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U.S. Landmark Books #8
Lee and Grant At Appomattox
history
175 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 1950
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384 people want to read
About the author
MacKinlay Kantor
227 books65 followersBenjamin McKinlay Kantor, was an American journalist, novelist and screenwriter. He wrote more than 30 novels, several set during the American Civil War, and was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1956 for his 1955 novel
Andersonville
Kantor was born in Webster City, Iowa, in 1904. His mother, a journalist, encouraged Kantor to develop his writing style. Kantor started writing seriously as a teen-ager when he worked as a reporter with his mother at the local newspaper in Webster City.
Kantor's first novel was published when he was 24.
During World War II, Kantor reported from London as a war correspondent for a Los Angeles newspaper. After flying on several bombing missions, he asked for and received training to operate the bomber's turret machine guns (this was illegal, as he was not in service).
Nevertheless he was decorated with the Medal of Freedom by Gen. Carl Spaatz, then the U.S. Army Air Corp commander. He also saw combat during the Korean War as a correspondent.
In addition to journalism and novels, Kantor wrote the screenplay for Gun Crazy (aka Deadly Is the Female) (1950), a noted film noir. It was based on his short story by the same name, published February 3, 1940 in a "slick" magazine, The Saturday Evening Post. In 1992, it was revealed that he had allowed his name to be used on a screenplay written by Dalton Trumbo, one of the Hollywood Ten, who had been blacklisted as a result of his refusal to testify before the House Un-American Committee (HUAC) hearings. Kantor passed his payment on to Trumbo to help him survive.
Several of his novels were adapted for films. He established his own publishing house, and published several of his works in the 1930s and 1940s.
Kantor died of a heart attack in 1977, at the age of 73, at his home in Sarasota, Florida.
Kantor was born in Webster City, Iowa, in 1904. His mother, a journalist, encouraged Kantor to develop his writing style. Kantor started writing seriously as a teen-ager when he worked as a reporter with his mother at the local newspaper in Webster City.
Kantor's first novel was published when he was 24.
During World War II, Kantor reported from London as a war correspondent for a Los Angeles newspaper. After flying on several bombing missions, he asked for and received training to operate the bomber's turret machine guns (this was illegal, as he was not in service).
Nevertheless he was decorated with the Medal of Freedom by Gen. Carl Spaatz, then the U.S. Army Air Corp commander. He also saw combat during the Korean War as a correspondent.
In addition to journalism and novels, Kantor wrote the screenplay for Gun Crazy (aka Deadly Is the Female) (1950), a noted film noir. It was based on his short story by the same name, published February 3, 1940 in a "slick" magazine, The Saturday Evening Post. In 1992, it was revealed that he had allowed his name to be used on a screenplay written by Dalton Trumbo, one of the Hollywood Ten, who had been blacklisted as a result of his refusal to testify before the House Un-American Committee (HUAC) hearings. Kantor passed his payment on to Trumbo to help him survive.
Several of his novels were adapted for films. He established his own publishing house, and published several of his works in the 1930s and 1940s.
Kantor died of a heart attack in 1977, at the age of 73, at his home in Sarasota, Florida.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 30, 2023
This is another offering in the Landmark series, which does an admirable job of describing the events at the close (sort of) of the Civil War, arguably the most devastating period in American history. There was a major battle just prior to the meeting between the two generals to discuss terms of surrender, but the book primarily focuses on their meeting and the logistics of arranging a truce sufficient to come to acceptable terms to avoid further slaughter.
Most people (if they know the significance at all) don't know that the end of the Civil War came, not at a "courthouse" at all, but in the parlor of a private residence, in Appomattox Court House, a village, was not just an actual courthouse, but rather an entire town. In one of America's most ironic twists of fate, as the book notes, Robert E. Lee formally surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant at the home of one Wilmer McLean (1814-1882) - the man who owned the property where the Civil War had essentially begun, four years earlier.
