the surrender of confederate gen. robert e. lee to union lt. gen. ulysses s. grant 150 years ago on thursday was a milestone event in the end of the civil war .
thursday 's commemoration in appomattox , virginia , included a reenactment of lee 's last clash with grant 's troops and of the confederate surrender in a virginia farmhouse on april 9 , 1865 .
ahead of the battle reenactment , the boys of the confederate 11th virginia were a seemingly pretty cool bunch .