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Lincoln's Greatest Journey: Sixteen Days that Changed a Presidency, March 24 - April 8, 1865
March 1865: The United States was at a crossroads and, truth be told, Abraham Lincoln was a sick man. “I am very unwell,” he confided to a close acquaintance. A vast and terrible civil war was winding down, leaving momentous questions for a war-weary president to address. A timely invitation from General U. S. Grant provided the impetus for an escape to City Point, Virginia, a journey from which Abraham Lincoln drew much more than he ever expected. Lincoln’s Greatest Journey: Sixteen Days that Changed a Presidency, March 24 – April 8, 1865, by Noah Andre Trudeau offers the first comprehensive account of a momentous time.
Lincoln traveled to City Point, Virginia, in late March 1865 to escape the constant interruptions in the nation’s capital that were carrying off a portion of his “vitality,” and to make his personal amends for having presided over the most destructive war in American history in order to save the nation. Lincoln returned to Washington sixteen days later with a renewed sense of purpose, urgency, and direction that would fundamentally shape his second term agenda.
Previous coverage of this unprecedented trip―his longest break from the White House since he had taken office―has been sketchy at best, and often based on seriously flawed sources. Lincoln’s Greatest Journey represents the most extensively researched and detailed story of these decisive sixteen days at City Point in a narrative laden with many heretofore unpublished accounts. The richly shaped prose, a hallmark of Trudeau’s pen, rewrites much of the heretofore misunderstood story of what really happened to Lincoln during this time.
A fresh, more complete picture of Lincoln emerges. This is Lincoln at a time of great personal and national change―the story of how he made peace with the past and became firmly future-focused, all set against a dramatically new narrative of what really happened during those last weeks of his life. It infuses the well-worn Lincoln narrative with fresh sources to fundamentally change an often-told story in ways large and small. Rather than treat Lincoln as a dead man walking when he returns to Washington, Trudeau paints him as he surely was―a changed man profoundly influenced by all that he experienced while at City Point.
Lincoln’s Greatest Journey represents an important addition to the Lincoln saga. The conventional wisdom that there’s nothing new to be learned about Lincoln is due for a major reset.
Lincoln traveled to City Point, Virginia, in late March 1865 to escape the constant interruptions in the nation’s capital that were carrying off a portion of his “vitality,” and to make his personal amends for having presided over the most destructive war in American history in order to save the nation. Lincoln returned to Washington sixteen days later with a renewed sense of purpose, urgency, and direction that would fundamentally shape his second term agenda.
Previous coverage of this unprecedented trip―his longest break from the White House since he had taken office―has been sketchy at best, and often based on seriously flawed sources. Lincoln’s Greatest Journey represents the most extensively researched and detailed story of these decisive sixteen days at City Point in a narrative laden with many heretofore unpublished accounts. The richly shaped prose, a hallmark of Trudeau’s pen, rewrites much of the heretofore misunderstood story of what really happened to Lincoln during this time.
A fresh, more complete picture of Lincoln emerges. This is Lincoln at a time of great personal and national change―the story of how he made peace with the past and became firmly future-focused, all set against a dramatically new narrative of what really happened during those last weeks of his life. It infuses the well-worn Lincoln narrative with fresh sources to fundamentally change an often-told story in ways large and small. Rather than treat Lincoln as a dead man walking when he returns to Washington, Trudeau paints him as he surely was―a changed man profoundly influenced by all that he experienced while at City Point.
Lincoln’s Greatest Journey represents an important addition to the Lincoln saga. The conventional wisdom that there’s nothing new to be learned about Lincoln is due for a major reset.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published August 15, 2016
123 people are currently reading
526 people want to read
About the author
Noah Andre Trudeau
16 books48 followersAmerican Civil War historian. He has won the Civil War Round Table of New York's Fletcher Pratt Award and the Jerry Coffey Memorial Book Prize. A former executive producer at National Public Radio, he lives in Washington, DC.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
April 30, 2025
Lincoln At City Point
Late in his presidency and late in the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln took a sixteen day trip to City Point, Virginia. The trip was intended to give a tired, ailing Lincoln rest from the stresses of Washington, D.C. While it offered a change of scene and time for reflection, the trip occurred at a pivotal time and gave Lincoln much to do. Within a week of his return to Washington, Lincoln was assassinated on April 14, 1865.
In his recent book, "Lincoln's Greatest Journey: Sixteen days that Changed a Presidency, March 24 -- April 8, 1865", historian Noah Andre Trudeau weaves together the story of Lincoln's trip with the story of the final days of the war. Of Trudeau's several earlier Civil War studies, the most relevant to this new book is "The Last Citadel: Petersburg June, 1864 -- April, 1865". I read "The Last Citadel" in 2003 following a visit to Petersburg and learned a great deal.
Following an introductory chapter setting the stage, Trudeau devotes a chapter to each day of Lincoln's trip. Trudeau offers an excellent depiction of City Point, the staging area on the James River where Grant had his headquarters. Grant lived in a small cottage and managed the war effort, with a hospital, holding area for prisoners, large Navy fleet, railroad, and supply areas nearby. The book shows a great deal of the area and of the ships on which Lincoln and his wife stayed for much of the time during the trip. The book describes Lincoln's heavy political activity during the trip including meetings with Grant, Porter, and Sherman. By this time in the war, Lincoln had learned to leave military matters to his trusted generals. The book also shows Lincoln's many interactions with lesser-known people, including a ship captain, a telegraph operator, and many individual soldiers. The most moving section of the book describes Lincoln's visit to the Union hospital late in his trip, on April 8, where he shook hands or spoke to over 5000 wounded soldiers.
