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Ulysses S. Grant's chair from Appomattox

National Museum of American History

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Object Details

associated person
Grant, Ulysses S. (Ulysses Simpson)
Description
On April 9, 1865, General Ulysses S. Grant and General Robert E. Lee met in the home of Wilmer McLean at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, to negotiate the surrender of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia to the United States Army. Sitting in the chair on the right, Grant discussed the fate of Lee's troops. Then, leaning over the oval table, he drafted and signed the final terms of surrender. While there were still Confederate troops in the field under other commanders, Lee's surrender effectively marked the end of the Civil War.
Union officers, recognizing the significance of the event, individually took pieces of furniture as souvenirs. General E. W. Whitaker grabbed Lee's chair, General Henry Capehart claimed Grant's chair, and General Philip Sheridan took the table and presented it to the wife of Major General George Amstrong Custer. In three separate donations, by 1915, these items were reunited at the Smithsonian Institution.
Credit Line
Estate of General Wilmon W. Blackmar
before 1865
associated date
1865-04-09
ID Number
PL.010517
catalog number
010517
accession number
45493
Object Name
chair
Physical Description
wood (overall material)
Measurements
overall: 37 1/2 in x 21 3/4 in x 17 1/2 in; 95.25 cm x 55.245 cm x 44.45 cm
used
United States: Virginia, Appomattox Court House National Historical Park
associated place
United States: Virginia, Appomattox
Related Publication
Kendrick, Kathleen M. and Peter C. Liebhold. Smithsonian Treasures of American History
National Museum of American History. Treasures of American History online exhibition
Related Web Publication
http://americanhistory.si.edu/treasures
See more items in
Political and Military History: Political History, General History Collection
National Treasures exhibit
Military
Government, Politics, and Reform
Exhibition
Price of Freedom
Exhibition Location
National Museum of American History
National Museum of American History
subject
Civil War
related event
Civil War
Surrender by General Lee
Record ID
nmah_515977
Usage of Metadata (Object Detail Text)
CC0
GUID (Link to Original Record)
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a3-ca4d-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa
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IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
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