Part 3, Grant (February 3, 1865) Lee (February 1865): Chapters 35-36 Summary

Chapter 35 gives the scene of Confederate officials visiting Lincoln near Grant's headquarters. The officials, consisting of the vice president, assistant secretary of war, and president of the senate first pass by Lee's army before entering the Union encampment and being escorted by Federal soldiers to Lincoln, who is in a steamer on the river. The peace negations go nowhere because Lincoln wants the Confederacy to rejoin the Union. Davis has given the officials orders to not agree to this under any circumstances. Lincoln later discusses the negotiations with Grant. The President says that he was willing to give a blank sheet of paper to the Confederates, on which they could have laid out their requirements. Lincoln was even prepared to allow slavery in the South if it meant preserving the Union...