18 April 1865

Johnson, Joseph E., 1807-1891

Manuscript document

Title: [Draft of the surrender agreement between Union General William Tecumseh Sherman and Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston]

Copy made, certified, and signed by Colonel Alexander Robert Chisolm, Confederate General Pierre T. Beauregard's aide-de-camp. Details the terms of the surrender of the Army of Tennessee.

GLC00689

April 18, 1865

Wheeler, Joseph, 1836-1906

Letter signed

Title: to Joseph E. Johnston

Joseph Wheeler writes that he arrived at camp and found half of his command had left during the night because they believed the entire army was to be surrendered. His men informed him they heard this from high ranking officers as well as from Union forces who said they were not to fire on the Confederate troops as Union General William T. Sherman was negotiating a surrender. He informs that he sent out officers to get the men back, and indicates that they may have to move because there is no food to forage. He comments that, "I would rather ten thousand times to have been Killed than to have…

GLC00688

1864

National Union Free Convention

Broadside

Title: President Lincoln and General Grant on Peace and War.

Promotes the Union cause. Reprints an interview with Lincoln titled "Mr. Lincoln's view of Democratic strategy," and a letter of General Grant dated 16 August 1864 to E.B. Washburne. Grant's letter informs that the Confederacy is very weak and losing men each day. Also printed is the verses to a song, "On the Chicago Surrender." Same broadside as GLC05556.

GLC00702

June 7, 1894

Longstreet, James, 1821-1904

Autograph letter signed

Title: to William J. Fowler

General Longstreet discusses the reconstruction policies of Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson with Fowler, a judge in Boston, Massachusetts. He states "The independent action of President Johnson, was the error that lead the grave troubles that came to the south, and to the north afterwards. Had Congress been called in extra session after the surrender, affairs would have been arranged in a way that would have been, as promptly accepted as was the independence policy" of President Lincoln.

GLC00671

1865

Butler, George H., fl. 1865

Diary

Title: [George H. Butler's Diary for 1865]

Autograph manuscript signed of George H. Butler, who served in G Company, 12th Wisconsin Infantry, 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 17th Army Corps. Signed and dated 28 January 1865 on free front endpaper. Discusses the march through the Carolinas and the destruction it caused. Describes Negroes helping Union POWs (February 8); innocent Rebel prisoner shot in retaliation for Union death (March 2); mention of enemy in Union uniform (March 5); 300-500 "hombly" women in a cotton factory (March 11); Battle of Bentonville (March 20); rumors of Johnston's surrender (April 12, 15, 16); news of Lincoln's…

GLC00794

April 1, 1865

Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865

Letter signed

Title: to Edwin M. Stanton

In hand of Ely S. Parker, Seneca Indian Chief, who was Grant's Secretary, per Charles Hamilton. Letter reports of victory near Appomattox.

GLC00639.21

1865

Wilson, William L., 1843-1900

Diary

Title: [Diary of William L. Wilson, B company, 12th regiment, Virginia, cavalry]

Diary of a Confederate private in the 12th Virginia cavalry which includes detailed entries on the Appomattox campaign leading up to General Robert E. Lee's surrender. Begins entries for 1865 by saying that the end of the war seems farther away than ever. Entries for early January describe the movements of his regiment through the Alleghany Mountains, Cheat Mountain, and the Tygarts Valley in Virginia. Reports a skirmish with Union forces near Beverly, West Virginia, 9 January. Often mentions the arduous journey, the weather, prisoners of war, plunder, and his horses. On 28 January he…

GLC00653.17

1865

Header Record

Title: Diary and Photograph of Benjamin F. Thomas [Decimalized .01-.02]

GLC01016

3 April 1865

Eden, R.C., fl. 1865

Newspaper

Title: Grant's Petersburg progress. [Vol.1, no.1 (April 3, 1865)]

Union occupation newspaper announcing the capture of Petersburg: "Petersburg Ours! We are here! Hallelujah!" Prints the official surrender correspondence, describes Black celebrating as the "colored population." Brief report that Union forces had taken Richmond that same morning.

