Durham in Durham County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)

Unity

By Bill Coughlin, August 12, 2012

1. Unity Marker

Inscription.
One hundred feet east of this spot in the Bennett House General Joseph E. Johnston and Major General William T. Sherman met at noon, April 17, 1865, to discuss terms of a proposed surrender. They met in this house again on April 18 and wrote and signed a “Basis of Agreement,” under the terms of which General Johnston agreed to surrender all the Confederate armies then in the field. President Andrew Johnson rejected the terms agreed upon, sent orders to General Sherman on April 24 “to give forty-eight hours’ notice and resume hostilities at the end of that time,” and ordered General Grant to go to Raleigh to “direct military movements.” General Grant arrived in Raleigh on April 24, but out of consideration for General Sherman he did not assume command.

On the evening of April 25, General Johnston “asked another interview” with General Sherman “to renew negotiations,” and on the twenty-sixth at 2 P. M. the generals met a third time in the Bennett House and signed the terms of “a military convention," under which 36,817 Confederate soldiers in North Carolina and 52,453 in Georgia and Florida laid down their arms.

This monument thus marks the spot where the military force of the United States of America finally triumphed and established as inviolate the principle

Back of Unity Marker image. Click for full size.

By Bill Coughlin, August 12, 2012

2. Back of Unity Marker

of an indissoluble Union. It marks also the spot of the last stand of the Confederacy in maintaining its ideal of indestructible states – an ideal which preserved to the American Union by virtue of the heroic fight grows in strength from year to year.
[ Back of Monument : ]
In fulfillment of the wishes of Samuel Tate Morgan, and in his memory, this monument and grounds are given to the state of North Carolina by his family.
Sarah Thompson Morgan
Blanche Morgan Reynolds
Maude Morgan Cabell
Samuel Tate Morgan, Jr.
The gift was accepted on behalf of
the state by
Bennehan Cameron, Julian S. Carr,
R. D. W. Connor, Frank C. Brown,
W. T. Bost, R. O. Everett,
D. H. Hill
Members of the Bennett Place
Memorial Commission created by the
General Assembly of North Carolina
1923, and the formal Act of Presentation
and acceptance took place
October 12, 1923

Location. 36° 1.763′ N, 78° 58.457′ W. Marker is in Durham, North Carolina, in Durham County. Marker is on Bennett Memorial Road, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is on the ground of the Bennett House State Historic Site. Marker is at or near this postal address: 4409 Bennett Memorial Road, Durham NC 27705, United States of America.

Other nearby markers. At least 8

Unity Monument image. Click for full size.

By Bill Coughlin, August 12, 2012

3. Unity Monument

other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Bennett Place (within shouting distance of this marker); North Carolina (within shouting distance of this marker); The Original Chimney of the Bennett House (within shouting distance of this marker); Meeting of the Generals (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Bennett Place (within shouting distance of this marker); Rotary Bandstand (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named North Carolina (approx. 3 miles away); Duke Homestead (approx. 3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Durham.

Also see . . . Bennett Place State Historic Site. (Submitted on August 13, 2012, by Bill Coughlin of North Arlington, New Jersey.)

Categories. • War, US Civil •

By Bill Coughlin, August 12, 2012

4. Unity Monument

The Bennett House, where Gen. Johnston surrendered his army to Gen. Sherman, can be seen here behind the monument.

Marker at the Bennett House State Historic Site image. Click for full size.

By Bill Coughlin, August 12, 2012

5. Marker at the Bennett House State Historic Site

By Bill Coughlin, August 12, 2012

6. Unity Monument

Bennett House image. Click for full size.

By Bill Coughlin, August 12, 2012

7. Bennett House

In this house, located near the marker (seen on right), Confederate Gen. Joseph E. Johnston surrendered to Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman, effectively ending the Civil War.

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. This page originally submitted on August 13, 2012, by Bill Coughlin of North Arlington, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 408 times since then and 11 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. submitted on August 13, 2012, by Bill Coughlin of North Arlington, New Jersey.