Because after the Battle of Five Forks, on Apr. 1, 1865 and the breakthrough of his front, Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia were about to be encircled.
Therefore he decided that Petersburg and Richmond had to be evacuated.
At the siege of Petersburg, Virginia on 15 June 1864.
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Lee surrendered his sword and his Army of the Northern Virginia on April 9,1865 at 4 P.M.. The surrender took place at Appomattox Court House, after a 6-days lasting retreat from Richmond and Petersburg, relentlessly pursued by Grant's Army.
General Lee did not surrender in Atlanta. He surrendered at Appomattox Court House in Virginia.
Appomattox Court House, to the West of Petersburg, Virginia
Appomattox Court House, near Petersburg, Virginia
Appomattox Court House, near Petersburg, Virginia.
U.S. Grant
General Robert E. Lee was in overall command of the Confederate forces at the battle of Petersburg.
At the siege of Petersburg, Virginia on 15 June 1864.
The Richmond-Petersburg Campaign. Petersburg, Virginia. Generals Grant and Meade -vs- Generals Lee and Beauregard. Over 104,000 soldiers engaged and almost 12,000 casualties. Confederate Victory.
By the time he was appointed General-in-Chief, he had nowhere to go. Grant had got him under siege at Petersburg, and he was running out of manpower. He led the Army of Northern Virginia to surrender at Appomattox.
General Robert E. Lee was from Virginia.
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General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant at the Appomattox Courthouse on April 9, 1865 after defeats at Vicksburg, Richmond, and Petersburg.
General Lee saw that if successful, General Butler's operations would place Union troops between the cities of Richmond and Petersburg. His solution to the problem was to have all Rebel troops not needed in the Carolinas to march north to help him protect Richmond and Petersburg. It should be stated that at this point in time, the late Spring of 1864, Lee was outnumbered by Grant's total forces by two to one.
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