Surrender of the Confederate departments of Alabama, Mississippi and East Louisiana at Citronelle, Alabama.

The protracted and devastating American Civil War, a conflict that deeply divided the nation, finally began to draw to a close with a series of ceasefire agreements from the Confederate forces. This monumental process, which signaled the end of hostilities and the preservation of the Union, did not conclude in a single, dramatic moment, but rather unfolded over several months across various battlefronts and even international waters.

The Pivotal Moment: Lee's Surrender at Appomattox

The commencement of the Confederacy's formal ceasefires is widely recognized as April 9, 1865, a date etched into American history. On this somber Sunday, General Robert E. Lee, commander of the embattled Army of Northern Virginia, met with Union General Ulysses S. Grant at a private home in Appomattox Court House, Virginia. Lee’s decision to surrender his forces, who had fought valiantly but were by then outnumbered, exhausted, and desperately short of supplies, was a watershed moment. It effectively marked the collapse of the Confederate military effort on its main Eastern Theater front and sent a clear signal that the war was nearing its conclusion. The terms of surrender, magnanimously offered by Grant, allowed Confederate soldiers to return home with their horses and personal sidearms, fostering a sense of reconciliation rather than retribution, which was crucial for the healing of a fractured nation.

A Phased Conclusion: Other Confederate Forces Lay Down Arms

While Appomattox was symbolically the end, numerous other Confederate armies and departments continued to operate. Following Lee's surrender, a cascade of subsequent ceasefires and surrenders occurred:

The Final Act: The CSS Shenandoah's Global Journey

The very last act in the grand drama of the American Civil War's conclusion involved a vessel thousands of miles from American shores. The official end of the Confederate ceasefire agreements came on November 6, 1865, with the surrender of the CSS Shenandoah. This formidable Confederate commerce raider had been operating in the Pacific and Arctic oceans, successfully disrupting Union whaling fleets and merchant shipping long after the land war had effectively ended. Unaware of the Confederacy's collapse until August 1865, when she encountered a British bark, Captain James Waddell and his crew made the arduous decision to sail to Liverpool, England, rather than surrender to Union forces and risk being tried as pirates. On arrival, the Shenandoah was formally surrendered to the British government, which in turn handed her over to American authorities. This singular event, occurring nearly seven months after Appomattox, definitively brought all Confederate hostilities, both on land and at sea, to a close, truly marking the end of the American Civil War.

FAQs About the Confederate Ceasefires

Q: What was the very first Confederate surrender that began the ceasefire process?
A: The ceasefire process for the Confederacy officially began with General Robert E. Lee's surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia to General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, on April 9, 1865.
Q: Why did it take so long for all Confederate forces to surrender after Appomattox?
A: The Confederacy was a vast entity, and its armies and departments were geographically dispersed. Communications were slow, and various commanders made their own decisions based on their local circumstances and awareness of the war's progress. Therefore, surrenders occurred in a phased manner as news spread and individual commands were cornered or chose to yield.
Q: What was the significance of the CSS Shenandoah's surrender?
A: The surrender of the CSS Shenandoah on November 6, 1865, was historically significant because it marked the absolute final cessation of all Confederate military operations, including those at sea. It represented the last Confederate flag to be lowered in formal surrender, thereby definitively concluding the American Civil War across all theaters, global and domestic.
Q: Who were the main generals involved in the most significant Confederate surrenders?
A: The most prominent generals involved were General Robert E. Lee (Army of Northern Virginia) surrendering to General Ulysses S. Grant, General Joseph E. Johnston surrendering to General William T. Sherman, and Captain James Waddell (CSS Shenandoah) surrendering to the British government, which then transferred the vessel to U.S. authorities.
Q: Were there any other Confederate forces that surrendered after the CSS Shenandoah?
A: While the CSS Shenandoah's surrender is officially recognized as the final act of the Confederate military, there were isolated instances of irregular partisan or guerrilla units that may have continued activities for a short period after, particularly in remote areas. However, these were not organized Confederate military forces and did not constitute official combat operations of the collapsed Confederacy.