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To Appomattox: Nine April Days, 1865
A gripping account of the last nine days of the Civil War from the New York Times–bestselling author of Sherman’s March. After four long years of fighting, the Army of Northern Virginia was irreparably broken in April 1865, despite the military brilliance of its commander, Gen. Robert E. Lee. Acclaimed author Burke Davis recounts the last days leading up to Lee’s surrender to Union army commander Ulysses S. Grant in this riveting and uniquely revealing journey down the final road to Appomattox Court House. Beginning his remarkable saga during the decisive Siege of Petersburg, Davis chronicles the last days of the War between the States in intimate and unforgettable detail. Drawing on a wide array of voices—from frontline soldiers and battlefield commanders to presidents Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis to regular citizens in the North and the South—To Appomattox vividly captures the human stories behind one of the most enthralling chapters in American history.
530 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1959
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
August 1, 2018
Excellent book telling of the last days before Robert E. Lees surrender. Moving viewpoints and observations given from both sides and including everyone from presidents and commanding generals down to private. Made you feel that you were present and witnessing the events.
July 20, 2018
In this book, Burke Davis gives a micro level look at the chaotic final days of the Army of Northern Virginia, from the time they abandoned the earthworks surrounding Richmond and Petersburg through the march by Lee's army and Grant's pursuit to the final surrender at Appomattox Court House nine days later. Davis delves into primary source material which was, at the time this was written in the late 1950's, an unexplored treasure trove of information. Davis uses diaries, memoirs, contemporary newspaper accounts as well as some of the scholarly research that had been up to that time.
I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, the accounts of soldiers ranging from the highest generals down to the lowest enlisted men, as well as civilian observers are mesmerizing in their verisimilitude. These are the words of the men and women of the time and their observations are at times tragic, funny, poignant, and breathless.
But the main problem with the book is that it relies too much on these sources. For most of the book, it feels like Davis has done little than string together snippets from these sources with little regard for narrative. There does not seem to be any cohesion. Much of this stems from the fact that, as he states in the introduction, he was not interested in producing a scholarly work on the macro-level decisions, but a first-hand account. However, when the reader is left trying to figure out who is whom and where they are and why, the lack of a narrative structure causes the book to lose some of its power. The main exception is the last chapter about the surrender itself which is cogent and brings the reader to tears.
It is also clear that Davis was inclined to give the South much more of its say than the North in this account. The book is divided into nine chapters for each of the nine days of the campaign, with each chapter subdivided into parts labeled based on who this particular part was about - "Pursuit", "Chase", "Richmond" for example. Davis gives much more time to the Southern army than the Northern.
There are also passages of dialogue that leave the reader scratching his head wondering where Davis came up with it. Dialogue was (I presume) not recorded verbatim at the time yet Davis purports to pass on whole conversations that supposedly took place and thoughts that were in the minds of people. For a non-fiction work, this is disturbing.
One other thing and this is a complaint I have about so many books about military campaigns and battles - why are there so few decent maps? There are maps but are of so general a nature as to be only barely useful. It would give the reader so much better context if he could know where everyone was.
I gave this book three stars mostly because the primary source material is so rich. I wish that Davis had done more to bring it to the reader in a coherent manner.
I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, the accounts of soldiers ranging from the highest generals down to the lowest enlisted men, as well as civilian observers are mesmerizing in their verisimilitude. These are the words of the men and women of the time and their observations are at times tragic, funny, poignant, and breathless.
But the main problem with the book is that it relies too much on these sources. For most of the book, it feels like Davis has done little than string together snippets from these sources with little regard for narrative. There does not seem to be any cohesion. Much of this stems from the fact that, as he states in the introduction, he was not interested in producing a scholarly work on the macro-level decisions, but a first-hand account. However, when the reader is left trying to figure out who is whom and where they are and why, the lack of a narrative structure causes the book to lose some of its power. The main exception is the last chapter about the surrender itself which is cogent and brings the reader to tears.
It is also clear that Davis was inclined to give the South much more of its say than the North in this account. The book is divided into nine chapters for each of the nine days of the campaign, with each chapter subdivided into parts labeled based on who this particular part was about - "Pursuit", "Chase", "Richmond" for example. Davis gives much more time to the Southern army than the Northern.
