Two descendants of Civil War officers joined USPS officials on the steps of the Appomattox, VA, courthouse for the April 9 dedication of the last two stamps in the Civil War Sesquicentennial series.
One stamp depicts the decisive Battle of Five Forks, often called “the Waterloo of the Confederacy.” The second stamp shows Confederate Army General Robert E. Lee’s surrender to Union Army General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox, ending the war.
The dedication took place almost 150 years to the minute of Lee’s surrender.
“In issuing these new stamps, the Postal Service has been proud to participate in a valuable effort to commemorate and reflect anew on a critical era of our nation’s history,” said Pat Mendonca, senior director for the PMG, during the dedication ceremony.
Mendonca was joined by Dennis Bigelow, descendant of Lt. Col. Charles Marshall, Lee’s aide at the Appomattox surrender; Al Parker, descendant of Grant’s military secretary, Lt. Col. Ely S. Parker; Robin Snyder, acting superintendent, Appomattox Court House National Historical Park; and others.
The stamps can be purchased online and at select Post Offices.
