War History Summary - 1-5 Final Battle and the End of the War

Even after Lee's surrender, not all battles of the Civil War ended immediately. The Battle of Palmito Ranch took place near Brownsville, Texas, from May 12-13, 1865. The Confederates attacked and defeated the Union forces, and this battle occurred after Lee's surrender. Therefore, Palmito Ranch is generally recorded as the last land battle of the American Civil War. Subsequently, the Confederate forces surrendered one by one, and by June 1865, major organized Confederate resistance had virtually disappeared. The Civil War began with the attack on Fort Sumter in 1861 and lasted for about four years, leaving numerous casualties. After the war ended, the United States maintained the Union but had to address the immense tasks of abolishing slavery and reconstructing the South. Lee's surrender at Appomattox symbolizes the decisive end of the war, and Palmito Ranch, as the final battle, deserves to be remembered together.