Lincoln's visit coincided with the final days of the war. Trudeau's account begins with Robert E. Lee's failed and costly attack on Fort Stedman. It continues through the breakthrough at Five Forks, the storming of the Confederate entrenchments, and the fall of Petersburg and Richmond. On the whole, these military sections of the book read more effectively than the sections dealing with Lincoln and his visit. The various themes of the book dovetail, of course, as Trudeau describes Lincoln's visits to both Petersburg and Richmond after their abandonment by Lee and the Confederate government.
Lincoln's visit continued through the final pursuit which led to the surrender at Appomattox. Here too, the book weaves a military account with the story of Lincoln's visit. Lincoln was kept informed of military events and even telegraphed the dispatches he received back to Washington, D.C. under his own name. Besides taking some opportunity to rest, he visited with soldiers and civilians, including the hospital visit, and thought a great deal about the upcoming period of Reconstruction. When Lee surrendered on April 9, Lincoln had left City Point and was on his way back to Washington.
Trudeau effectively combines his two themes -- Lincoln's trip and the final days of the war. The book shows how much happened in a short time during the war's final days. Trudeau offers a personal portrayal of Lincoln as well as a good basic military history from the Union side of the line. The account of Lincoln's visit on occasion becomes bogged down with trivialities. A fine feature of the book is the concluding appendix. Trudeau discusses his sources and provides insight into his thought process in accepting or rejecting various accounts of Lincoln's activities during his trip. For example, Trudeau discusses why he rejects the popular story that, when he visited Richmond, Lincoln sat in the presidential chair of Jefferson Davis. It is valuable and relatively unusual to have a historian explain the nature of the decisions that need to be made in writing a historical narrative.
Trudeau's writing varies from eloquent to slow --- with too much unnecessary detail in places. As an example of effective writing, here is Trudeau's depiction of the surrender at Appomattox.
"The spirit of Lincoln hovered over Grant's shoulder with an approving nod. Lee's soldiers were to return to their homes with a promise not to fight again. Military weapons, save for personal side arms, would be surrendered. The Rebels were officially assured that once they were home they would not 'be disturbed by United States authority' as long as they obeyed U.S. laws. Lee had no problem with everything he read, but he wondered if those of his soldiers who actually owned the horses they were riding could keep them. Grant offered to give verbal orders to allow this to happen. He also agreed to send rations over to Confederate encampments. This was all acceptable." (p.249)
Trudeau's book added to my appreciation of both the Civil War and of Lincoln's presidency. The book is published by Savas Beatie, and the publisher kindly sent me a review copy.
Robin Friedman
Late in his presidency and late in the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln took a sixteen day trip to City Point, Virginia. The trip was intended to give a tired, ailing Lincoln rest from the stresses of Washington, D.C. While it offered a change of scene and time for reflection, the trip occurred at a pivotal time and gave Lincoln much to do. Within a week of his return to Washington, Lincoln was assassinated on April 14, 1865.
In his recent book, "Lincoln's Greatest Journey: Sixteen days that Changed a Presidency, March 24 -- April 8, 1865", historian Noah Andre Trudeau weaves together the story of Lincoln's trip with the story of the final days of the war. Of Trudeau's several earlier Civil War studies, the most relevant to this new book is "The Last Citadel: Petersburg June, 1864 -- April, 1865". I read "The Last Citadel" in 2003 following a visit to Petersburg and learned a great deal.
Following an introductory chapter setting the stage, Trudeau devotes a chapter to each day of Lincoln's trip. Trudeau offers an excellent depiction of City Point, the staging area on the James River where Grant had his headquarters. Grant lived in a small cottage and managed the war effort, with a hospital, holding area for prisoners, large Navy fleet, railroad, and supply areas nearby. The book shows a great deal of the area and of the ships on which Lincoln and his wife stayed for much of the time during the trip. The book describes Lincoln's heavy political activity during the trip including meetings with Grant, Porter, and Sherman. By this time in the war, Lincoln had learned to leave military matters to his trusted generals. The book also shows Lincoln's many interactions with lesser-known people, including a ship captain, a telegraph operator, and many individual soldiers. The most moving section of the book describes Lincoln's visit to the Union hospital late in his trip, on April 8, where he shook hands or spoke to over 5000 wounded soldiers.
Lincoln's visit coincided with the final days of the war. Trudeau's account begins with Robert E. Lee's failed and costly attack on Fort Stedman. It continues through the breakthrough at Five Forks, the storming of the Confederate entrenchments, and the fall of Petersburg and Richmond. On the whole, these military sections of the book read more effectively than the sections dealing with Lincoln and his visit. The various themes of the book dovetail, of course, as Trudeau describes Lincoln's visits to both Petersburg and Richmond after their abandonment by Lee and the Confederate government.
Lincoln's visit continued through the final pursuit which led to the surrender at Appomattox. Here too, the book weaves a military account with the story of Lincoln's visit. Lincoln was kept informed of military events and even telegraphed the dispatches he received back to Washington, D.C. under his own name. Besides taking some opportunity to rest, he visited with soldiers and civilians, including the hospital visit, and thought a great deal about the upcoming period of Reconstruction. When Lee surrendered on April 9, Lincoln had left City Point and was on his way back to Washington.
Trudeau effectively combines his two themes -- Lincoln's trip and the final days of the war. The book shows how much happened in a short time during the war's final days. Trudeau offers a personal portrayal of Lincoln as well as a good basic military history from the Union side of the line. The account of Lincoln's visit on occasion becomes bogged down with trivialities. A fine feature of the book is the concluding appendix. Trudeau discusses his sources and provides insight into his thought process in accepting or rejecting various accounts of Lincoln's activities during his trip. For example, Trudeau discusses why he rejects the popular story that, when he visited Richmond, Lincoln sat in the presidential chair of Jefferson Davis. It is valuable and relatively unusual to have a historian explain the nature of the decisions that need to be made in writing a historical narrative.
