Wilmer McLean

Biography

Wilmer McLean (1814–1882), a Virginia farmer and storekeeper, is remembered for unwittingly giving the Civil War both its opening clash and its final surrender, the war touching his homes at Bull Run and Appomattox.

He spent his later years longing for the peace he offered as a quiet merchant, and though his story is often told for its irony, family and friends honored him for the calmness he pursued amid national upheaval.