GLC01022

May 15, 1865

Roddey, Philip Dale, 1820-1897

Autograph letter signed

Title: to William H. Hatch

Roddey, a Confederate Brigadier General, writes regarding disbanding troops and securing paroles. With an unsigned pencil note on verso probably written by General Hatch.

GLC00886

05 May 1865

Halleck, H.W. (Henry Wager), 1815-1872

Manuscript document

Title: [Official copy of Henry W. Halleck's General Order No. 6]

Halleck lays down the law for "all persons found in arms against the authority of the United States" in Virginia and North Carolina less than one month after the surrender at Appomattox. Headed: "Head Quarters, Military Division of the James, Richmond, Va."; marked at bottom left as an "Official copy." Manuscript on blue paper, signed by, and possibly in the hand of, Assistant Adjutant General J. C. Kelton.

GLC00898.01

April 20, 1865

Brady, Mathew B., 1823-1896

Photograph

Title: [Robert E. Lee and staff]

Photographed on Lee's back porch in Richmond, shortly after his surrender at Appomattox, Virginia. Depicts General Robert E. Lee with his son, Brigadier General George Washington Custis Lee, and Colonel Walter H. Taylor, Lee's aide-de-camp during the Civil War. Lee is seated, flanked by the other men.

GLC00957

February 21, 1862

Buckner, Simon Bolivar, 1823-1914

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Mary K. Buckner

Confederate general Buckner writes to his wife, states that he is on his way to Indianapolis, where he was interred at Camp Morton after surrendering Fort Donelson to Union General Ulysses S. Grant. States that his staff is with him. With an autograph note signed on verso by Buckner to Grant, asking that it go to his wife. Sent care of Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston.

GLC00992

1864-1865

Williams, Seth, 1822-1866

Manuscript document

Title: 5th Corps original field orders of the last campaign

Retained letterpress copies of over 200 original field directives pasted into a bound manuscript. Copies are of the original orders sent to the 5th Corps, or V Corps, Army of the Potomac. Almost all orders were issued by General Meade and almost all originals were signed by Seth Williams as Assistant Adjutant General. Some orders are signed by other assistant adjutant generals, including Edward Davis Townsend and C.W. Foster. Contains orders concerning Lincoln's assassination, Lee's surrender, the end of the Army of the Potomac, among others. Book ends when the 5th Corps "as an…

GLC01005

1863-1865

Various

Header Record

Title: [5 Documents pertaining to the surrender of CSS Atlanta to Union ironclads] [decimalized .01-.05]

Documenting the surrender and prisoner transfers of a Confederate ironclad steamer. Webb was commander of the CSS "Atlanta," which surrendered to Union ironclads. Documents include lists of officers and crew. The CSS "Atlanta" was an ironclad ram stationed at Savannah, Georgia until 16 June 1863 when the Commander William Webb steamed downriver to attack Union monitors in the blockade. It was run aground and forced to surrender. Webb remained a prisoner until he was exchanged on 18 October 1864. The capture was widely publicized in Northern newspapers. Dated March 20, 1863-June 25, 1863.

GLC01007

1865

Farmer, George E., fl. 1865

Header Record

Title: Collection of three letters of George E. Farmer [Decimalized .01- .03]

April 14, 1865 - May 4, 1865

GLC00808

1864-1865

Longstreet, James, 1821-1904

Header Record

Title: Field orders of General James Longstreet [Decimalized .01-.02]

GLC00824

1864-1865

Longstreet, James, 1821-1904

Manuscript signed

Title: General Orders Confederate 1st corps Lt. Genl Jas. Longstreet

James Longstreet's general orders to the I Corps. Most of the orders are written and signed for by either Gilbert Moxley Sorrel or Osmun Latrobe. Both signed as Assistant Adjutant General. There are also twenty six printed orders interleaved, as well as six hand written orders on blue paper. Longstreet signs only once, Anderson twice. Orders relate to supplies, enlistment, rations, furloughs, transportation, and other subjects. Include marching orders and speeches to troops, such as: "Soldiers! Let us not go backwards! Let the 1st Corps be always true to itself. We have in the past a…

