a surrender). Lincolnmade his intentions very clear: "I am full of the bloodshed. You need todefeat the opposing armies and get the men composing those armies back totheir homes to work on their farms and in their shops." (Sherman, WilliamT., Memoirs of General William T. Sherman. Westport, Conn.:Greenwood Press,1972) The meeting lasted for a number of hours and near its end, Lincolnmade his orders clear: "Let them once surrender and reach their homes, theywon't take up arms again. They will at once be guaranteed all their rightsas citizens of a common country. I want no one punished, treat themliberally all around. We want those people to return to their allegianceto the Union and submit to the laws." (Porter, David D., Campaigning withGrant. New York: The Century Co., 1897) Well with all of the formalitiesoutlined, the Generals and Admiral knew what needed to be done. Shermanreturned to Goldsboro by steamer; Grant and Porter left by train backnorth. Sherman's course would be to continue north with Schofield's menand meet Grant in Richmond. However, this would never happen as Lee wouldsurrender to Grant before Sherman could ever get there.THE PUSH FOR THE ENDGeneral Grant returned back to his troops who were in the process ofbesieging Petersburg and Richmond. These battles had been going on formonths. On March 24, before the meeting with President Lincoln, Grant drewup a new plan for a flanking movement against the Confederates right belowPetersburg. It would be the first large scale operation to take place thisyear and would begin five days later. Two days after Grant madepreparations to move again, Lee had already assessed the situation andinformed President Davis that Richmond and Petersburg were doomed. Lee'sonly chance would be to move his troops out of Richmond and down asouthwestern path toward a meeting with fellow General Johnston's (Johnstonhad been dispatched to Virginia after being ordered not to resist thead...
