our hearts were too full for language, we could only murmur stupidly and meaningfully the word surrender, it sounded like damnation. an artillery man remembered men sobbing like children

recovering from convulsions of grief after a severe whipping. another said simply, it was the saddest day of my life. not surprising, more than a few union soldiers called the happiest day of their life. virtually all struggle to find words to describe the moment. a chaplain from pennsylvania wrote oh, it was great to be there. patient endurance, and a victory and the defeat, and mismanagement and all the various wound and sunshine of the four years history of the army of the potomac crowded upon my mind. and now, it had its reward. his work is done. and well done. one soldier offered a simple synopsis to his wife at home. my dear, i can say now that the war is over and i am still living. >> the march of death.

as we've competed for men continued to die. at precisely the same time, lee and grant were meeting in the house that afternoon, bells told an indian house number 20 in philadelphia while mourners gathered at the home of the soldier and firefighter william hoover for his funeral. hoover had been a member of the 99th pennsylvania, of the army of the potomac. and captured in battle. from the philadelphia inquirer the deceased died from exposure while a prisoner in salisbury, north carolina. he was a member of the fire engine company number his 20. funeral was largely attended. the members of the independent engine company in a body with their ambulance followed the remains to the last resting place. the old bell and engine house

told the sad news of the death of one of its members. the fall of richmond in the -- and the eminent surrender of lee's army while soldiers still toiled and died engendered it uncomfortable mix of joy and sadness among northerners. from the milwaukee sentinel, our foes are flying, but our friends are falling. it is a shame not to rejoice but it is a sin not to weep. it is unjust not to greet the living to see the victories, but it is cruel not to mourn the dead who died in the sight of what they died for. whether we have their names are -- or not, we shall have their needs.

the deeds of these dead on this field, all around the rebellious regions for all time to come there will be, they're well this girdle of gray of the republic sacrificial son. they will remain without marble mausoleums and elaborate epitaphs, but they will be sacred. and future ages will draw as many reference as mecca or the pyramid's of egypt. john hennessy: as the mental clocks around appomattox courthouse 3:00, that sunday afternoon, the meeting between lee and grant in maclean's parlor came to an end. the two generals rose, they shook hands, lee bowed to the other officers present and he and charles marshall walked out the front door. when lee crossed the threshold

and into maclean's yard, he walked into a landscape awash with jubilation and sadness. for union soldiers, union -- jubilation for their effort and sacrifice, joy for the union joy for the promise of home and safety. for slaves, jubilation at the prospect of freedom, although the road ahead seemed unsure indeed. four confederates, despair at a cause lost. and the men unrewarded, the reality that they believe appomattox with no more than pride after four years of toil. they would return, the communities and towns often ravaged by war, to the empty beds and the terror of lost brothers, sons, and fathers. few places have other and body -- have ever embodied so many

emotions at odds as did appomattox, 150 years ago, this moment. but when robert e lee crossed the threshold onto the porch, he did more than confront that place of deep emotion, he answered a new world, one in which the southern confederacy was no longer a possibility. the end of slavery was real, and it empowered -- and an empowered united states confronted the immense challenges of reconstruction, reconciliation and justice. although few could see it that day, lee's ride from the yard through appomattox to the throes of his defeated army was not an end, but a beginning.

the first act in a long, national journey that continues still. [trumpet sounds] [trumpet sounds]

>> and set!

[indistinct orders] >> soldier arm!

>> [indistinct chatter]

>> soldier arm! >> [indistinct chatter] >> we will conclude our program here today. with the ringing of the spell. -- this bell. on the morning of april 10 1865 caroline richards was sitting quietly eating her breakfast in her home in new york. suddenly, she recorded, our church all commenced to ring. and then the methodist spell.

and now all the bells and town are ringing. mr. noah clark ran by all excited, and i don't believe he knows who he is or where he is. i saw captain albright passing so i rushed to the window and asked him what was the matter. he came to the front door where i met him, and he almost shook my hand off. the war is over! we have a lee's surrender! with his own name, side. five days later, she looked out the same window and saw a group of men gathered around someone reading the morning paper. i feared from their silent motionless interest that something dreadful had happened. that afternoon, just days after the bells had wrong in the aftermath -- rung in the aftermath of appomattox, the bells rang again to mark the death of america's president. bells have always been a

powerful form of expression. they mark our joys, our times, and our tragedies. today in america bells will toll again. at 3:15, the liberty bell will be struck. and bells across minnesota, and downtown chicago, and richmond at the state capital in delaware, california, kentucky georgia, and many more, at ebenezer baptist church in atlanta, bells will ring. and in churches, schools courthouses, and national parks they will ring for four minutes. one minute for each year of the war. a grand, collective gesture. in remembrance of the war. it is up to us here at appomattox to begin bells across the land. we will bring this spell brought

to us -- bell brought to us by the family. her ancestors, her great-grandmother, or once slaves. and they acquired the spell after the civil war. we will bring this spell, and from -- this bell, and from here, the bells will reverberate across our land. in 1862, the year of manassas, and the realization that this war would be long and hard, i called for her family, who provided the spell, and john griffith, the great-great-grandson of general ulysses s grant. >> [l sounds -- [bell sounds]

[bell sounds] >> the second year of the war ending in the spring of 1863 the year of antietam and

fredericksburg and the emancipation proclamation. i call forth take camels -- tag hammels, of the sons of union commanders. and dennis bigelow, the great great grandson of lieutenant colonel marshall. >> [bell sounds] >> [bell sounds]

>> the third year of the war ending in the spring of 1864, the year of gettysburg vicksburg, and the overly campaign. i call forward warned jackson -- warren jackson, who saw so many serve your. and alan parker, the great great grand nephew of lieutenant colonel eli parker. >> [bell sounds]

>> [bell sounds]

>> the fourth year of the war, ending in the spring of 1865 sherman's march the toils of petersburg, richmond falling the war's and -- end. relief and rejoicing. i call forth sergeant hall, great-great-grandson of charles h hall of the 13th mississippi infantry, a u.s. marine corps veteran of vietnam. and first lieutenant samuel mostly, -- mosey, a korean war veteran and winner of a purple heart. >> [bell sounds]

>> [bell sounds] >> and now, at precisely 3:15 on the afternoon of april 9, 2015, bells will ring across america.

[applause] [applause] [indistinct chatter] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2015]

>> join american history tv this coming tuesday for live coverage marking the 150th anniversary of president lincoln's assassination. on april 14, 1865, actor john wilkes booth shot president lincoln at ford's the at her as he sat with his wife mary. the president was carried across 10th street to the peterson house where he died the next morning. we will be live from 10 street on tuesday night, where ford's theater will re-create the overnight vigil for president lincoln. or than 150 living historians in. costumes will keep an eye on the street and we will hear their first person accounts of the assassination, including medical updates on the dying president's condition will stop president lincoln's assassination, 150 years later, tuesday night, april 14, beginning at 8:00 p.m. eastern. on sunday, april 19, here on american history tv on c-span

guest: -- c-span three. host: a live look from the appomattox courthouse national historic park if the site where 150 years ago, confederate general robert e lee surrendered his army to union general ulysses s. grant effectively ending the civil war. we will be live from the park for the next three hours as the commemoration continues with reenactments of the gun stacking that took place on this day in 1860 five when more than 22,000 of general lee's infantry troops turned over their weapons and battle flags. we will bring you the sights and sounds of the ceremony throughout the coverage and later in the program, you will hear remarks from historian david blight who will talk about the legacy of appomattox. we will also give you a chance to call in and