As the Civil War approached its final stages in 1864 and 1865, the Confederacy was in decline militarily and economically. The Union had gained significant victories, and the Confederacy’s resources were dwindling.
Key battles, like the Siege of Petersburg and General William Tecumseh Sherman’s March to the Sea, left the South crippled and unable to sustain the fight. The Union Army’s coordinated efforts and internal challenges within the Confederate states marked the beginning of the end.
The role of the Union Navy, represented by symbols such as the Navy hat worn by sailors, played a critical part in weakening Confederate coastal strongholds. With the Union forces tightening their grip, the Confederacy faced inevitable collapse. As General Ulysses S. Grant’s strategy of total war began to take hold, it became clear that the Confederacy could not endure much longer.
The Decline of the Confederacy and Key Battles Leading to the End
By the time 1864 arrived, the Confederate Army was increasingly unable to sustain itself. The Union Army, led by General Ulysses S. Grant, had worn down Confederate forces in several crucial battles, most notably at Gettysburg and Vicksburg in 1863.
Following these losses, the Confederacy’s resources, including troops, supplies, and finances, were quickly diminishing. Sherman’s famous March to the Sea from Atlanta to Savannah in late 1864 destroyed much of the South’s infrastructure, impeding its ability to wage war.
The Union Navy, meanwhile, maintained a powerful blockade that strangled Confederate ports, preventing the South from receiving vital supplies from abroad. These military and economic pressures and internal divisions within the Confederacy created an environment where victory was no longer a realistic goal for the South. By 1865, the once formidable Confederate Army was forced into retreat, signaling the eventual collapse of the Confederacy.
The Involvement of Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee
Two key figures significantly shaped the final stages of the American Civil War: General Ulysses S. Grant of the Union Army and General Robert E. Lee of the Confederate Army. Grant, appointed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1864, was determined to bring the war to a swift conclusion through aggressive and coordinated tactics.
His total war strategy focused on wearing down Confederate forces through constant engagement and cutting off their resources. Meanwhile, Lee, though a brilliant tactician, was increasingly outmatched.
As the Confederate Army faced mounting casualties and dwindling supplies, Lee was forced to retreat and adopt a defensive posture. The two generals’ strategies were crucial in the war’s ultimate resolution. Grant’s ability to coordinate multiple Union forces across various battlefields was key in forcing Lee to abandon his defenses and make his final stand at Appomattox Court House.
The Surrender at Appomattox Court House
The surrender at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865, marked the end of the American Civil War. After months of retreating and facing mounting pressure from Grant’s forces, General Robert E. Lee realized the Confederate Army could no longer continue the fight.
On that fateful day, Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia, exhausted and out of supplies, met Grant at the Appomattox Court House in Virginia. Grant offered generous terms of surrender, which allowed Lee and his men to return home with their horses and personal belongings, provided they were disarmed.
The Union’s victory was inevitable, but the dignified terms of surrender were meant to begin the healing process for the war-torn nation. The emotional and historic event marked the end of the Confederate Army’s resistance and the beginning of the reconstruction era. The surrender symbolized the Union’s triumph and the Confederacy’s collapse.
The Aftermath of the Civil War and the Final Surrenders
Following the surrender at Appomattox Court House, the Civil War did not immediately end. While Lee’s surrender marked the collapse of the Confederate Army, other Confederate forces remained active.
General Joseph E. Johnston’s army in North Carolina surrendered to General William Tecumseh Sherman on April 26, 1865, and other holdouts continued until mid-June. Notably, General Edmund Kirby Smith’s command in the Trans-Mississippi region was the last to surrender on June 2, 1865, signaling the end of the Confederate resistance.
The war’s aftermath was marked by immense devastation, especially in the South, where infrastructure, cities, and economies had been destroyed. The war had claimed over 600,000 lives, leaving deep scars.
The end of hostilities allowed the Union to begin the difficult process of reconstruction, aimed at rebuilding the South and integrating formerly enslaved African Americans into society. The country now faced the challenge of mending a fractured nation.
The Legacy of the Civil War’s End
The end of the Civil War reshaped America, leading to the abolition of slavery and a long, painful period of rebuilding. Its legacy continues to influence the nation’s culture, politics, and struggles for civil rights.