There are also passages of dialogue that leave the reader scratching his head wondering where Davis came up with it. Dialogue was (I presume) not recorded verbatim at the time yet Davis purports to pass on whole conversations that supposedly took place and thoughts that were in the minds of people. For a non-fiction work, this is disturbing.
One other thing and this is a complaint I have about so many books about military campaigns and battles - why are there so few decent maps? There are maps but are of so general a nature as to be only barely useful. It would give the reader so much better context if he could know where everyone was.
I gave this book three stars mostly because the primary source material is so rich. I wish that Davis had done more to bring it to the reader in a coherent manner.
March 20, 2019
To Appomattox: Nine April Days, 1865 is a detailed look at the battles and tactics of the last nine days of Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, including the loss of Richmond, the Confederate capital. After the surrender, the civil war was basically over. The author draws on soldiers' diary entries, generals' logs, and books and newspaper articles written at the time in order to present a factual discussion of the fighting, the personal conversations, and the extreme hunger experienced by the rebel army in the closing days of the war. Unfortunately, precious little content describes the Union army as it pushes toward Appomattox: Richmond, Petersburg, Sayler's Creek and the final surrender by Lee.
The author mentions in passing the cheering blacks in the captured Confederate capital and also relays conversations of those slaves that didn't want to leave their masters as the war came to an end. This is one compelling passage in the chapter where Richmond is abandoned: "At this hour a slave dealer, one Lumpkin, appeared at the depot with a shuffling line of fifty slaves, their ankles chained. A sentinel in uniform thrust a bayonet at Lumpkin. 'There's no room here for you or your gang,' he said, and turned the slaver from the station. The furious Lumpkin was forced to unlock the Negroes into the street and watch the scattering of $50,000 worth of property--perhaps the last batch of salable slaves in the nation."
The main content of the book describes the ordeals faced by the rebel soldiers and their leaders, so if a reader wants more knowledge on the Confederate army in the final days of the civil war, this is the book for him.
The author mentions in passing the cheering blacks in the captured Confederate capital and also relays conversations of those slaves that didn't want to leave their masters as the war came to an end. This is one compelling passage in the chapter where Richmond is abandoned: "At this hour a slave dealer, one Lumpkin, appeared at the depot with a shuffling line of fifty slaves, their ankles chained. A sentinel in uniform thrust a bayonet at Lumpkin. 'There's no room here for you or your gang,' he said, and turned the slaver from the station. The furious Lumpkin was forced to unlock the Negroes into the street and watch the scattering of $50,000 worth of property--perhaps the last batch of salable slaves in the nation."
The main content of the book describes the ordeals faced by the rebel soldiers and their leaders, so if a reader wants more knowledge on the Confederate army in the final days of the civil war, this is the book for him.
October 1, 2020
Amazing and well written account of the last nine days of the Civil War. Why not ten days? Well, the book begins with the collapse of the Confederate lines at Petersburg, and from there the Army of Northern Virginia is driven into central Virginia, with the book following a cast of characters ranging from lowly privates to Mr. Lincoln himself. The parts of the book that follow Lincoln are always excellent, in that they are always revealing of his nature or character. Not a hagiography, but rather an explication of his quirks and humor. Some times there are so many characters that it can be easy to lose track of who is who, but the book at least tries to provide some organization by collecting them in the various armies, or by place.
This book does not provide context or pass judgement on anyone, there is not talk of themes or of narratives. It is simply an in-the-moment account of the final days of the war. It’s an amazing work of journalistic history, and well worth a read.
This book does not provide context or pass judgement on anyone, there is not talk of themes or of narratives. It is simply an in-the-moment account of the final days of the war. It’s an amazing work of journalistic history, and well worth a read.
November 22, 2018
A well written Civil War history. This differs than most Civil War histories I have read in that the narrative is giving a panoramic style view of the last nine days of the war. Burke Davis will pull from documents, diaries, newspapers, letters, and journals to describe moments different people had throughout each day. The result is a narrative based around the mood, impressions, and impeding feelings culminating at the end of the war rather than a fact by fact unraveling of events. This approach is refreshing; following a series of impressions streamlines the themes Davis is extrapolating and delivering to the reader. He is not forcing facts upon facts for a realization, but a cornucopia of moments and people that lead to a wide range impression.