Trudeau's writing varies from eloquent to slow --- with too much unnecessary detail in places. As an example of effective writing, here is Trudeau's depiction of the surrender at Appomattox.
"The spirit of Lincoln hovered over Grant's shoulder with an approving nod. Lee's soldiers were to return to their homes with a promise not to fight again. Military weapons, save for personal side arms, would be surrendered. The Rebels were officially assured that once they were home they would not 'be disturbed by United States authority' as long as they obeyed U.S. laws. Lee had no problem with everything he read, but he wondered if those of his soldiers who actually owned the horses they were riding could keep them. Grant offered to give verbal orders to allow this to happen. He also agreed to send rations over to Confederate encampments. This was all acceptable." (p.249)
Trudeau's book added to my appreciation of both the Civil War and of Lincoln's presidency. The book is published by Savas Beatie, and the publisher kindly sent me a review copy.
Robin Friedman
January 22, 2025
It seems somehow fitting that Abraham Lincoln spent some of the final days of the Civil War, of his presidency, and his life, on the war front. It allowed him to see for himself the outcome of the struggle that he had largely managed from afar, and perhaps more importantly, gave him a clearer understanding of what needed to be done next to bring the postwar country back together.
Lincoln’s 1865 visit to City Point, Virginia is featured in just about any book about the end of the Civil War or about Lincoln’s presidency. But it can often be portrayed as either a trite, tidy denouement to the war, or as a melancholy tale with ominous overtones foreshadowing Lincoln’s death. In giving book-length treatment to this specific time period, Trudeau avoids the cliches and treats it not as the end of a story about the Civil War, or the beginning of a story about Lincoln’s final days, but as a story worth telling in its own right.
The first thing I’d highlight about this book is the impeccable research that went into it. Because the trip turned out to be Lincoln’s last, it’s become embellished with legend and lore added after the fact. Trudeau offers an extensive appendix on sources, which I actually read first, where he details his research, the trustworthiness of various sources, and how he separated fact from fiction.
Reading this appendix before the main narrative provided good context in support of Trudeau’s conclusions. Sometimes these conclusions are stated outright in the narrative - during Lincoln’s tour of Richmond, for example, “the often repeated story of him sitting in Jefferson Davis’s chair did not happen,” Trudeau declares (and the appendix explains why). Other times, when witnesses’ accounts differ, he includes them all and lets the reader decide what really happened. And still other times, the appendix explains why Trudeau related a story that seems somehow dubious - coming upon three stray kittens outside the City Point telegraph office, Lincoln picks them up, pets them, and asks for them to be well cared for. This story is often used as a seemingly-implausible parable to illustrate Lincoln’s tenderness, and Trudeau’s appendix acknowledges that it seems “too good to be true.” But he goes on to explain how he found enough sources corroborating the tale that he decided to go with it, and only after careful consideration.
So all of this is to say that Trudeau tells a very well-researched story. But he also tells a very well-written and compelling one. Each day of Lincoln’s visit constitutes a chapter, which shows how events unfolded in real time. And unlike other books I’ve read that take a similar day-by-day approach to historical events, Trudeau has enough material to work with here that there’s no filler - no flashbacks or sidebars to flesh out a chapter about a day where not much happened.
While the story is Lincoln-centered, it also captures the state of the war at the time, and shifts focus at times to Gen. Grant’s preparations for a final battle to take Petersburg and Richmond, and Gen. Lee’s efforts to put up a fight for his army’s continued survival. It’s all important context, as everyone could sense the end of the war was near, and Lincoln ended up extending what was initially meant to be a short stay, in order to witness the war’s end as it happened. “He wanted very much to be on the scene when news arrived that Grant had captured or destroyed Lee's army,” Trudeau writes.
Sometimes Lincoln’s presence is helpful, as when he’s able to meet with Grant and discuss his next moves. Other times, he seems like a guest who has overstayed his welcome, and his hosts aren’t sure how to keep him occupied. And you can sense how some likely wished he wasn’t there at all, when his wife Mary was around. Mary’s haughty, imperious, erratic behavior during her time spent at the front is typically told in different ways, depending on who’s doing the telling. Her defenders tend to downplay it, while her critics emphasize her worst behavior (in Abraham Lincoln: A Life, Michael Burlingame writes how she “indulged in hysterics,” while Doris Kearns Goodwin gently suggests in Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln that “a migraine headache” may have spurred Mary’s “irrational outburst.”) Trudeau doesn’t pass judgment, condemn Mary or make excuses for her, but simply describes her well-documented behavior and the effect it had on Lincoln.
The story builds to Lincoln’s visits to occupied Petersburg and Richmond, which Trudeau describes by detailing what is known and dismissing what is apocryphal. Eventually, duty calls and Lincoln realizes he can no longer linger and await Lee’s surrender, so he decides to return to Washington. While he didn’t get to witness the end of the war as he had hoped, he was able to thank the soldiers, comfort the wounded, receive the thanks of freed slaves, and see firsthand the impact of the war, and all that it had both devastated and achieved. Trudeau goes on to juxtapose, moment-by-moment, Lincoln’s journey back to Washington and the negotiations for Lee’s surrender. Turns out Lincoln left just a day too soon.
