Learn about the real end of the Civil War

Everyone knows Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox, but few people realize his defeat did not end the Civil War. Lee ceded his army but the war’s largest troop surrender happened two weeks later at Bennett Place in Durham. Bennett Place, one of nearly 250 sites on North Carolina’s Civil War Trail, is a simple farmhouse that was situated between Confederate Gen. Joseph E. Johnston’s headquarters in Greensboro, and Union Gen. William T. Sherman’s headquarters in Raleigh. Johnston was in charge of all the Southern armies in the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida. The generals had to meet on three separate occasions to reach mutually agreeable surrender terms. The home of James and Nancy Bennitt (which was the actual spelling of the family name) was used for its convenient location. This surrender effectively ended the war and is one of many unique North Carolina Civil War facts. Today, the site features a visitor center, monuments and outdoor exhibits, and nature trails. Guided tours are available and living history events take place throughout the year, including an annual commemorative anniversary event.