“Appomattox. April 9, 1865.”
With his Confederate Army of Northern Virginia effectively surrounded by Union Troops, General Robert E. Lee proffered his surrender to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Courthouse, VA. Common soldiers were allowed to return home after depositing their weapons. Officers were allowed to carry their sidearms and sabers. While not ending the Civil War, this event hastened its end and enabled the reunification of the United States of America.