On April 26, 1865, Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston surrendered to U.S. Army Major General William T. Sherman from the parlor of James and Nancy Bennett’s farmhouse in what is now Durham, North Carolina. This marked the largest surrender of the American Civil War, with over 89,000 Confederates surrendered. The terms of Johnston and Sherman’s negotiations reflected a broader and future national debate over how to remake the United States without slavery and reunite the nation.
During our 160th Anniversary Program, Bennett Place State Historic Site explores the surrender and its impact on all North Carolinians. Join us to learn more about how veterans, civilians, and freedpeople alike experienced and thought about the end of the American Civil War and what would come next.
The program features several costumed interpretation displays and performances.
Event Timeline:
10:00 - 3:00 - Free Flowing Programming: Explore civilian and soldier displays with costumed interpreters. Civilian demonstrations include cobbling, tailoring, sewing, and refugees. Inside the Bennett property, learn about the Bennetts and see Sherman and Johnston in the Bennett parlor where the negotiations occurred! Displays are available throughout the event, with exceptions of staggered breaks for our staff and volunteers.
10:30 - Bennett Place Negotiations: Bennett Place staff guide visitors through the meeting of Sherman & Johnston along the historic Hillsborough Road for their surrender negotiations.
11:00 - Conflict & Comradery: Historian Earnest Dollar recounts how U.S. and Confederate soldiers interacted with each other on the Bennetts' property while waiting for Johnston & Sherman to negotiate.
11:30 - Civilian Experience: Historic Sites staff stalk about how the Civil War and its aftermath shaped the lives of civilians.
12:00 - 1:00 - "Bennett Place and Beyond: The Elusive End to the Civil War" : Presentation by Dr. Michael Vorenberg, Brown University, and author of the new book Lincoln's Peace: The Struggle to End the American Civil War. A book signing will follow the lecture.
12:30 - 1:50 - In the Bennetts' House - Johnston and Sherman's Surrender Meeting: This special 12-minute presentation allows a limited number of visitors to learn about the negotiations between Sherman and Johnston in the room where it happened. This presentation is led by a Bennett Place staff member with Sherman and Johnston in the room, with some historic dialogue recreated between the generals. Space limited, advanced registration required via Eventbrite. Time slots are 12:30, 12:50, 1:10, and 1:30.
1:30 - Civilian Experience: Historic Sites staff stalk about how the Civil War and its aftermath shaped the lives of civilians.
2:00 - Emancipation Proclaimed: Bennett Place staff highlight the complicated path to freedom for enslaved North Carolinians, the role of U.S. soldiers in enforcing emancipation, and the significance of the Bennett Place surrender in the question of slavery's abolition.
2:30 - What Lies Ahead: Historic Sites staff discuss the uneasy peace that followed the Bennett Place surrender for soldiers and civilians alike.
Program details, including a schedule of events, subject to change with weather and staffing. Please note that participation in living history demonstrations or community tabling is by invitation only. As a site of peace, Bennett Place will not have any weapons demonstrations during this program.