On April 9, 1865, Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered his Army of Northern Virginia to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House in Virginia, effectively ending the Civil War. After months of intense fighting and dwindling supplies, Lee's forces were surrounded and outnumbered. The surrender marked the culmination of a series of Union victories, leading to the collapse of the Confederacy. The terms of surrender were generous: Grant allowed Lee and his soldiers to return home with their personal possessions, horses, and sidearms. This historic moment paved the way for the eventual reunification of the United States and the end of the nation's four-year conflict.