Today, 150 years after Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant met Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee to set the terms of surrender of Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia, we honor the service and sacrifice of all those who fought in the American Civil War. The exact number of Americans killed is not precisely known, but is estimated to be at least 750,000.
While Lee’s surrender at Appomattox did not end the Civil War, most Americans see what happened that day as the symbolic end of four years of bloodshed. One hundred and fifty years later, we can celebrate the reunification of our nation and the start of the continuing path of equality.
Today, as part of the sesquicentennial at Appomattox Court House National Historical Park, the National Park Service, VA cemeteries, VA chapels and others across America will commemorate this historic event by tolling bells. The bells will ring first at Appomattox at 3:00 p.m. ET, coinciding with the moment the historic meeting between Grant and Lee in the McLean House ended. After the ringing at Appomattox, bells will reverberate across the country starting at 3:15 p.m. Watch the Appomattox commemoration online via C-SPAN 3.
Through the ringing of bells in our chapels and cemeteries across the country, VA honors the service and sacrifice of all those who fought in defense of our country.
Topics in this story
More Stories
This week, VA awarded the third option period for its contract with Oracle Health to support its Federal Electronic Health Record (EHR) modernization.
On Memorial Day and the days leading up to it, Americans from across the country will gather at cemeteries and memorials to honor and remember the service members who sacrificed everything in defense of our nation and freedoms.
VA established the Veterans Benefits Banking Program (VBBP), which has helped more than 530,000 Veterans and beneficiaries enroll in direct deposit for their VA benefit payments since 2019.