McLean, a wholesale grocer from Virginia, owned a property near Manassas, Virginia, where the First Battle of Bull Run occurred, in 1861, at his Yorkshire Plantation. Seemingly traumatized by the events at the outbreak of the war, like so many others - artillery was actually fired at his house, which at the time was being used as Confederate Brigadier General Beauregard's headquarters - McLean fled 90 miles south, to the small village of Appomattox Court House. It came as something of a shock when, in April, 1865, officials came knocking at his door, asking if his house could serve as the setting for a meeting between generals Lee and Grant, to discuss terms of surrender. McLean was reported to have said of the momentous occasion: "the war began in my front yard and ended in my front parlor."
One of the more humorous (although certainly not at the time) episodes, albeit unintentionally, as the book notes, and as the photos attest, were the actions of some of the personnel in attendance, who began acting like enterprising souvenir hunters. Immediately following the formal signing of the surrender, they began to purchase (and others to "liberate," as the book states) from the owner items associated with the event, such as the table on which Grant had drafted the surrender document, for a reported $20 in gold, and a larger, marble-top table where Lee had signed it, which was purchased by Major General Ord for $40. Others just shoved money into McLean's hands as they made off with his property, despite his protests, which fell on deaf ears.
The aforementioned small table, used by Grant, was purchased by Philip Sheridan - who, in turn, asked one George Armstrong Custer to transport it astride his horse; of course, he did, as he had already garnered a reputation for outlandish stunts - carting off a table on horseback was no mean feat for the soon-to-be-infamous Custer, who would meet his end at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. The table was later presented to Custer's wife, and is now on display at the National Museum of American History, in the Smithsonian collection. The book includes photographs of several of the other items, including the two chairs the generals sat in, which are likewise on display, as is Lee's impressive custom-made ceremonial sword.
McLean's house, later called the "Surrender House," did not fare well, after the war's end. McLean defaulted on the loan, so the bank seized and then sold it at public auction, in November, 1869. The house changed hands several times, before someone got the idea of making it a tourist attraction: but not in far-flung Appomattox Court House. It was even proposed that the house be moved to Chicago as an attraction at the 1893 World's Fair, but this plan never came to fruition. Later, an even more ambitious plan saw the house dismantled and packed for shipping, with the intent of moving it to Washington, DC. However, due to a lack of funding, it sat in pieces for more than a half-century. It was rescued in 1940 by the Congress, with the creation of the Appomattox Court House National Historical Monument, and plans were made to reconstruct it, but measures were interrupted by WWII. Finally, reconstruction began, and in 1949, more than 80 years after the event, the McLean house was opened to the public. The dedication ceremony took place in 1950.
I won't recap all the events, but the book does a good job of hitting the highlights, and what was involved in the planning and execution of the fateful meeting between the two generals, who couldn't have been more different. This volume is more expansive than some of the others in this series, at least the version I read, and has the added benefit of numerous color photographs, drawings and documents. A major feature seems to be the generals' horses, who apparently became almost as famous as the men themselves! Perhaps the most famous was Lee's gorgeous gray American Saddlebred, Traveller, but Grant had his share of famous mounts, also, which included the son of the fastest racehorse in the country.
One thing which just about drove me crazy with this volume, however, - petty, i know, but inexcusable in a later addition which was ostensibly a revision of an earlier volume - were all of the grammatical mistakes in this volume, to the degree that the editor needs a new line of work! Misspellings, conflated words, misused terms - this one has it all, which is very surprising, considering that I haven't noticed a single error in any of the others I have read in this series. We all make them every once in a while, but the number in this book were at the point of distraction. Still a good read, however, and a capable introduction to one of the most momentous events in US history.
Most people (if they know the significance at all) don't know that the end of the Civil War came, not at a "courthouse" at all, but in the parlor of a private residence, in Appomattox Court House, a village, was not just an actual courthouse, but rather an entire town. In one of America's most ironic twists of fate, as the book notes, Robert E. Lee formally surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant at the home of one Wilmer McLean (1814-1882) - the man who owned the property where the Civil War had essentially begun, four years earlier.
