I am going to show my ignorance here, by stating that I did not realize that the surrender of the Northern Army of Virginia by General Robert E. Lee to General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Courthouse did not end the American Civil War.
On our road trip, the Hubster and I discovered Bennett Place, where I learned the rest of the story.
*Clicking on a photo will give you a closer look!
General Joseph E. Johnston was the highest-ranking United States officer to resign his commission and fight for the Confederacy. William T. Sherman left his position as superintendent at Louisiana Seminary and Military Institute to fight for the Union.
The two met in battle in 1861 at First Manassas (Bull Run) where Johnston’s Confederate army forced Union troops, including a brigade led by Colonel Sherman, into a full retreat.
After recovering from wounds sustained in 1862, Johnston was sent to the Western Theater of Operations.
Within two years, the men confronted each other at Vicksburg and again in the Atlanta Campaign.
They faced off for the fourth time, in 1865, in the Carolinas Campaign, and ultimately jointly orchestrated the war’s final chapter at Bennett Place.
In 1846, James and Nancy (Leigh Pierson) Bennett purchased the property here. They supplemented their farm income by tailoring clothes, selling liquor, providing transportation with their wagon, and renting space in their home to travelers.
On April 17, 1865, Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston and Union General William T. Sherman, met under a flag of truce midway between their lines on Hillsborough Road, seven miles west of Durham Station, to discuss surrender terms.
Johnston suggested that they use this nearby farmhouse, the home of James and Nancy Bennett, for privacy.
Sherman offered terms similar to those that General Ulysses S. Grant had given to General Robert E. Lee at Appomattox Courthouse, Virginia on April 9, 1865.
After negotiations, on April 26, Sherman and Johnston met at Bennett Place, where Johnston accepted the terms and surrendered the armies under his command including those in the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida, about 89,270 Confederates. It was the largest surrender of troops in the war.
There is a very nice visitor’s center and informative displays at Bennett Place. The employees are knowledgeable and helpful.
See the world around you!
LC's Cottage 