Lindsay Wood Davis reads from the Sauk County Riflemen (1909), a Civil War diary written and compiled by Robert Cheek and Mair Pointon, members of the 6th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. Hear how these two Civil War soldiers describe their war experiences, from the surrender of Lee's Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox Court House until they returned home in August of 1865.

On April 9, 1865, the American Civil War reached its conclusion with the surrender of the Confederate Army under General Robert E. Lee to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House in Virginia. This historic event marked the end of four years of brutal conflict that had torn the nation apart. The surrender terms were generous, allowing Confederate soldiers to return home without facing prosecution. The meeting between Lee and Grant was cordial, with mutual respect shown between the two commanders. The surrender at Appomattox signaled the beginning of the reunification process for the United States, although the scars of the Civil War would be felt for generations to come.