Civil War historian Rick Britton talks with Les Sinclair about what was happening in the war 150 years ago this month:

1) February 3, 1865–The Hampton Roads Conference: Aboard a steamer, Pres. Abraham Lincoln and Sec. of State William Seward met with Confederate V.P. Alexander Stephens (and 2 other southern representatives) to talk about a possible “compromise” end to the war. When Lincoln stated that Federal authority must be recognized by the states in rebellion–and that the 13th Amendment ending slavery had been passed and was being ratified by the northern states–the southerners realized that there would be no compromise.
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2) In South Carolina–U.S. Gen. William T. Sherman’s army marched into S.C., soon thereafter capturing Columbia (the capital), Charleston, and Wilmington, N.C. (the Confederacy’s last open port.

3) In Virginia–U.S. Gen. U.S. Grant continued to stretch Confederate Gen. R.E. Lee’s lines around Petersburg, moving forces further to the southwest. The end was near, and R.E. Lee’s troops would soon be threatened by Grant in their front & Sherman in their rear.

4) FREE Civil War talk at the Senior Center on Wed., March 4, at 1 pm: the 150th Anniversary of the Surrender of Charlottesville and the University of Virginia!