we're now inside the parlor of the home of wilmer mcclain, appomattox county resident who moved here in the fall of 1862. le general lee and general grant corresponded for over three days, and finally after being effectively surrounded here, general lee wished to have a meeting with general grant to surrender his army. lee spent lieutenant colonel marshal to find a place to meet. and mcclain offered his own home. lee arrived about 1:00 and sat here at this marble top table. general grant arrived at about 1:30. and when he came in he sat at the oval wooden table here. the two had met each other in the mexican war, and that was their first discussion. they talked about the mexican war for quite a while. and the conversation got quite pleasant. and general lee reminded general grant of the mature of thise ureuree ureure -- nature of this meeting and asked grant to put his terms in writing. grant sat down and put his terms in writing. the federal officers were allowed to be paroled and go home. he was going to allow officers to keep their sidearms and personal baggage, and general lee la

wilmer mcclain, his family and at least some of their slaves next t moved into the comfortable brick house next to us here.from his there mcclain would disappear from history until april 9, ne 1865. when one r of robert e. lee's untere staffd officers encountered him on the dirt streets of the village at appomattox court house. >> robert e. lee, likely in april of 1865, robert e. lee was1865 the most famous man not just in america but perhaps in the come world. his name has cop tos us in simple terms as a man of marvel, ct effective simplicity, unaffected dignity and incredible boldness.t ther but there was more to lee than that. was he was deeply analytical and sawtions the implications of his acts even more clearly and even most of his ardent admirers did. he became unshakably chitsed toeably committed to the success of the confederacy. and hean did perhaps more than anyone else to make that happen. in the sidmiddle of 1862 he had stunning military successes, unma perhaps unmatched in our nation's history.ignif every one of them spectacular against significant odds.rought the victor

we're now inside the parlor of the home of wilmer mcclain, appomattox county resident who moved here in the fall of 1862. le general lee and general grant corresponded for over three days, and finally after being effectively surrounded here, general lee wished to have a meeting with general grant to surrender his army. lee spent lieutenant colonel marshal to find a place to meet. and mcclain offered his own home. lee arrived about 1:00 and sat here at this marble top table. general grant arrived at about 1:30. and when he came in he sat at the oval wooden table here. the two had met each other in the mexican war, and that was their first discussion. they talked about the mexican war for quite a while. and the conversation got quite pleasant. and general lee reminded general grant of the mature of thise ureuree ureure -- nature of this meeting and asked grant to put his terms in writing. grant sat down and put his terms in writing. the federal officers were allowed to be paroled and go home. he was going to allow officers to keep their sidearms and personal baggage, and general lee la

mcclain. i'm sure everyone or most of you probably heard of wilmer mclain. i rode up to him and said can you show me a house where general lee and grant could meet together. he took me to a house that was de dilapidated and had no furniture in it. it was a structure that stood out in front of his two story brick home which has an english basement. the house originally been built in 1848 probably as a tavern. this small building that the colonel was taken to was probably an ancillary structure a small building no longer in use. i told them it wouldn't do. then he said maybe my house will do. he lived in a very comfortable house. i told him i thought it would suit. i had taken the orderly along with me and i sent him back to bring general lee and babcock who were coming on behind. i went into the house and sat down and after a while they came in. colonel babcock said he would meet general grant and turn him in when he came along. general lee babcock and myself sat down in the parlor and talk talked in the most friendly way. the conference took place. he dresse