Appomattox Court House National Historical Park

The initial engagement on July 21, 1861 of what would become the First Battle of Bull Run (First Manassas) took place on McLean's farm in Manassas, Virginia. Union Army artillery fired at McLean's house, which was being used as a headquarters for Confederate Brigadier General P. G. T. Beauregard, and a cannonball dropped through the kitchen fireplace.

McLean was a retired major in the Virginia militia, but at 47, he was too old to return to active duty at the outbreak of the Civil War. In the spring of 1863, he and his family moved about 120 miles south to Appomattox County, Virginia, near a dusty, crossroads community called Appomattox Court House.

On April 9, 1865, the war revisited McLean. Confederate General Robert E. Lee was about to surrender to Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant. He sent a messenger to Appomattox Court House to find a place to meet. On April 8, 1865, the messenger knocked on McLean's door and requested the use of his home, to which McLean reluctantly agreed. Lee surrendered to Grant in the parlor of McLean's house, effectively ending the Civil War. Later, McLean is supposed to have said "The war began in my front yard and ended in my front parlor."

Visit Appomattox Court House National Historical Park

Activities

Appomattox Travel Guide

Popular places to visit

McLean House

You can study the exhibits at McLean House, a museum with a story of its own, during your travels to Appomattox. Discover the area's live music and monuments.

Arlington House at the Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia,

The American Civil War Museum - Appomattox

You can study the exhibits at The American Civil War Museum - Appomattox, a museum with a story of its own, during your travels to Appomattox. Discover the area's museums and monuments.

Appomattox County Museum

You can spend an afternoon exploring the galleries in Appomattox County Museum during your travels in Appomattox. Take in the museums in this family-friendly area.

Confederate Cemetery at Appomattox Court House

Find out about the history of Appomattox when you spend time at Confederate Cemetery at Appomattox Court House. Discover the area's live music and monuments.

Carver Price Legacy Museum

You can spend an afternoon exploring the galleries in Carver Price Legacy Museum during your travels in Appomattox. Take in the museums in this family-friendly area.

Art Gallery of New Geneva

You can spend an afternoon browsing the exhibits at Art Gallery of New Geneva during your travels in Appomattox. Take in the museums in this family-friendly area.

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