June 5, 2022
To Appomattox is an historical narrative of the final nine days of the Civil War. I found it fascinating and illuminating largely because it is comprised of eyewitness accounts, some 200, from journals, reports, and memoirs. For that reason the book is a treasure trove of first hand descriptions of those historic days and the famous and not-so-famous people--from presidents and generals to privates and private citizens--who made war and struggled with peace or fought for it. I was not prepared for many surprising glimpses the book affords of Abraham Lincoln and U. S. Grant, George Custer, Robert E. Lee, just to name some widely known figures. I picked up the book used and new nothing of its contents--I got far more for the bargain.
May 5, 2025
What does a lost cause look like and what prompts warriers to battle on when they know it's a lost cause? The Confederate soldiers would have fought to the death for Lee if he'd have asked them to. I was intrigued by how rapid the collapse of the Confederacy came after the battle of Five Forks. The next day the lines at Petersburg were breached and then Richmond evacuated. And Richmond was burned and looted, not by the Union but the Confederates. The Union restored order in the city. Grant was a gracious winner. This book used lots of first hand accounts to cover each day from different perspectives.
August 19, 2019
Good read.
Every millennial should read and understand how Lincoln and Grant, and their armies treated the confederates after hostilities ceased.
Grant and Lincoln showed their magnimanity and their sincere desire to bind up the wounds of the nation. They did not attempt to disgrace the confederates, hold their leaders in contempt or for trial.
Yet today, too many have forgotten the lessons of Grant and Lincoln. If they, who had borne the burden of the strife of four years could forgive, why can’t today’s coddled generation do that also
Every millennial should read and understand how Lincoln and Grant, and their armies treated the confederates after hostilities ceased.
Grant and Lincoln showed their magnimanity and their sincere desire to bind up the wounds of the nation. They did not attempt to disgrace the confederates, hold their leaders in contempt or for trial.
Yet today, too many have forgotten the lessons of Grant and Lincoln. If they, who had borne the burden of the strife of four years could forgive, why can’t today’s coddled generation do that also
November 14, 2020
I saw this book in the free section of a bookstore I love to go to. I thought I would give it a whirl. Overall I enjoyed it. It is definitely more of a focus on the south than north (not a condemnation of the book, just the focus the book takes). I appreciated it the fact it not only told of what was happening to the Confederate army, but the citizens, mainly in Richmond. I am not sure I would read it again, but I am glad I read it the first time. I would probably give the book 3.5 stars. It will not blow anyone away, but I think a lot of history fans could still appreciate it for what it is.
November 21, 2021
I found this book and the angle he uses quite interesting overall. I didn’t think of the Wilderness campaign as being all that interesting, but this held my attention. I admit I did grow a bit tired of the level of detail and the side stories. For example, when a campaign such as the Richmond siege ends, I wasn’t really interested in what happened there for the remainder of the nine days. I even skipped some to stick to then ongoing campaign. Some people no doubt appreciated him staying with those defeated places, so let’s just say it was too much of a good thing in my case.
August 12, 2023
A good followup after reading Bruce Catton's A Stillness at Appomattox. To Appomattox is broken up into nine sections, one for each of the nine days leading up to General Lee's surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia. The story is told in a dialogue format from eyewitness accounts and each chapter covers points of view from different perspectives: the Confederate side, the Federals, life in Richmond, Davis, and Lincoln. It is a bit hard to follow at first as each section does not linearly go into the next but I appreciated the firsthand accounts and the multiple perspectives.
March 18, 2021
Very well-written account of the last days of the Army of Northern Virginia. As much as I have appreciated "big-picture" history (especially of the Civil War), I very much enjoyed this book, which is a mainly a collection of first-person eyewitness narratives of the events. It puts a different perspective on the events to read what individual personalities (from officers to enlisted) thought of those events.
May 31, 2025
A decent if a bit dated account of the Fall of Petersburg through the nine day long campaign that led to Appomattox Court House and the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia. Published in 1959 the book largely ascribes to a noble southern cause falling to a noble northern cause with all sides largely amicable about the whole thing. Now, that being said, this is a readable book, readily accessible to the novice.
June 12, 2018
I learned many things about the end of the Civil War from Burke Davis' book. For example, I learned that a majority of Confederate soldiers deserted between Petersburg and Appomattox. Also, I did not know that Mary Lincoln joined her husband briefly in Richmond before returning to Washington (and that Lincoln really did not want her there).
