coln asked if this battle could be avoided, but both Generals expected the Rebels to put up one more fight. It had to be decided how to handle the Rebels in regard to the upcoming surrender. Lincoln made his intentions very clear: "I am full of the bloodshed. You need to defeat the opposing armies and get the men composing those armies back to their homes to work on their farms and their shops". The meeting lasted for a number of hours and near its end, Lincoln made his orders very clear: "Let them once surrender and reach their homes, they won't take up arms again. They will at once be guaranteed all their rights as citizens of a common country. I want no one punished, treat them liberally all around. We want those people to return to their allegiance to the Union and submit to the laws". Well with all of the formalities outlined, the Generals and Admiral knew what needed to be done. Sherman returned to Goldsboro by steamer; Grant and Porter left by train back north. Shaman's course would be to continue north with Schofield's men and meet Grant in Richmond. However, this would never happen, as Lee would surrender to Grant before Sherman could ever get there.The Push for the EndGeneral Grant returned back to his troops who were in the process of besieging Petersburg and Richmond. These battles had been going on for months. On March 24, before the meeting with President Lincoln, Grant drew up a new plan for a flanking movement against the Confederates tight below Petersburg. It would be the first large-scale operation to take place this year and would begin five days later. Two days after Grant made preparations to move again, Lee had already assessed the situation and informed President Davis that Richmond and Petersburg were doomed. Lee's only chance would be to move his troops out of Richmond and down a southwestern path toward a meeting with a with fellow General Johnson's forces. Lee chose a small town to the west na...
