--- title: "The Civil War started and ended at the same guy’s house" date: "2019-01-28" modified: "2025-10-23" authors: - name: "Blake Stilwell" job_title: "Editor-In-Chief, Air Force Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/blake/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-history/the-civil-war-started-and-ended-at-the-same-guys-house/" categories: - "Civil War" - "History" - "War History" tags: - "Civil War" - "Military History" --- # The Civil War started and ended at the same guy’s house ![Surrender at Appomattox]() *We all know Robert E. Lee surrendered in a house in Appomattox in 1865. But the owner of that house also has a claim to fame.* The name Wilmer McLean may not be found in most history books, but if it isn't in the Guinness Book, it should be. The man moved his family during the Civil War, and if real estate is all about location, location, location, then Wilmer McLean was probably the luckiest home buyer of all time. Or unluckiest, depending on your point of view. **Related: [12 surprising facts that might change the way you see the Civil War]()** ![]() *A plague on both his houses!* The opening shots of the Civil War were fired at Fort Sumter, in Charleston Harbor, in April 1861. With the exception of a cannon accident that [killed a Union artilleryman]() after the fort surrendered, there were no casualties. The major outcome of that was that the Civil War was officially on. It was in Virginia, however, some three months later, that the Confederate and Union armies would meet in the first major battle of that war. General P.G.T. Beauregard (who happened to command the Confederates at Fort Sumter) used McLean's house as his headquarters during that engagement, a battle that would become known as the First Battle of Bull Run. Or First Manassas, [depending on your point of view](). ![]() *Wilmer McLean, whose eyes definitely look a little tired.* During the fighting at Bull Run/Manassas, a Union cannonball came crashing down McLean's chimney, into his fireplace, shattering the mantle into chunks of brick and mortar, while the general staff was, apparently, having a meal. [Beauregard later wrote](): "A comical effect of this artillery fight was the destruction of the dinner of myself and staff by a Federal shell that fell into the fireplace of my headquarters at the McLean House." That's probably a really funny line if you were anyone except Wilmer McLean. ![]() *Somewhere, an unknown Union artilleryman is the greatest shot OF ALL TIME.* McLean had served in the Virginia militia before the war but was too old to return to military service for either army by the time the Civil War rolled around, so he didn't fight for either side. He instead became a merchant-trader for the Confederate Army. But it turns out that operating a business so close to the Union lines was hazardous, so after that first battle, [he moved his family south]()... to a small area called Appomattox Court House. Time passed. More battles were fought. The Civil War raged on. And Wilmer McLean probably thought he was far enough away from any of the fighting. He was kind of correct, until his house became the most important site in Civil War history. On April 8, 1865, Gen. Robert E. Lee and Gen. Ulysses S. Grant [found themselves and their staffs in McLean's parlor](), discussing the terms of the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia and the beginning of the end of the Civil War. ![]() *It's funny how Wilmer McLean never appears in any depiction of Lee's surrender.* After the two generals left the house, Union officers began taking everything in the room as souvenirs. Some paid McLean for their prizes, some didn't, but they took everything, [including his daughter's toy doll](). ### Don’t Miss the Best of We Are The Mighty ##### • [5 reasons John Bell Hood was the worst Civil War general]() ##### • [Lee’s nephew got beaten by an all-Black brigade so bad he had to lie about it]() ##### • [The insane way Vlad the Impaler turned back an enemy army]() ## Author Blake Stilwell is We Are The Mighty's Editor-in-Chief, covering military news, entertainment, and history, along with veteran education, employment and entrepreneurship. He is a former U.S. Air Force combat cameraman with degrees in Graphic Design, Television and Film, International Relations, Public Relations, Business Management and Middle Eastern Affairs. After leaving the military, he began working in film and television production in New York and Los Angeles, work that included ABC News, NBC Olympics, and HBO Sports. He then spent two years in Washington with White House Communications, before joining the Near East Foundation. At NEF he served as an International Development Fellow, then Communications Officer, and finally, Media Officer for the Middle East and Africa. Based in the Palestinian Territory, he coordinated strategic communications between eight country offices, international media, and government and NGO partners. He began a career focused on writing and editing in 2015 with We Are The Mighty. He left in 2019 for Military.com, but returned as Editor-in-Chief in 2025. Blake’s work has been seen on CBS News, Fox News, CBC, The Chicago Tribune, Task & Purpose, Military Times, Recoil, Skillset, American History, and was shockingly even used in a Supreme Court argument. He is an avid traveler and small business owner in Ohio, where he spends most of his energy fixing up a very old house. ### Author social links [Facebook]() [Twitter]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()