There, what was left of Gen. Richard Ewell's command, made up largely of S.C. troops under Gen. Joseph Kershaw, were captured after a short fight. Little more than a low marshy site crossing the creek along Va. 617, there is not much to remind today's visitor of that encounter. The Appomattox Court House site, run by the U.S. Department of the Interior, truly is a national shrine. The wide array of license plates of visitors indicates the site's drawing power. In common with most Civil War sites, Appomattox is not a lighthearted place.
Visitors speak in hushed tones, as if in a shrine.
The restored courthouse serves as a visitor center, staffed by Interior rangers who guide groups through the restored McLean House, site of the surrender signing. Of special interest at the visitor center is the display of blacks' participation in the Union army, a belated recognition of their role in one of the defining moments in American history. The small cemetery there contains the last casualties of the war in Virginia. Taken in the spring or the early fall, the trip is a delightful drive through rural southwest Virginia. It also provides a clearer understanding of the forces that shaped America.