161 years ago today, the American Civil War ended when Robert E. Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia surrendered to General Ulysses Grant and the Union Army. The moment was the first time the two men had seen each other face-to-face in almost two decades. Suddenly overcome with sadness, Grant found it hard to get to the point of the meeting. The victorious general granted parole and freedom to the 28,000 Confederate soldiers, allowing them to return home with their horses—and officers with their swords and pistols—effectively ending the four-year war. READ more about the moment... (1865)