McLean, a wholesale grocer from Virginia, owned a property near Manassas, Virginia, where the First Battle of Bull Run occurred, in 1861, at his Yorkshire Plantation. Seemingly traumatized by the events at the outbreak of the war, like so many others - artillery was actually fired at his house, which at the time was being used as Confederate Brigadier General Beauregard's headquarters - McLean fled 90 miles south, to the small village of Appomattox Court House. It came as something of a shock when, in April, 1865, officials came knocking at his door, asking if his house could serve as the setting for a meeting between generals Lee and Grant, to discuss terms of surrender. McLean was reported to have said of the momentous occasion: "the war began in my front yard and ended in my front parlor."
One of the more humorous (although certainly not at the time) episodes, albeit unintentionally, as the book notes, and as the photos attest, were the actions of some of the personnel in attendance, who began acting like enterprising souvenir hunters. Immediately following the formal signing of the surrender, they began to purchase (and others to "liberate," as the book states) from the owner items associated with the event, such as the table on which Grant had drafted the surrender document, for a reported $20 in gold, and a larger, marble-top table where Lee had signed it, which was purchased by Major General Ord for $40. Others just shoved money into McLean's hands as they made off with his property, despite his protests, which fell on deaf ears.
The aforementioned small table, used by Grant, was purchased by Philip Sheridan - who, in turn, asked one George Armstrong Custer to transport it astride his horse; of course, he did, as he had already garnered a reputation for outlandish stunts - carting off a table on horseback was no mean feat for the soon-to-be-infamous Custer, who would meet his end at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. The table was later presented to Custer's wife, and is now on display at the National Museum of American History, in the Smithsonian collection. The book includes photographs of several of the other items, including the two chairs the generals sat in, which are likewise on display, as is Lee's impressive custom-made ceremonial sword.
McLean's house, later called the "Surrender House," did not fare well, after the war's end. McLean defaulted on the loan, so the bank seized and then sold it at public auction, in November, 1869. The house changed hands several times, before someone got the idea of making it a tourist attraction: but not in far-flung Appomattox Court House. It was even proposed that the house be moved to Chicago as an attraction at the 1893 World's Fair, but this plan never came to fruition. Later, an even more ambitious plan saw the house dismantled and packed for shipping, with the intent of moving it to Washington, DC. However, due to a lack of funding, it sat in pieces for more than a half-century. It was rescued in 1940 by the Congress, with the creation of the Appomattox Court House National Historical Monument, and plans were made to reconstruct it, but measures were interrupted by WWII. Finally, reconstruction began, and in 1949, more than 80 years after the event, the McLean house was opened to the public. The dedication ceremony took place in 1950.
I won't recap all the events, but the book does a good job of hitting the highlights, and what was involved in the planning and execution of the fateful meeting between the two generals, who couldn't have been more different. This volume is more expansive than some of the others in this series, at least the version I read, and has the added benefit of numerous color photographs, drawings and documents. A major feature seems to be the generals' horses, who apparently became almost as famous as the men themselves! Perhaps the most famous was Lee's gorgeous gray American Saddlebred, Traveller, but Grant had his share of famous mounts, also, which included the son of the fastest racehorse in the country.
One thing which just about drove me crazy with this volume, however, - petty, i know, but inexcusable in a later addition which was ostensibly a revision of an earlier volume - were all of the grammatical mistakes in this volume, to the degree that the editor needs a new line of work! Misspellings, conflated words, misused terms - this one has it all, which is very surprising, considering that I haven't noticed a single error in any of the others I have read in this series. We all make them every once in a while, but the number in this book were at the point of distraction. Still a good read, however, and a capable introduction to one of the most momentous events in US history.
August 3, 2019
This book told about the surrender of General Lee to General Grant at Apppmattox which brought about the end of the Civil War. I was suprised at the correspondence that took place during the days beofre the surrender. General Grant sent a message stating that the rebels were beaten and the he wanted to allow General Lee to surrender honorably so the killing would stop on both sides. There was no need for more soldiers to die.
General Lee intially was concerned about the surrender, would it apply to all armies of the south or just to the Army of Northern Virginia? What are the terms? Messages passed back and forth between the two generals, sometimes delayed as troops moved about.
