President Donald J. Trump released a message on April 9 marking the anniversary of General Robert E. Lee's surrender to General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House, which ended the Civil War and restored unity to the nation.
The event is considered a pivotal moment in American history, signifying both the end of four years of conflict and the beginning of national healing. The President’s message highlights how the surrender led to "healing the wounds of division, and restoring the full glory of the American promise."
The statement describes how, by spring 1865, Confederate forces under General Lee were exhausted and surrounded by Union troops commanded by General Grant. The toll on families and communities was immense as "hundreds of thousands of American lives were lost," according to Trump’s remarks.
On April 9, 1865, in a small Virginia home, peace replaced violence when Grant accepted Lee’s surrender with leniency rather than retribution for Confederate soldiers. The President quoted Grant: “The war is over. The Rebels are our countrymen again.” Trump said this approach allowed for reconstruction and renewed commitment to America’s founding principles.
Trump called Appomattox "an enduring testament to the resilience of a divided Nation" and reaffirmed that Americans remain united by shared ideals: "Today, we recommit to the eternal truth that the United States of America is blessed from on high; bound together by justice; and was, is, and will forever be one Nation under God."
