"It seems to me every one was more scared than ever, from the fact that we knew the war was nearly over, and we did not want to be killed at the end of the war."
Private John L. Smith, 118th Pennsylvania
Late on the morning of April 9, 1865, the Army of Northern Virginia engaged in its final combat. Before the flags of truce passed along the entire line - and as the Confederates withdrew through the village - the two sides exchanged scattered last shots. Some of the last cannons discharged were fired from the yard of the Peers House, to your left.
The cannon in the Peers yard caused some of the last casualties of the war in Virginia. The Confederate guns fired at Union infantry advancing toward you, across the distant ridge. The identity of the last man killed in the fighting here is not known, but all of the men who died during the final battle at Appomattox Court House suffered a cruel and ironic fate.
Comments 0 comments