On Tuesday, April 17, 1865 General William Tecumseh Sherman and Joseph Johnston met at the Bennett House near Durham Station, North Carolina to discuss terms for the surrender of all Confederate forces remaining in the field. On the following day both signed a memorandum calling for an armistice by all armies in the field, with all remaining Confederate forces to be disbanded. Amnesty would be offered to all Confederates, with southern state officials required to take oaths of allegiance to the Union so President Johnson could recognize the legitimacy of their governments. While this agreement went far beyond the terms which Grant previously offered to Lee, Sherman did not believe that he was intruding on presidential prerogative to establish a reconstruction policy. Many historians, however, disagree and believe that he did.
00000174-b11b-ddc3-a1fc-bfdbb1a20000The Schreiner University Department of History is honoring the sesquicentennial of the American Civil War with a series of short vignettes focusing on events from 1861 through 1865. The Civil War was the most destructive conflict in American history, but it was also one of our most defining moments as a people and as a nation. Let us know what you think about "This Week in the Civil War." E-mail your comments to Dr. John Huddleston at jhuddles@schreiner.edu.Airs: Weekdays at 5:19 a.m., 8:19 a.m., 4:19 p.m. on KTXI and 4:49 a.m., 9:29 p.m. on KSTX.