In starting on the epilogue, I found myself hoping that Trudeau wouldn’t tarnish a very good, focused book by ending with a cheap, mawkish treatment of Lincoln’s assassination. Thankfully, he was smarter than that. He only makes oblique reference to Lincoln’s death, instead choosing to focus on how the trip to the front changed Lincoln, refreshing a war-weary president, leaving him “energized to lead the country forward.” We’re left to wonder how he might have done so. But in keeping with the objective of this very well-told, focused, fact-based book - Trudeau wisely leaves that wondering to us.
Lincoln’s 1865 visit to City Point, Virginia is featured in just about any book about the end of the Civil War or about Lincoln’s presidency. But it can often be portrayed as either a trite, tidy denouement to the war, or as a melancholy tale with ominous overtones foreshadowing Lincoln’s death. In giving book-length treatment to this specific time period, Trudeau avoids the cliches and treats it not as the end of a story about the Civil War, or the beginning of a story about Lincoln’s final days, but as a story worth telling in its own right.
The first thing I’d highlight about this book is the impeccable research that went into it. Because the trip turned out to be Lincoln’s last, it’s become embellished with legend and lore added after the fact. Trudeau offers an extensive appendix on sources, which I actually read first, where he details his research, the trustworthiness of various sources, and how he separated fact from fiction.
Reading this appendix before the main narrative provided good context in support of Trudeau’s conclusions. Sometimes these conclusions are stated outright in the narrative - during Lincoln’s tour of Richmond, for example, “the often repeated story of him sitting in Jefferson Davis’s chair did not happen,” Trudeau declares (and the appendix explains why). Other times, when witnesses’ accounts differ, he includes them all and lets the reader decide what really happened. And still other times, the appendix explains why Trudeau related a story that seems somehow dubious - coming upon three stray kittens outside the City Point telegraph office, Lincoln picks them up, pets them, and asks for them to be well cared for. This story is often used as a seemingly-implausible parable to illustrate Lincoln’s tenderness, and Trudeau’s appendix acknowledges that it seems “too good to be true.” But he goes on to explain how he found enough sources corroborating the tale that he decided to go with it, and only after careful consideration.
So all of this is to say that Trudeau tells a very well-researched story. But he also tells a very well-written and compelling one. Each day of Lincoln’s visit constitutes a chapter, which shows how events unfolded in real time. And unlike other books I’ve read that take a similar day-by-day approach to historical events, Trudeau has enough material to work with here that there’s no filler - no flashbacks or sidebars to flesh out a chapter about a day where not much happened.
While the story is Lincoln-centered, it also captures the state of the war at the time, and shifts focus at times to Gen. Grant’s preparations for a final battle to take Petersburg and Richmond, and Gen. Lee’s efforts to put up a fight for his army’s continued survival. It’s all important context, as everyone could sense the end of the war was near, and Lincoln ended up extending what was initially meant to be a short stay, in order to witness the war’s end as it happened. “He wanted very much to be on the scene when news arrived that Grant had captured or destroyed Lee's army,” Trudeau writes.
Sometimes Lincoln’s presence is helpful, as when he’s able to meet with Grant and discuss his next moves. Other times, he seems like a guest who has overstayed his welcome, and his hosts aren’t sure how to keep him occupied. And you can sense how some likely wished he wasn’t there at all, when his wife Mary was around. Mary’s haughty, imperious, erratic behavior during her time spent at the front is typically told in different ways, depending on who’s doing the telling. Her defenders tend to downplay it, while her critics emphasize her worst behavior (in Abraham Lincoln: A Life, Michael Burlingame writes how she “indulged in hysterics,” while Doris Kearns Goodwin gently suggests in Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln that “a migraine headache” may have spurred Mary’s “irrational outburst.”) Trudeau doesn’t pass judgment, condemn Mary or make excuses for her, but simply describes her well-documented behavior and the effect it had on Lincoln.
The story builds to Lincoln’s visits to occupied Petersburg and Richmond, which Trudeau describes by detailing what is known and dismissing what is apocryphal. Eventually, duty calls and Lincoln realizes he can no longer linger and await Lee’s surrender, so he decides to return to Washington. While he didn’t get to witness the end of the war as he had hoped, he was able to thank the soldiers, comfort the wounded, receive the thanks of freed slaves, and see firsthand the impact of the war, and all that it had both devastated and achieved. Trudeau goes on to juxtapose, moment-by-moment, Lincoln’s journey back to Washington and the negotiations for Lee’s surrender. Turns out Lincoln left just a day too soon.
In starting on the epilogue, I found myself hoping that Trudeau wouldn’t tarnish a very good, focused book by ending with a cheap, mawkish treatment of Lincoln’s assassination. Thankfully, he was smarter than that. He only makes oblique reference to Lincoln’s death, instead choosing to focus on how the trip to the front changed Lincoln, refreshing a war-weary president, leaving him “energized to lead the country forward.” We’re left to wonder how he might have done so. But in keeping with the objective of this very well-told, focused, fact-based book - Trudeau wisely leaves that wondering to us.
March 20, 2017
Civil War historian Noah Andre Trudeau takes on a critical period of Lincoln's final weeks that has only been addressed in full a few times before. His treatment of the "sixteen days that changed a presidency" is stellar.
On March 24, 1865, as Union General Ulysses S. Grant was getting ready to make his final push to take the city of Petersburg, Virginia, which he had under siege since the previous June, President Lincoln decided it would be a good time to visit the front. He was exhausted with his duties in Washington and needed a rest; but he also wanted to be close by should Grant finally be able to bring this long war to an end. Family in tow, Lincoln took a steamboat down to City Point for "a few days" that stretched to sixteen.