December 23, 2019
(NOTE: I'm stingy with stars. For me 2 stars means a good book or a B. 3 stars means a very good book or a B+. 4 stars means an outstanding book or an A {only about 5% of the books I read merit 4 stars}. 5 stars means an all time favorite or an A+ {Only one of 400 or 500 books rates this!).
A good anecdotal history of the last 9 days of the Civil War.
A good anecdotal history of the last 9 days of the Civil War.
June 13, 2017
An extremely good book about the final nine days of the Civil War. Well-written and well-detailed story of Grant surrounding Lee leading to the surrender at Appomattox. One of the best on the topic I have read. It is a great reference book. Enjoy!
June 25, 2017
A decent overview of the Appomattox Campaign, though the first half is very dry. The book is also a prime example of "information overload," putting too much into the short narrative. Otherwise, it's a solid effort.
April 13, 2018
Very nice.
August 13, 2018
Very detailed description of the last days of the war. A lot of names to keep track of, but it was worth it, especially the chapter of Lee’s surrender.
December 24, 2019
3 1/2 stars
April 26, 2021
Perhaps the finest account of the fall of Petersburg and the Appomattox Campaign. A great read!
August 31, 2021
Davis turns history into a great story.
January 9, 2025
A good first hand account.
While the book was good it didn't show any imaination.A map at the major events would ave helped.An enjoyable enough read.
While the book was good it didn't show any imaination.A map at the major events would ave helped.An enjoyable enough read.
February 19, 2018
Writing style made this hard to read. Great info, but you have to be willing to read short, choppy sentences/paragraphs with little to no connection/flow.
September 18, 2022
A really well-sourced book. It's a bit anecdote heavy, but that is fine.
Dropped it some stars because it's heavily bias toward the South and chockfull of Lost Cause tropes from romanticizing Robert E. Lee to avoiding the question of slavery to the point that any African Americans were referred to as "servants." The author also perpetuates the unsubstantiated myth of Black combat troops fighting for the South. Also sub-chapters focused on the Union army is titled “The Enemy.”
I don't want to paint Lee as anything other than what he was (a traitor) but the book made me think about what a weight those days leading up to Appomattox put on his shoulders. Near the end of the book, there is a telegram (delivered post-surrender) from a fleeing Jefferson Davis to Lee noting that there were provisions for his army waiting for him outside of Virginia. The decision to surrender, to give up all of the sacrifice, was on Lee. He didn't have a government advising him or backing up his decision. In his mind, he was giving up everything those people were fighting for (righteous or not). No one else could do it for him, or bear some of the burden.
Dropped it some stars because it's heavily bias toward the South and chockfull of Lost Cause tropes from romanticizing Robert E. Lee to avoiding the question of slavery to the point that any African Americans were referred to as "servants." The author also perpetuates the unsubstantiated myth of Black combat troops fighting for the South. Also sub-chapters focused on the Union army is titled “The Enemy.”
I don't want to paint Lee as anything other than what he was (a traitor) but the book made me think about what a weight those days leading up to Appomattox put on his shoulders. Near the end of the book, there is a telegram (delivered post-surrender) from a fleeing Jefferson Davis to Lee noting that there were provisions for his army waiting for him outside of Virginia. The decision to surrender, to give up all of the sacrifice, was on Lee. He didn't have a government advising him or backing up his decision. In his mind, he was giving up everything those people were fighting for (righteous or not). No one else could do it for him, or bear some of the burden.
September 2, 2016
This was my first serious adult "historic novel" specifically about the American Civil War (AMC). When I read it, it was the start of the Centennial/100th anniversary of the AMC. It covered the last 9 days of this 4 years war. At 11 years of age I was a novice and my conception of the Civil War was full of myths and legends and this was my first step in seeing the truth of this historical event. The picture of how sorrowful the South was, in April 1865, is horrific. The Southern people of Richmond realized this was a sinking ship. Lee was faced with his worst nightmare. All he knew and loved was about to perish before eyes. Grant knew that this was the end of the war but he knew this was not the time to let up but there had to be relentless pressure on the Army of Northern Virginia and he wanted to prevent Lee from escaping South to North Carolina.
In the middle of this story are many personal stories and experiences of men and women both black and white trying to continue the war or trying to escape it. Many Southerners were ready to accept what will come and others (and there numbers are shrinking) want to continue the fight. The profiles of the Union soldiers (not that many in this book) seem hell bent with resolution.