GLC00824.02

6 May 1865

Taylor, Richard, 1826-1879

Broadside

Title: Terms of capitulation

Printed General Order no. 54, the surrender agreement between Confederate General Richard Taylor and Union General Edward S. Canby on 4 May 1865 at Citronelle, Alabama. Under the terms of the surrender, officers retained their sidearms and horses, but property and equipment were to be turned over to the Federals, and the men were paroled to return home safely. The orders were issued from the headquarters of the Department of Alabama, Mississippi, and Eastern Louisiana.

GLC00826

4 May 1865

Taylor, Richard, 1826-1879

Manuscript

Title: Memorandum

Manuscript copy of Confederate General Richard Taylor's surrender terms possibly written out by a clerk. Original manuscript signed by Union General Edward S. Canby, and signed as official by Stanhope Posey, captain and adjutant general. Lists the six points of agreement between Taylor and Canby.

GLC00827

May 2, 1865

Taylor, Richard, 1826-1879

Manuscript letter

Title: to Edward R. Canby

Letter written in the hand of Taylor's adjutant, Stanhope Posey. He requests a meeting with Union General Edward S. Canby at Citronelle, Alabama to discuss the terms of surrender. He states he has heard of Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston's surrender under the same terms as Robert E. Lee's surrender and wants to prevent further unnecessary bloodshed. He requests some additions be made to the surrender terms presented by Canby in an earlier memorandum. These concern additional troops that should be included in the surrender and the transportation of the soldiers after the surrender.…

GLC00828

3 May 1865

Taylor, Richard, 1826-1879

Manuscript document

Title: [Orders to Major General Dabney Herndon Maury]

Working draft, prepared by a secretary. Relays that the surrender of all other armies east of the Mississippi River leave him no choice but to surrender also, and he orders Maurey to explain the facts to his troops. Details the surrender terms. Drafted by adjutant with Taylor's corrections. The docket on p. 5, reads, "To Major Genl Maury -- What will probably be the terms of & what troops should do in the event of voluntary surrender, Recounts evils that would follow an unconditional surrender."

GLC00829

April 6, 1865

Grant, Ulysses S. (Ulysses Simpson), 1822-1885

Autograph letter signed

Title: to William T. Sherman

Telegram to General William T. Sherman above which Grant has penned a note requesting a member of his staff at City Point, Virginia, to send the dispatch in cipher to General Sherman at Goldsboro, North Carolina, regarding his progress, the flight of President Davis, and the imminent destruction of the Confederate Army. "We have Lee's Army pressed hard, his men scattering and going to their homes by the thousands....I shall press the pursuit to the end. Push [General Joseph E.] Johnston at the same time and let us finish up this job all at once." Note at top to Colonel Thomas S. Bowers at…

GLC01102

December 16, 1777

Middleton, Peter, ?-1781

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Myles Cooper

Letter written by Middleton as a Loyalist and former medical professor and governor at King's College (now Columbia University) to Cooper, the former president of King's College who fled New York in 1775 after revolutionary violence erupted. Reports on Burgoyne's failed campaign at Saratoga. Is very critical of the general's performance in the field, saying "Where do you find in the British Annals that a disciplined [&] gallant Army ever surrendered themselves with Arms in their Hands to a Rabble, to Militia?" Applauds the speech of the Archbishop of York that claims Presbyterians need to…

GLC01450.138

1778

Gates, Horatio, 1727-1806

Letter

Title: to Lord Thanet

Copy of a letter to Thanet in which Gates appeals to Britain to recognize American independence. Cites the American victory at Saratoga and foretells "Calamities which England will sustain" if the war is continued. A version of this letter was printed in the April 29, 1778 edition of the Pennsylvania Evening Post.

GLC01450.150