Trudeau begins with a nice introductory chapter that summarizes the events of January to March leading up to the present status. Grant's army has Confederate General Robert E. Lee's army backed up and running out of supplies. Petersburg is ready to fall; Richmond is on the precipice as well. General Sheridan has joined up with Grant after a successful run down the Shenandoah Valley. General Sherman is moving his troops north through the Carolina's after completing his march to the sea. All sense the end of the war is near. After Sheridan says he thinks Lee will surrender if the thing be pressed, Lincoln tells Grant: "Let it be pressed."
Each of the following sixteen chapters cover the events of that specific day (e.g., Chapter 2: Saturday, March 25, 1865). Thus, we experience the building excitement as the armies prepare for what would be a final series of assaults, a desperate retreat, an energetic offense nipping at Lee's heels, and a final, almost anti-climatic, surrender. Trudeau weaves these scenes of action in and out of the daily activities of Abraham Lincoln as he waits for word back in City Point, then rides into Petersburg to see the captured city, followed by an emotional visit to Richmond merely days after the confederate government has escaped south.
Trudeau brings us into the various interactions Lincoln has with soldiers, generals, and seamen, plus the sometimes difficult times when Mary Lincoln is present. Son Tad enjoys his 12th birthday exploring the streets of Richmond with is father. Lincoln spends an entire day shaking the hands of up to 6000 wounded soldiers in the Depot Field Hospital. Lincoln even tries his hand at providing "dispatches from the front," forwarding updates from Grant up to Secretary of War Stanton for distribution to northern newspapers. In his postscript, Trudeau likens this to Roosevelt's later "fireside chats" via radio as a way Lincoln pioneered speaking directly to the people.
The writing style is that of a storyteller. Trudeau often builds anticipation as events unfold. At the same time there are sections that are so filled with detail that novice readers may get distracted. Overall, however, the book is eminently readable and comprehensibly researched.
This last point is emphasized in an Appendix Trudeau titles "Sources Casebook." For those who know the general story of City Point, this appendix is to be cherished for its valuable insights. The most famous previous work on City Point was a 1989 book by Donald Pfanz. While well researched, the book relies heavily on written accounts by William Crook and Admiral David Porter. Trudeau has done comprehensive additional research to determine the veracity of statements made by these two men. Using ship's logs, availability of corroborating evidence, and the timing of key letters and telegraphs, Trudeau has determined that Crook's account is woefully unreliable and essentially fabricated. In fact, Crook wasn't even there. Porter's account is more difficult to interpret as he clearly was there and was a major player. However, he too tended toward exaggeration and fantasy in some of his storytelling. The value of this appendix is that for each chapter Trudeau describes exactly how he came to accept or reject the uncertainties of each account. This gives the reader increased confidence in the veracity of the story Trudeau tells.
Throughout the book there are interesting anecdotes (yes, the story of Lincoln chopping wood with an axe at Depot Field Hospital is true). Trudeau deftly weaves the ongoing battles with Lincoln's day to day activities. In doing so, Trudeau provides both a comprehensive and entertaining look at this critical period in the Civil War, in Lincoln's presidency, and in our history. This book is definitely worth putting on your reading list.
On March 24, 1865, as Union General Ulysses S. Grant was getting ready to make his final push to take the city of Petersburg, Virginia, which he had under siege since the previous June, President Lincoln decided it would be a good time to visit the front. He was exhausted with his duties in Washington and needed a rest; but he also wanted to be close by should Grant finally be able to bring this long war to an end. Family in tow, Lincoln took a steamboat down to City Point for "a few days" that stretched to sixteen.
Trudeau begins with a nice introductory chapter that summarizes the events of January to March leading up to the present status. Grant's army has Confederate General Robert E. Lee's army backed up and running out of supplies. Petersburg is ready to fall; Richmond is on the precipice as well. General Sheridan has joined up with Grant after a successful run down the Shenandoah Valley. General Sherman is moving his troops north through the Carolina's after completing his march to the sea. All sense the end of the war is near. After Sheridan says he thinks Lee will surrender if the thing be pressed, Lincoln tells Grant: "Let it be pressed."
Each of the following sixteen chapters cover the events of that specific day (e.g., Chapter 2: Saturday, March 25, 1865). Thus, we experience the building excitement as the armies prepare for what would be a final series of assaults, a desperate retreat, an energetic offense nipping at Lee's heels, and a final, almost anti-climatic, surrender. Trudeau weaves these scenes of action in and out of the daily activities of Abraham Lincoln as he waits for word back in City Point, then rides into Petersburg to see the captured city, followed by an emotional visit to Richmond merely days after the confederate government has escaped south.
Trudeau brings us into the various interactions Lincoln has with soldiers, generals, and seamen, plus the sometimes difficult times when Mary Lincoln is present. Son Tad enjoys his 12th birthday exploring the streets of Richmond with is father. Lincoln spends an entire day shaking the hands of up to 6000 wounded soldiers in the Depot Field Hospital. Lincoln even tries his hand at providing "dispatches from the front," forwarding updates from Grant up to Secretary of War Stanton for distribution to northern newspapers. In his postscript, Trudeau likens this to Roosevelt's later "fireside chats" via radio as a way Lincoln pioneered speaking directly to the people.
The writing style is that of a storyteller. Trudeau often builds anticipation as events unfold. At the same time there are sections that are so filled with detail that novice readers may get distracted. Overall, however, the book is eminently readable and comprehensibly researched.