What amazed me was the desperate fight at Five Forks and Salyers Creek. The Confederate numbers were so few. It was amazing how simple facets of war made the final fate apparent. Food was not there. They could not feed their horses nor mules. The soldier were going without food during these 9 days. All this brought the Army Of Northern Virginia(ANV) to its knees and final surrender.
Last, I find every history book has a few errors. And this book had them, but I found it to be straight forward. The ANV did make mistakes within Lee's command. For example, some Generals (driven by hunger) did meet for a "Shad Bake" (fish BQ) and were not aware of their remaining army was in the middle of a battle. This was an honest portrayal.
I would recommend this to anyone that is interested in the American Civil War.
In the middle of this story are many personal stories and experiences of men and women both black and white trying to continue the war or trying to escape it. Many Southerners were ready to accept what will come and others (and there numbers are shrinking) want to continue the fight. The profiles of the Union soldiers (not that many in this book) seem hell bent with resolution.
What amazed me was the desperate fight at Five Forks and Salyers Creek. The Confederate numbers were so few. It was amazing how simple facets of war made the final fate apparent. Food was not there. They could not feed their horses nor mules. The soldier were going without food during these 9 days. All this brought the Army Of Northern Virginia(ANV) to its knees and final surrender.
Last, I find every history book has a few errors. And this book had them, but I found it to be straight forward. The ANV did make mistakes within Lee's command. For example, some Generals (driven by hunger) did meet for a "Shad Bake" (fish BQ) and were not aware of their remaining army was in the middle of a battle. This was an honest portrayal.
I would recommend this to anyone that is interested in the American Civil War.
February 3, 2024
Great read and timely as we approach the 150th anniversary of the end of the war. Burke Davis weaves together his narrative with the recollections and experiences of the original participants from both sides as the Grey and the Blue move the war finally away from Richmond and the Petersburg trenches. A number of fascinating vignettes offering intriguing insights into the background of the war, a number of the war's most important participants, and the complicated process of ending a war. The book is slightly dated in that we now know a number of things about the individuals mentioned in the book that neither Burke Davis nor many of the original participants knew - for example, that President Jefferson Davis' household staff in the Confederate White House in Richmond reportedly included a couple of Northern spies. This one's earned a place on my overcrowded and creaking shelves. Davis included a nine page bibliography and several maps (which unfortunately do not fare well as reduced for the mass market paperback edition).
October 11, 2009
There are not a lot of accounts of the last campaign of the civil war. Primarily because the writing has been about the surrender and the assassination and the fall out from all of that.
This book does a good job of explaining the strategy and tactics employed. Map are included, good narrative covering Petersburg, Richmond, Five Forks, Sailor's Creek and the final surrender by Lee at Appomattox Court House.
The author is familiar with the areas of these battles which makes for an excellent definition of the land over which these battles took place.
A lot of insights and personal observations of witnesses and of the leaders is provided. New information on Negroes in the Confederate army is included.
Excellent book - I have had it for a very long time - published in 1959 and I think I bought it about that time.
This book does a good job of explaining the strategy and tactics employed. Map are included, good narrative covering Petersburg, Richmond, Five Forks, Sailor's Creek and the final surrender by Lee at Appomattox Court House.
The author is familiar with the areas of these battles which makes for an excellent definition of the land over which these battles took place.
A lot of insights and personal observations of witnesses and of the leaders is provided. New information on Negroes in the Confederate army is included.
Excellent book - I have had it for a very long time - published in 1959 and I think I bought it about that time.
July 18, 2024
Not too bad; I gave it only three stars due to the style used. The author wrote the book more as a story rather than as a military history; the focus is on the soldiers' memories and civilian accounts of the fall and Union occupation of Richmond and Petersburg. There are no foot/endnotes or order of battle, no analysis of the strategies or tactics used in the campaign. The author described the actions of each army separately; covering the actions of the Confederates first, then the Union army for the same period of time, then switching back to the Confederates. There are only two general area maps of the campaign route at the start of the book.
April 13, 2015
In the words of the author himself, "This is less a military history than a tale of human beings under stress." Burke Davis has never disappointed me in any of his books. Though dated, his work is excellent and has expertly weaved primary sources (see bibliography) into the narrative. The "cherry on top of the dessert" are the excellent maps by "Palacios." These maps are a hallmark of Davis' work. I could pore over them for hours! My library has 5 of his books (including this one).
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews