Who Was Wilmer McLean?
Wilmer McLean (1814–1882) was a Virginia merchant whose life became linked to both the beginning and the end of the American Civil War. His Yorkshire farm near Manassas was caught up in the fighting surrounding the First Battle of Bull Run in 1861. Nearly four years later, General Robert E. Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia to Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant in the parlor of McLean’s home at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865.
McLean later returned to Alexandria, Virginia, where he died in 1882. He is buried in St. Paul’s Cemetery within Alexandria’s Wilkes Street Cemetery Complex.
Wilmer McLean’s Legacy: Foundations in Alexandria
Wilmer McLean was born to Daniel McLean, who played a pivotal role in establishing St. Paul’s Church Episcopal Church in Alexandria, Virginia. The McLean family’s resting place in St. Paul’s Cemetery is a testament to their enduring legacy in the region.
Wilmer McLean and the McLean–Mason Marriage
In 1853, Wilmer McLean united in matrimony with Virginia Hooe Mason, a widow previously married to John Seddon Mason. The expansive 1200-acre Yorkshire farm near Bull Run in Prince William County came with Virginia’s dowry. This farm set the stage for numerous significant events as the couple raised their blended family.
Wilmer McLean at Yorkshire: Ground Zero of the Civil War’s First Battle
The First Battle of Bull Run (or First Battle of Manassas) on July 18, 1861, saw Union cannons targeting Yorkshire, then the headquarters for Confederate General Pierre G. T. Beauregard. The cookhouse, serving as a signal station, suffered a direct hit.
Days later, on July 21, the armies clashed again near Manassas. Post-battle, Yorkshire transitioned into a makeshift hospital and prison for captured Union soldiers and spectators, including Congressman Alfred Ely of New York.
Wilmer McLean Seeks Refuge and Financial Stability
The continuous warfare and destruction at Yorkshire compelled the McLean family to seek sanctuary elsewhere. They chose the village of Appomattox Courthouse, approximately 120 miles away, hoping for peace until the war’s end.
Wilmer McLean and the Appomattox Surrender
On April 9, 1865, Colonel Charles Marshall, an aide to General Robert E. Lee, approached McLean in search of an appropriate location for General Lee to surrender to Union General Ulysses S. Grant. Reluctantly, McLean provided his parlor, which then became the setting for this momentous event, signaling the end of the American Civil War.
The Wilmer McLean House: From Civil War Relic to National Monument
After Lee’s surrender to Grant at the McLean house, a flurry of souvenir hunting ensued among the Union soldiers and officers. Personal items from the McLean home, including a cherished doll named Lucretia (Lulu) belonging to Virginia McLean, were taken. Notably, General Edward Ord claimed the marble table where Lee had sat, intending to give it to Julia Grant. However, she declined the offer, and the table eventually reached the Chicago History Museum. Meanwhile, the armchair used by General Lee, initially taken by Colonel Edward W. Whitaker, is now displayed in the National Museum of American History.
The significance of the moment was not lost on those present. Despite McLean’s objections, his furniture was quickly claimed as trophies by Union officers who left gold coins in exchange. General Sheridan acquired a side table, Brigadier General Henry Capehart took the chair used by Grant, and Lieutenant Colonel Whitaker secured Lee’s chair. Notably, Sheridan presented the side table to Custer as a gift for his wife, Elizabeth. Furthermore, Elizabeth Custer also received a part of the surrender towel, which had been used earlier that day by a Confederate rider. This towel, initially bought by Captain R. M. Sims in Richmond just before the fall of the Confederate capital, was later cut in half by Whitaker. Whitaker kept one half, while the other was given to Elizabeth Custer, who eventually bequeathed it to the Smithsonian.
The house’s post-war journey is equally intriguing. McLean foreclosed on it in 1867, changing ownership multiple times until Captain Myron Dunlap bought it in 1891. He aimed to display the house at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, but financial setbacks led to its dismantling for a proposed D.C. museum. This plan fell through, leaving the house in ruins for years. The National Park Service undertook its restoration in the 1940s, and the restored house was inaugurated in 1950, attended by figures like historian Douglas Southall Freeman, General Ulysses S. Grant III, and Robert E. Lee IV.
Wilmer McLean Returns to Alexandria and His Final Years
Financial difficulties followed the Civil War, and in 1867 McLean and his family moved to Manassas. They later returned to Alexandria, where McLean spent the final years of his life. Through his connection with former Confederate partisan John S. Mosby, McLean secured a position as a tax collector for the Port of Alexandria, serving from 1876 to 1880.
McLean died in Alexandria on June 5, 1882. He is buried beside his wife, Virginia, in St. Paul’s Cemetery within the Wilkes Street Cemetery Complex.
Wilmer McLean’s Legacy and a Unique Perspective on the Civil War
After the war, McLean often remarked, “The American Civil War began in my front yard and ended in my parlor.” This statement encapsulates his unique position in the war’s history. McLean passed away on June 5, 1882, leaving a rich legacy. His wife, Virginia, outlived him by 11 years and rests beside him.
Conclusion: Wilmer McLean’s Place in Civil War History
Wilmer McLean is remembered nationally for an extraordinary coincidence: the Civil War touched his property near Manassas at its beginning and came to its decisive conclusion in the parlor of his Appomattox home. Yet his story ultimately returned to Alexandria, where he spent his final years and where his gravestone remains today in St. Paul’s Cemetery within the Wilkes Street Cemetery Complex.
| WILMER McLEAN Son of Daniel & Lucretia McLean Died June 5, 1882 In the 68th year of his age |
Sources of Information
Hakenson, D. C. (2011). This Forgotten Land, Volume II: Biographical Sketches of Confederate Veterans Buried in Alexandria, Virginia. Alexandria, Virginia: Donald Hakenson.
Johns, C. (2001). Wilmer McLean (1814–1882): Victim or Scrooge? The Alexandria Chronicle, IX(2). Alexandria Historical Society, Inc.
National Park Service. (2022). Appomattox Court House National Historical Park. https://www.nps.gov/apco/index.htm
Pippenger, W. E. (2014). Tombstone Inscriptions of Alexandria, Virginia (Vol. 5). Berwyn Heights, MD: Heritage Books.
Rubenstein, H. R. (2015, April 3). The gentleman’s agreement that ended the Civil War. What It Means to Be American.https://www.whatitmeanstobeamerican.org/artifacts/the-gentlemans-agreement-that-ended-the-civil-war/
Page last updated: January 11, 2026