This last point is emphasized in an Appendix Trudeau titles "Sources Casebook." For those who know the general story of City Point, this appendix is to be cherished for its valuable insights. The most famous previous work on City Point was a 1989 book by Donald Pfanz. While well researched, the book relies heavily on written accounts by William Crook and Admiral David Porter. Trudeau has done comprehensive additional research to determine the veracity of statements made by these two men. Using ship's logs, availability of corroborating evidence, and the timing of key letters and telegraphs, Trudeau has determined that Crook's account is woefully unreliable and essentially fabricated. In fact, Crook wasn't even there. Porter's account is more difficult to interpret as he clearly was there and was a major player. However, he too tended toward exaggeration and fantasy in some of his storytelling. The value of this appendix is that for each chapter Trudeau describes exactly how he came to accept or reject the uncertainties of each account. This gives the reader increased confidence in the veracity of the story Trudeau tells.
Throughout the book there are interesting anecdotes (yes, the story of Lincoln chopping wood with an axe at Depot Field Hospital is true). Trudeau deftly weaves the ongoing battles with Lincoln's day to day activities. In doing so, Trudeau provides both a comprehensive and entertaining look at this critical period in the Civil War, in Lincoln's presidency, and in our history. This book is definitely worth putting on your reading list.
February 11, 2026
This is perhaps Trudeau's best book. The appendix on his use of sources makes this an invaluable work for understanding the historian's craft. With that he provides the most plausible account of Lincoln's visit, a tale wrapped in many myths given his deification after April 15, 1865.
Not sure if this changed a presidency, but it certainly changed how I looked at Lincoln's visit, or at least why he did it and why it lasted so long.
Not sure if this changed a presidency, but it certainly changed how I looked at Lincoln's visit, or at least why he did it and why it lasted so long.
November 28, 2016
I've read many Lincoln books and there is a load of new information here. Most humanizing portrayal of the man I've come across.
December 11, 2016
A very nice work on President Abraham Lincoln's visit to General Ulysses Grant's headquarters at City Point, Virginia. He stayed about two weeks. This book, by the excellent Civil War historian Noah Trudeau, explores the events and the effects on Lincoln himself.
Over that period of time, Lincoln spoke with his elite generals--Grant, Sherman, and Sheridan--and went into Richmond after the Confederate capitol fell to Union forces. Through the telegraph, he stayed in touch with Washington, D. C. and his government. He visited troops along the Fredericksburg line. His son was an aide to General Grant and had some chances to speak with him. For part of his stay, the rest of his family joined him. The travails of the stay with his wife, Mary, must have stretched his patience to its limit. Thus, he experienced much and learned much during his stay in Virginia.
Trudeau also argues that it gave him fresh life, energized him, and Secretary of the Navy Gedeon Welles said--"he never saw Mr. Lincoln so cheerful and happy." The visit also crystallized his thinking about next steps, since it was clear that the Confederacy was "gone up" after Lee's retreat from the Richmond area.
All in all, a worthwhile read.
Over that period of time, Lincoln spoke with his elite generals--Grant, Sherman, and Sheridan--and went into Richmond after the Confederate capitol fell to Union forces. Through the telegraph, he stayed in touch with Washington, D. C. and his government. He visited troops along the Fredericksburg line. His son was an aide to General Grant and had some chances to speak with him. For part of his stay, the rest of his family joined him. The travails of the stay with his wife, Mary, must have stretched his patience to its limit. Thus, he experienced much and learned much during his stay in Virginia.
Trudeau also argues that it gave him fresh life, energized him, and Secretary of the Navy Gedeon Welles said--"he never saw Mr. Lincoln so cheerful and happy." The visit also crystallized his thinking about next steps, since it was clear that the Confederacy was "gone up" after Lee's retreat from the Richmond area.
All in all, a worthwhile read.
December 13, 2019
First off, my apologies to the author for relegating this book to the bottom of one of my TBR stacks. This book deserved to be read sooner. In my defense, I have been rather busy with holiday festivities, but that's still a lame excuse for not finishing what I started. So back to the book in question. It was amazing. I mean, it reads like a play-by-play of Lincoln's last vacation from Washington. The author does a thorough job of documenting Lincoln's whereabouts and movements during late March and early April 1865. I thought it was a well balanced narrative, with many excerpts from eyewitness accounts of the time. Bottom line is that if Civil War history is your thing, this title should definitely be at the top of your "nice" list.
January 16, 2025
Probably more 3.5/5 but I'll round up.
A very detailed look at Lincoln's trip to the front during the last days of the Richmond-Petersburg Campaign. It was an interesting book. The title is a bit hyperbolas; I am not sure this journey "changed a presidency" other than the fact that the Civil War basically ended while Lincoln was visiting the Army of the Potomac, though the war probably would have ended at the same time had Lincoln not been there.
A very detailed look at Lincoln's trip to the front during the last days of the Richmond-Petersburg Campaign. It was an interesting book. The title is a bit hyperbolas; I am not sure this journey "changed a presidency" other than the fact that the Civil War basically ended while Lincoln was visiting the Army of the Potomac, though the war probably would have ended at the same time had Lincoln not been there.
November 14, 2021
Trudeau breaks new ground with this book. Trudeau provides more detail on Lincoln's 16 day trip near the front in Virginia at the close of the Civil War than I have ever seen.
There were numerous stories (including Lincoln's full-day visit to the Depot Hospital at City Point) that I have never seen before.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of details that we simply don't have about the trip. Sadly, Trudeau frequently gives in to the temptation to make educated guesses and assumptions that are not supported by the historical record.
To his credit, Trudeau does make it clear when he is speculating, but the book would have been stronger without guesswork.
I was also quite surprised at the obvious disdain Trudeau has for Mary Lincoln. I am not challenging the veracity of his claims, but it seemed irrelevant to the main story.
This book is well worth reading for both Civil War and Lincoln buffs.
There were numerous stories (including Lincoln's full-day visit to the Depot Hospital at City Point) that I have never seen before.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of details that we simply don't have about the trip. Sadly, Trudeau frequently gives in to the temptation to make educated guesses and assumptions that are not supported by the historical record.
