Wilbur McLean

Wilbur McLean was a man who lived in Virginia during the American Civil War. He is notable for a story recounted in Ken Burns' Civil War documentary. According to the documentary, McLean was living at Manassas when the Civil War broke out, at the Battle of Bull Run. During the battle, a shot went through the window of McLean's kitchen and destroyed it. He decided that enough was enough, and he was getting out of the war. He moved to a small town called Appomatox Courthouse.

On Friday, July 19, 1861, General Beauregard and his generals met General Stonewall Jackson at McLean's house to let Beauregard know that Jackson and his troups had arrived in Manassas. [cite book |title= The Civil War Day By Day: An Almanac, 1861-1865|last=Long |first=Barbara |year= 1985|publisher= Da Capo Press|isbn= 0306802554|pages= 97|url= http://books.google.com/books?id=U0NStVX8Gq8C&pg=PA97&dq=Wilbur+McLean+manassas&sig=ACfU3U1AYFKLkOrH881JohTQyJB7g89Vjg ] In 1865, Lee was about to surrender to Grant, and needed a place to do so. Lee sent a messenger into the nearby town, Appomatox Courthouse, to find a place to meet. On April 8, 1865, the messenger knocked on Wilbur McLean's door and then requested that McLean allow his home to be used as a place for Lee to surrender to Grant. On April 9, 1865, Lee surrendered to Grant in McLean's home. [cite book |title= The Civil War Day By Day: An Almanac, 1861-1865|last=Long |first=Barbara |year= 1985|publisher= Da Capo Press|isbn= 0306802554|pages= 1005|url= http://books.google.com/books?id=U0NStVX8Gq8C&pg=PA97&dq=Wilbur+McLean+manassas&sig=ACfU3U1AYFKLkOrH881JohTQyJB7g89Vjg#PPA1005,M1 ] [cite book |title= Race, Religion and Politics: Race, Religion, and Politics: the Founding Fathers Betrayed|last=Butler|first=Fred |year= 2004|publisher= Xulon Press|isbn= 1594673217|pages= 324|url= http://books.google.com/books?as_brr=3&q=the+living+room+of+the+home+of+Wilbur+McLean+to+sign+off+on+surrender+terms&btnG=Search+Books ] Just after Lee and Grant left the home, McLean sold General Philip Sheridan the little table on which Lee had signed the terms of surrender for twenty dollars in gold. [cite book |title= "Little Phil" and His Troopers: The Life of Gen. Philip H. Sheridan.|last=Burr|first=Frank A. |year= 1888|publisher= J. A. & R. A. Reid|isbn= |pages= 303|url= http://books.google.com/books?id=_y4OAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA300&dq=Wilbur+McLean&as_brr=3#PPA303,M1 ] McLean often boasted as a result "The Civil War began in my backyard and ended in my front parlor."

References

* [http://lazuli.com/travels/battlefields/appomatax.html Apppomatox Courthouse Homepage]