When we visited Virginia, we stopped by Appomatox, the site of General Lee's surrender to General Grant at the end of the Civil War.  Because the two generals involved were in charge of the armies of the Confederacy and of the Republic the surrender of those forces is, of course, well known.

There were, however, other surrenders throughout the South at this time, since all Confederate troops had to lay down their arms before their Union adversaries.

One of the more important episodes next to that of Appomatox took place on Bennett's Farm in Durham County, North Carolina.

Read about what happened there and discuss the following in your notebooks.

1.  What was it that General Sherman and General Johnston were trying to accomplish with their terms of surrender? 

2.  How did this differ from the surrender document signed at Appomatox?

3.  Why did it fail?

4.  Do you think that had it not failed that document would have affected relations between North and South?

Back to history page.