To his credit, Trudeau does make it clear when he is speculating, but the book would have been stronger without guesswork.
I was also quite surprised at the obvious disdain Trudeau has for Mary Lincoln. I am not challenging the veracity of his claims, but it seemed irrelevant to the main story.
This book is well worth reading for both Civil War and Lincoln buffs.
July 2, 2017
I learned about this book when I heard the author interviewed on the "History Author Show" podcast. It is one of the best books I've read in 2017. Mr. Trudeau is an excellent writer and historian who does exquisite research. I particularly appreciated his Sources Casebook in the appendix where he detailed his sources and how he reconciled conflicts in primary source material. I came away from the book with a deeper respect for Ulysses S. Grant and a more profound and abiding appreciation for President Lincoln. How Mr. Lincoln could be as gracious, kind, humble, and good-hearted as he was given the burdens he bore is truly breathtaking. I cannot recommend this book any higher.
December 12, 2023
Summary: A day by day account of the final trip Abraham Lincoln took for sixteen days at City Point, Virginia, the headquarters of Ulysses S. Grant, and how this transformed Lincoln.
It was Lincoln’s longest stay away from the White House during his presidency.. It didn’t start out that way. Lincoln, accompanied by his wife Mary, had planned a two day visit to Grant’s headquarters, beginning on March 24, 1865. Lee’s forces defending Richmond were slowly weakening as Grant extended his lines. The hope was that the decisive breakthrough ending the war was near. Phil Sheridan was rejoining Grant from the Shenandoah valley. Sherman, further off, was marching from the south.
Lincoln arrived as a war-weary president wanting to encourage Grant to finish the job. He described himself saying, “I am very unwell” and he looked it to observers who knew him. He ended up extending his stay for sixteen days and left a different man both physically and in outlook. Noah Andre Trudeau traces Lincoln’s day by day itinerary against the backdrop of the final days of the Civil War, filling in gaps in the somewhat sketchy outlines of Lincoln’s stay at City Point.
Perhaps the event that changed Lincoln’s plans was Grants repulse of the surprise attack on Fort Stedman on the second day. Grant realized that Lee was fatally weakened and further extended his own lines to the southwest and called on Sheridan to attack on Lee’s right flank. Lincoln attended the command summit a few days later that included Sherman as they readied the attack, encouraging them that “Your success is my success.”
As Grant moved west to be at the crucial point of attack, Lincoln was left with little to do but ride and walk, receive visits and visit field hospitals. Unwittingly, he became a war correspondent, passing news from Grant along to Washington, where his reports were disseminated to the public. In so doing, Lincoln broke new ground in media communications, changing the expectations of a president as public communicator to the nation.
Meanwhile, Trudeau also introduces us to the instabilty and vanity of Mary Lincoln and her dustups with Julia Grant. In the end, she returned early while Lincoln stayed on. The portrait of the First Lady is unflattering, suggesting what Lincoln and others who were around her suffered.
Trudeau covers Lincoln’s visits to Peterburg and Richmond, including the scant provisions for security on the first of these trips. A sniper could easily have ended his presidency right there. Instead, we see a president deeply moved both by war’s devastation and the joyful reception he received from emancipated former slaves.
Lincoln finally departs on April 8. One of the most moving descriptions in the book is Lincoln’s visit to the hospitals for each division, literally speaking to every wounded soldier, some who would die within days while others would carry memories of Lincolns attention and encouragement. Throughout the narrative, we hear of Lincoln’s concern to end the bloodshed. His visit reflected his awareness of the precious sacrifice these and many others had made. This included Confederate soldiers who Lincoln would welcome back to the Union without retribution.
And here we glimpse the transformation that Trudeau so skillfully traces. Lincoln came a weary commander-in-chief. He left anticipating the end of hostilities which came the next day. He returned to Washington committed to the task of reunifying a nation and embarking on a new era in the treatment of former slaves. He was physically restored, filled with a sense of fulfilled purpose, and ready for the new challenge of restoring the Union as a peace president. But first an evening’s entertainment at Ford’s Theater…
Trudeau offers us a well-rounded account of the sixteen days at City Point and how they changed Lincoln. Trudeau also reveals to us the depth of character of Lincoln, battered but resilient, firm in resolve, enthusiastic in support for Grant, and tender with the wounded. We see a man capable of growth as he meets former slaves. And we see a man with a far-reaching, magnanimous vision, one that would die with him.
It was Lincoln’s longest stay away from the White House during his presidency.. It didn’t start out that way. Lincoln, accompanied by his wife Mary, had planned a two day visit to Grant’s headquarters, beginning on March 24, 1865. Lee’s forces defending Richmond were slowly weakening as Grant extended his lines. The hope was that the decisive breakthrough ending the war was near. Phil Sheridan was rejoining Grant from the Shenandoah valley. Sherman, further off, was marching from the south.
Lincoln arrived as a war-weary president wanting to encourage Grant to finish the job. He described himself saying, “I am very unwell” and he looked it to observers who knew him. He ended up extending his stay for sixteen days and left a different man both physically and in outlook. Noah Andre Trudeau traces Lincoln’s day by day itinerary against the backdrop of the final days of the Civil War, filling in gaps in the somewhat sketchy outlines of Lincoln’s stay at City Point.
Perhaps the event that changed Lincoln’s plans was Grants repulse of the surprise attack on Fort Stedman on the second day. Grant realized that Lee was fatally weakened and further extended his own lines to the southwest and called on Sheridan to attack on Lee’s right flank. Lincoln attended the command summit a few days later that included Sherman as they readied the attack, encouraging them that “Your success is my success.”
