President Trump shared a statement on Thursday with an uplifting message on the anniversary of the Confederate surrender at Appomattox Court House. The surrender of General Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia took place on April 9, 1865, marking the beginning of the end of the U.S. Civil War.
President Trump commemorated the monumental moment in American history by reflecting on the brutal nature of the war and the critical achievement of preserving the Union.
“Following four brutal years of suffering, sacrifice, and unthinkable tragedy during the Civil War, the fate of the Union was secured in triumph when General Robert E. Lee formally issued his surrender to General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House—ending the war, healing the wounds of division, and restoring the full glory of the American promise.” President Trump said. “The excruciating toll of the Civil War weighed heavily all across the country: Hundreds of thousands of American lives were lost, families were torn apart, brother met brother on the field of battle, and our Nation’s most sacred values and commitments stood in grave peril.”
The remarkably peaceful surrender set the stage for the subsequent surrender of the remaining Confederate forces. Rather than violence or revenge, Grant focused on preserving the dignity and health of Lee’s soldiers, allowing them to return home in peace and paving the way for reconstruction throughout the country.
Trump highlighted Ulysses S. Grant’s focus on unity rather than retaliation after the war, and expressed a commitment to preserving a unified nation sharing a common promise.
“General Grant understood that rebuilding a united America depended on the terms of surrender. Rather than demanding harsh punishment for General Lee’s men, he offered a unifying message,” President Trump said. “To this day, the surrender at Appomattox stands as an enduring testament to the resilience of a divided Nation, the strength and resolve of the American people, and the sacred ideals at the heart of our national identity. Today, we recommit to the eternal truth that the United States of America is blessed from on high; bound together by justice; and was, is, and will forever be one Nation under God.”