Primary sourceDocument10 April 1865

Articles of Agreement Relating to the Surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia

Ulysses S. Grant · 10 April 1865

The handwritten surrender terms Grant drafted for Lee's Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox, effectively ending the Civil War.

Grant personally drafted these surrender terms, ending the Civil War and showing his push for national reconciliation.

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Handwritten manuscript page dated Appomattox Court House, Virginia, April 10, 1865, beginning 'Articles of agreement entered into this day in regard to the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia to the United States Authorities.' Ruled paper with a blue circular official stamp near the top and a small inserted mark. — Articles of Agreement Relating to the Surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia, April 10, 1865. U.S. National Archives.

About this source

What it is

This is the handwritten document drawn up at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, on April 10, 1865, recording the terms for the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia under General Robert E. Lee. It was agreed between Lee and Union General Ulysses S. Grant and is now held by the U.S. National Archives.

Why it matters

The surrender ended the main fighting of the Civil War. The terms were deliberately generous: soldiers could go home after handing in their weapons, and officers kept their sidearms and horses. This agreement became the model for the many other Confederate surrenders that followed over the next months.

Why might Grant have chosen generous terms instead of harsh punishment?
What does the paper's official stamp and careful handwriting tell you about how seriously this moment was treated?
What does the document leave out about what happened to formerly enslaved people after the war?

This document is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Ulysses S Grant on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.