Eventually the two generals agreed on terms and a meeting place. General Lee was the first to arrive. He was accompanied by his aide and orderly, as well as General Grant's secretary and a union orderly.
Gerneal Grant arrived about a half hour later. After greeting each other and some discussion, terms were written out by General Grant himelf. His secreatry read it and made a correction or two and the the paper was given to General Lee. While reading over it General Lee noticed that a word was missing and he corrected the error. The order of surrender was signed.
I love the respect that the two generals displayed for each other and for their brave men. Reaching an honorable peace was more important than punishing or humiliating the loser. Saving lives on both sides was more important than completely demolishing the opposition.
I enjoyed learning some things that I didn't know about the surrender. The poor farmed who ended up having a bidding war for items in his house by the military personnel present that day.
General Lee intially was concerned about the surrender, would it apply to all armies of the south or just to the Army of Northern Virginia? What are the terms? Messages passed back and forth between the two generals, sometimes delayed as troops moved about.
Eventually the two generals agreed on terms and a meeting place. General Lee was the first to arrive. He was accompanied by his aide and orderly, as well as General Grant's secretary and a union orderly.
Gerneal Grant arrived about a half hour later. After greeting each other and some discussion, terms were written out by General Grant himelf. His secreatry read it and made a correction or two and the the paper was given to General Lee. While reading over it General Lee noticed that a word was missing and he corrected the error. The order of surrender was signed.
I love the respect that the two generals displayed for each other and for their brave men. Reaching an honorable peace was more important than punishing or humiliating the loser. Saving lives on both sides was more important than completely demolishing the opposition.
I enjoyed learning some things that I didn't know about the surrender. The poor farmed who ended up having a bidding war for items in his house by the military personnel present that day.
December 6, 2017
The McLean's family land was where the first of the civil war began. Moving away 150 miles away to avoid the battles, the family ended up at Appomattox where Grant and Lee signed a peace agreement that ended the civil war.
A short account filled with actual photos and accounts of the last few days of the war. If you are a history buff, you will appreciate the those photos and insights to the war that are not in the average history books. Grant and Lee were respected leaders and during the peace process, had the utmost respect for each other. Desiring for healing and the country to move forward united. This is a great source for anyone desiring to know the history and the men behind the history.
A Special Thank you to Quarto Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
A short account filled with actual photos and accounts of the last few days of the war. If you are a history buff, you will appreciate the those photos and insights to the war that are not in the average history books. Grant and Lee were respected leaders and during the peace process, had the utmost respect for each other. Desiring for healing and the country to move forward united. This is a great source for anyone desiring to know the history and the men behind the history.
A Special Thank you to Quarto Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
December 18, 2024
I gave this short book (143 pages) four stars (Goodreads rating is 3.5). It is about the surrender of General Lee to General Grant at Appomattox. Even though I have been to Appomattox Court House where the surrender was signed, this book had some interesting information that I did not remember.
The book was written by MacKinley Kantor, who also wrote the Civil War novel Andersonville.
Interesting fact: The last Confederate to surrender in the Civil War was Stand Watie, a Cherokee Indian.
The book was written by MacKinley Kantor, who also wrote the Civil War novel Andersonville.
Interesting fact: The last Confederate to surrender in the Civil War was Stand Watie, a Cherokee Indian.
September 4, 2019
I have been to Appomatix. I have just read Shelby Footes account of Lee's surrender. This is a very enjoyable narrative of the surrender and portraits the emotional setting for Lee and Grant.
August 29, 2022
Great book for ages 8-13. I love Landmark Books for getting kids interested in history.
July 9, 2014
Maybe closer to 2.5.
Brief and easy overview of Lee's surrender to Grant as well as portraits of the two generals.
Brief and easy overview of Lee's surrender to Grant as well as portraits of the two generals.
November 18, 2014
Jacob rates this book 4 stars, Mom says 3 stars, and Ellie 2 stars. Good details of things behind the scenes of the war, what people were feeling, etc. but it didn't have the best flow to it.
December 3, 2014
This is a history book with lots of made-up dialogue but that is why it was interesting to children. The best chapter was the last: "What Traveler Thought."
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews