The Man who began and ended the Civil War

[Coop Trawlaine]

This is a bit of trivia that is little known.

A man by the name of Wilmer McLean was a business man and southern sympathizer who was very vocal in his support of the southern cause.  Being a wealthy man he had built a beautiful home near Manassas, Virginia that he was very proud of.  Oddly enough that was the sight of the first major battle of the Civil War, Manassas.  Confederate General Beauregard commandeered this man's home as his headquarters.  

The house was hit many times by Union artillery fire and the damage was extensive and what was not destroyed by cannon shot was left in ruins by members of the Confederate Army, they looted just about everything they could get their hands on, not to mention the constant trampling of soldiers coming and going during the battle with orders from and messages to General Beauregard.

After the battle of Manassas Wilmer was determined to get away to some place safe and as far from any potential battle site as he humanly could.

He was relatively safe and so was his new property from the ravages of the war until early April of 1865.  This time Union General U.S. Grant commandeered his new home at Appomattox Court House for the Union Headquarters.  It was at Wilmer McLean's home that Lee surrendered to Grant and at this ending of the War between the States, the remaining Union troops once again looted poor Wilmer's possessions.

But he did have his moments of fame, The War began and ended at his home.

[Forty Rod]

Coop, this don't belong in Tall tales...this is fact.

I first heard it in about in about 1957 or '58 in a high school American history class.

[Coop Trawlaine]

Oops!  Sorry, I knew it was fact, just didn't realize that this was restricted to fiction...my error.

Thanks Rod

[Four-Eyed Buck]

Shoulda went in the History section, Coop, but it is a fact. He just couldn't get away from the war.........Buck

[Delmonico]

Leave it here long enough and it could turn into one.   

We're OK any way our "mean"  moderator won't be back till Monday.   I have a couple books on oddies of the Civil War.  Lots of interestin' little bits.

[Cherokee Jem]

Darn, wish id known that before!!! I love the Civil War history! Go cavalry...

[Joyce (AnnieLee)]

That's pretty derned cool. I didn't know it, thanks, Coop! Was McLean, Virginia named after him?

AnnieLee

[Lucky Irish Tom]

If it was Annie we better keep tha yankees out of it!

[Coop Trawlaine]

Annie, I really don't know, this was just a tidbit of trivia that I came across during some research for one of my upcoming books.

[LazyK Pejay]

It was the opening scene in "Ken Burn's Civil War."

LazyK Pejay