Grant's Headquarters
A Vision For Peace

President Lincoln, who abhorred the bloodshed of war, was distressed by the idea of another battle. He looked forward to the end of fighting and a country joined in peace. Looking forward to the end of the war, President Lincoln wanted to provide the most favorable terms to General Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Army. His vision was for peaceful resolution and for the country to move beyond the bloodshed. He did not wish to seek punishment for those who served the South during the war. "He wished the Confederate soldiers to be paroled and sent home as soon as possible to work on their farms and in their shops..."(Pfanz.)

At this historic meeting in City Point aboard the River Queen, President Lincoln set forth the policies that would become the cornerstone of his reconstruction policy. The country would provide "liberal and honorable" terms of surrender to the Confederate Armies still in the fields, general amnesty for participants in the rebellion, immediate restoration of citizenship for the Southern people, and the gradual transition of state governments to the South.

Learn more about Grant's Headuarters at City Point, VA:

Setting Up Camp
President Lincoln Comes to City Point
The Meeting That Changed the Course of History
A Vision For Peace
Lincoln Waits For the War's End
A Deadly Premonition
The Siege of Petersburg
Lincoln's Plans For Reunification
Lincoln's Dream Comes to Life
Preserving Grant's Cabin
Visiting Grant's Headquarters at City Point, Petersburg National Battlefield, Hopewell, VA