The Papers of Ulysses S. Grant: February 21-April 30, 1865

The Papers of Ulysses S. Grant: February 21-April 30, 1865
ISBN-10
0809311984
ISBN-13
9780809311989
Series
The Papers of Ulysses S. Grant
Category
Biography & Autobiography / Historical
Pages
584
Language
English
Published
1985
Publisher
SIU Press
Author
Ulysses Simpson Grant

Description

On March 29, Grant opened the Ap­pomattox campaign, informing Sheridan that “I now feel like ending the matter.” Despite pleas to cancel the offensive because of adverse weather, Grant pressed ahead. Sheridan won the battle of Five Forks on April 1, and the next day Grant overran Lee's lines at Petersburg, forcing the evacuation of Richmond. Grant's mastery was never more appar­ent than during his last battle. “I shall press the pursuit to the end,” he wrote to Sherman, and by April 19 Lee had to choose between capitulation or annihila­tion. With the surrender at Appomattox, Grant demonstrated his capacity for making peace as well as for waging war. In the frantic aftermath of Lincoln's death, Grant maintained his customary levelheadedness despite clamor for ven­geance. He hoped that in President Andrew Johnson “we will find a man dis­posed and capable of conducting the gov­ernment in its old channel.”

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