On April 26, 1865, Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston surrendered his Army of Tennessee to Union General William T. Sherman at Bennett Place near Durham, North Carolina. This surrender marked the largest Confederate army to lay down its arms during the American Civil War.

Johnston's surrender came just days after General Robert E. Lee had surrendered his army to General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House, effectively signaling the end of the Civil War. Sherman and Johnston negotiated terms similar to those offered to Lee, allowing the Confederate soldiers to return home, keeping their horses and personal property, and providing pardons for the soldiers and officers.

While Johnston’s surrender was significant, fighting continued in some areas for a few weeks, but this event, along with Lee’s surrender, played a critical role in bringing the war to a close.