This was the most decisive month of the war. Ulysses S. Grant and William T. Sherman pushed Robert E. Lee and Joseph E. Johnston toward surrender. Smaller Federal operations continued against Mobile and northern Alabama. The Confederates desperately recruited blacks into the Confederate armies. The Lincoln administration focused on reconstructing the Union, and an assassination horrified both North and South.
Federals rout an isolated Confederate force southwest of Petersburg. This begins the campaign to end the war in Virginia.
Federal troops finally break the Confederate defenses and conquer Petersburg, Virginia, after nine grueling months of siege warfare.
As Federal forces enter Petersburg, the fall of the Confederate capital of Richmond is imminent.
Federal cavalry led by James H. Wilson captures the important manufacturing city of Selma, Alabama, and asserts firm control over the interior of the Deep South.
As Federal troops continue pouring into Petersburg, Abraham Lincoln enters the captured city as Ulysses S. Grant makes plans to capture Robert E. Lee’s Confederate army.
Federal troops enter the Confederate capital, having captured Richmond after four long, hard years of brutal warfare. The chaos of jubilant and defiant residents illustrates the city’s bleak transformation.
From J. Webster Stebbins, 9th Vermont
Letter from 1st Sergeant J. Webster Stebbins of Company I, 9th Vermont Volunteer Infantry, to his mother after his regiment became one of the first to enter Richmond.
As Federals capture Petersburg and Richmond, Robert E. Lee’s Confederate army escapes across the Appomattox River. The Confederate lines finally broke after nearly 10 months of trench warfare, but Lee’s forces are not yet conquered..
Lincoln Enters the Confederate Capital
President Abraham Lincoln visits the former Confederate capital of Richmond the day after its fall.
Robert E. Lee’s Confederate army reaches Amelia Court House, but Federal forces closing in on them means they have no time for rest.
The Gentler Gamer is the Soonest Winner
While visiting Richmond, President Abraham Lincoln quickly sets about working to restore Virginia to the Union.
Robert E. Lee’s Confederate Army of Northern Virginia sustains its worst defeat of the war while trying to elude Federal pursuers west of Richmond.
After suffering his worst defeat, Robert E. Lee embarks on the final campaign of his military career.
Robert E. Lee’s Confederate Army of Northern Virginia continues its grueling westward march while Ulysses S. Grant continues pressing for its surrender.
Lee Agrees to Discuss Surrender
Robert E. Lee is compelled to ask Ulysses S. Grant for a meeting to discuss surrendering the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia.
Ulysses S. Grant formally receives the surrender of Robert E. Lee and the last of his Confederate Army of Northern Virginia.
From John Lightner, 200th Pennsylvania
Letter from Private John Lightner of the 200th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry to his mother on the day of Robert E. Lee’s surrender.
Celebrations erupt throughout the North as Robert E. Lee issues a formal farewell to his Confederate Army of Northern Virginia.
Fresh Defiance and Unconquerable Hearts
President Jefferson Davis and the Confederate government-in-exile leaves Danville, Virginia, for Greensboro, North Carolina, upon learning of Robert E. Lee’s surrender. Davis seeks to meet with Joseph E. Johnston and urge the last major Confederate army to continue the fight.
The Last Speech He Will Ever Make
Abraham Lincoln delivers a serious speech about restoring the Union that dampens the joyous celebrations over Robert E. Lee’s surrender. Actor John Wilkes Booth seethes when he hears Lincoln’s speech.
The Army of Northern Virginia Surrenders
The final official ceremony takes place to bid farewell to the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia.
Eight months after the Federal navy sealed off Mobile Bay, Federal troops finally capture the city itself. With the war already drawing to a close, the victory is more symbolic than strategic.
Modifying Virginia Reconstruction
President Abraham Lincoln rescinds his plan to restore Virginia to the Union after facing heated opposition from his cabinet.
President Jefferson Davis remains defiant despite defeat and meets with his cabinet and generals to discuss continuing the war.
President Abraham Lincoln holds a cabinet meeting where he describes having a curious dream the night before. The president and first lady end the day with a trip to Ford’s Theatre.
The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln
President Abraham Lincoln is shot in the head while attending a play at Ford’s Theatre in Washington.
On the night of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, both Vice President Andrew Johnson and Secretary of State William H. Seward are targeted as well. Early next morning, Lincoln finally succumbs to his wound, leading to national mourning and unrest amidst celebrations of victory.
Rumors quickly spread that Abraham Lincoln’s assassination was plotted by a desperate Confederate government, igniting a fierce rage against the South. Meanwhile, Lincoln’s death evokes national mourning, marking a tragic moment in history.
Abraham Lincoln’s death means that a southern Democrat will become the next U.S. president, much to the dismay of northerners hoping to punish the South.
Negotiating Peace in North Carolina
William T. Sherman redirects his Federals toward the North Carolina capital of Raleigh. Joseph E. Johnston offers to negotiate peace, and Sherman readily accepts.
From William Hamblin, 4th Massachusetts
Letter from Private William Hamblin, Company K, 4th Massachusetts Heavy Artillery, to his wife.
Johnston and Sherman Meet for the First Time
Longtime rivals Joseph E. Johnston and William T. Sherman meet face-to-face for the first time as they discuss the surrender of Johnston’s Confederate army. Sherman also announces Abraham Lincoln’s assassination to his Federal troops.
Booth Will Never Be Taken Alive
Federal authorities make several arrests in the supposed conspiracy to kill Abraham Lincoln and members of his administration. But Lincoln’s actual assassin remains at large.
Johnston Surrenders to Sherman
Both Joseph E. Johnston and William T. Sherman exceed their authority by agreeing in principle to a peace between not only their own armies but all other armies still in the field.
Funeral services for Abraham Lincoln take place at the White House. The coffin is then taken on a procession through the North on its way to the final destination at Springfield, Illinois.
The manhunt for John Wilkes Booth escalates after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Federals arrest potential co-conspirators, while Booth waits to cross the Potomac River to sanctuary in Virginia.
The peace agreement between William T. Sherman and Joseph E. Johnston arrives in Washington, and it quickly becomes apparent that administration officials will not endorse such a magnanimous and sweeping document.
President Jefferson Davis holds a cabinet meeting in Charlotte and weighs the Confederacy’s rapidly dwindling options. Davis reluctantly considers armistice proposals while contemplating implications of surrender.
Hostilities Set to Resume in North Carolina
Ulysses S. Grant arrives at the headquarters of William T. Sherman to inform him that President Andrew Johnson rejected his peace treaty with Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston.
Federal authorities finally track down John Wilkes Booth and his accomplice on a farm in Virginia.
Johnston Surrenders to Sherman a Second Time
Joseph E. Johnston considers dispersing his Confederate army and waging guerrilla warfare, but he ultimately decides to surrender just as Robert E. Lee had done at Appomattox.
The steamboat Sultana explodes and sinks on the Mississippi River. As many as 1,800 recently released Federal prisoners of war are killed in the worst maritime disaster in American history.
Aftermath of the Booth Manhunt
Federal officials bring the body of John Wilkes Booth back to Washington as the alleged accomplices to his scheme are rounded up and jailed. Federal officials debate whether to use a military tribunal or civilian court, amid concerns about constitutional legality.
President Jefferson Davis and his Confederate government-in-exile reach South Carolina on their way to regroup in Texas. But Federal patrols are closing in on them.
Last Update: 5/4/2025