U.S. Grant from April 15 -26, 1865

[Linda Anderson]

According to Grant by Jean Edward Smith, on April 14th, "the Grants arrived at Broad Street station [Philadelphia] about midnight and went directly to Bloodgood's Hotel, where a telegraph messenger was waiting."

After reading the telegraph that stated that the President, Secretary Seward and Seward's son Frederick were assassinated, "Grant escorted Julia across the Delaware River to Burlington and then returned to Washington without escort or bodyguard...Not knowing the extent of the conspiracy, he fired off a telegram to General Ord in Richmond instructing him to incarcerate any member of the old Confederate city council who had not taken the oath of allegiance to the United States. 'Also, arrest all paroled officers and surgeons until they can be sent beyond our lines, unless they take the oath of allegiance. Extreme rigor will have to be observed whilst assassination remains the order of the day with the Rebels.'
"Ord kept his head. He admired the general in chief but he realized that Grant was overreacting. There was no complicity in Richmond, and Ord said so. 'Lee and his staff are in town among the paroled prisoners. Should I arrest them?' Ord said to do so would reopen war...
"Ord's message hit Grant like a splash of cold water. 'On reflection, I withdraw my dispatch,' he wired back. Ord was told to handle the situation as he thought best...
"For the next two days Grant busied himself with arrangements for Lincoln's funeral...
"Following the funeral Grant returned to his office to organize the final mop-up of Confederate resistance...Grant's concern was North Carolina, where Joseph E. Johnston's army was still in the field...
"On April 21, Major Henry Hitchcock, Sherman's aide, arrived at Grant's office with a copy of the agreement Sherman had made with Johnston... Despite his earlier disclaimer, Sherman had proposed a general peace settlement. Rather than surrender in the field, Confederate troops were to march to their respective state capitals, deposit their weapons in state arsenals, and disband. Rebel state leaders and legislators would take the oath of allegiance, whereupon the existing state governments would be restored to the Union with full authority. Courts would be reopened, and all Southerners would regain full political and property rights 'as defined by the Constitution and the states, respectively.' This provision, it could be argued, would have provided for the perpetuation of slavery."

When Grant read the memorandum to his cabinet, "President Johnson and Stanton were especially bitter in their condemnation, impugning Sherman's motives and suggesting that his action smacked of treason."

Grant went on a secret mission to North Carolina "...because he did not wish to embarrass Sherman any more than he had to. He arrived unannounced at Uncle Billy's Raleigh headquarters the morning of April 24th, informed his friend why the agreement with Johnston would not do, and told him to negotiate a new accord based on the terms Lee received at Appomattox...Sherman met again with Johnston, and on April 26 concluded a new agreement identical to the terms Grant had given Lee."