Ends of War

The Unfinished Fight of Lee's Army After Appomattox

De: Caroline E. Janney

Narrado por: Ed Cunningham

The Army of Northern Virginia's chaotic dispersal began even before Lee and Grant met at Appomattox Court House. As the Confederates had pushed west at a relentless pace for nearly a week, thousands of wounded and exhausted men fell out of the ranks. When word spread that Lee planned to surrender, most remaining troops stacked their arms and accepted paroles allowing them to return home, even as they lamented the loss of their country and cause. But others broke south and west, hoping to continue the fight. Fearing a guerrilla war, Grant extended the generous Appomattox terms to every rebel who would surrender himself. Provost marshals fanned out across Virginia and beyond, seeking nearly 18,000 of Lee's men who had yet to surrender. But the shock of Lincoln's assassination led Northern authorities to see threats of new rebellion in every rail depot and harbor where Confederates gathered for transport, even among those already paroled. While Federal troops struggled to keep order and sustain a fragile peace, their newly surrendered adversaries seethed with anger and confusion at the sight of Union troops occupying their towns and former slaves celebrating freedom. Caroline E. Janney reveals that Lee's surrender was less an ending than the start of an interregnum marked by military and political uncertainty, legal and logistical confusion, and continued outbursts of violence.

©2021 Caroline E. Janney (P)2023 Tantor

Awesome Prelude to Reconstruction

This book really opened my eyes to the chaos and uncertainty that followed Lee’s surrender and I walked away eager to read/listen to more about Reconstruction.

Worth listening

Well-crafted and concisely written. Nothing long-winded that might detract. The narrator is very good and easy to listen to.

Excellent book! Long overdue.

This is a must for any historian of the Civil War. The author does an excellent job of identifying the situations and conflicts of the post-Civil War era.
Another unaddressed chapter in history brought to life.