As Grant moved west to be at the crucial point of attack, Lincoln was left with little to do but ride and walk, receive visits and visit field hospitals. Unwittingly, he became a war correspondent, passing news from Grant along to Washington, where his reports were disseminated to the public. In so doing, Lincoln broke new ground in media communications, changing the expectations of a president as public communicator to the nation.
Meanwhile, Trudeau also introduces us to the instabilty and vanity of Mary Lincoln and her dustups with Julia Grant. In the end, she returned early while Lincoln stayed on. The portrait of the First Lady is unflattering, suggesting what Lincoln and others who were around her suffered.
Trudeau covers Lincoln’s visits to Peterburg and Richmond, including the scant provisions for security on the first of these trips. A sniper could easily have ended his presidency right there. Instead, we see a president deeply moved both by war’s devastation and the joyful reception he received from emancipated former slaves.
Lincoln finally departs on April 8. One of the most moving descriptions in the book is Lincoln’s visit to the hospitals for each division, literally speaking to every wounded soldier, some who would die within days while others would carry memories of Lincolns attention and encouragement. Throughout the narrative, we hear of Lincoln’s concern to end the bloodshed. His visit reflected his awareness of the precious sacrifice these and many others had made. This included Confederate soldiers who Lincoln would welcome back to the Union without retribution.
And here we glimpse the transformation that Trudeau so skillfully traces. Lincoln came a weary commander-in-chief. He left anticipating the end of hostilities which came the next day. He returned to Washington committed to the task of reunifying a nation and embarking on a new era in the treatment of former slaves. He was physically restored, filled with a sense of fulfilled purpose, and ready for the new challenge of restoring the Union as a peace president. But first an evening’s entertainment at Ford’s Theater…
Trudeau offers us a well-rounded account of the sixteen days at City Point and how they changed Lincoln. Trudeau also reveals to us the depth of character of Lincoln, battered but resilient, firm in resolve, enthusiastic in support for Grant, and tender with the wounded. We see a man capable of growth as he meets former slaves. And we see a man with a far-reaching, magnanimous vision, one that would die with him.
June 16, 2017
Lincoln’s Greatest Journey, by Noah Andre Trudeau, covers a sixteen-day period of time in the closing days of the Civil War, when Lincoln, exhausted with the stress and emotional strain of the war, left Washington to visit Grant’s headquarters and see in person what was happening. There is much of value in this account, and I found that it helped complement the more extensive and in-depth biographies of Lincoln that have been provided by others. For good reason, it received the Richard Harwell Award, given by the Civil War Roundtable of Atlanta.
The book is titled Lincoln’s Greatest Journey, but the title is a misnomer – it’s not nearly as much about Lincoln as it is about other characters, such as U.S. Grant and William Tecumseh Sheridan, or even more, about the events that took place during the sixteen days in question. Actually, relatively little of it was directly about Lincoln. I appreciated the historical facts, events, and context provided by Trudeau’s research; it just wasn’t what I was expecting when I purchased the book.
While I appreciated this historical account of a relatively short period in Abraham Lincoln’s presidency, I did have a couple of issues with it. The biggest one is the speculation engaged in by the author. It has been described as an “extensively researched and detailed story,” but it seemed that every time I listened to a few pages, I was hearing “It appears that…” or “Perhaps he…” or “It may be that…” or other such ventures into the unknown. It seems to me that occasionally, and with compelling evidence, a historian may be excused a bit of speculation, but it was so frequent in Trudeau’s account that it became distracting and annoying. I would give the effort a “B” if I were grading it. He also follows tangents more often than I would like, which made it a bit difficult to follow the main train of thought, but I suspect that is as much a function of the short period of time he was examining. It would be difficult not to explore details when you are only working with a sixteen-day period.
My other complaint isn’t with the book, but with the reader. A professional should be…professional. You don’t expect a writer to frequently misspell common words; neither do you expect a professional reader to regularly mispronounce common words. Yet that is exactly what happened, all too often. For example, it’s not CAL-vary, it’s CAV-al-ry. That having been said, I liked his ability to bring different voices, accents, and so forth to life.
All in all, I enjoyed the book, and appreciated the added context and flavor it gave me about one of our greatest presidents.
The book is titled Lincoln’s Greatest Journey, but the title is a misnomer – it’s not nearly as much about Lincoln as it is about other characters, such as U.S. Grant and William Tecumseh Sheridan, or even more, about the events that took place during the sixteen days in question. Actually, relatively little of it was directly about Lincoln. I appreciated the historical facts, events, and context provided by Trudeau’s research; it just wasn’t what I was expecting when I purchased the book.
While I appreciated this historical account of a relatively short period in Abraham Lincoln’s presidency, I did have a couple of issues with it. The biggest one is the speculation engaged in by the author. It has been described as an “extensively researched and detailed story,” but it seemed that every time I listened to a few pages, I was hearing “It appears that…” or “Perhaps he…” or “It may be that…” or other such ventures into the unknown. It seems to me that occasionally, and with compelling evidence, a historian may be excused a bit of speculation, but it was so frequent in Trudeau’s account that it became distracting and annoying. I would give the effort a “B” if I were grading it. He also follows tangents more often than I would like, which made it a bit difficult to follow the main train of thought, but I suspect that is as much a function of the short period of time he was examining. It would be difficult not to explore details when you are only working with a sixteen-day period.
My other complaint isn’t with the book, but with the reader. A professional should be…professional. You don’t expect a writer to frequently misspell common words; neither do you expect a professional reader to regularly mispronounce common words. Yet that is exactly what happened, all too often. For example, it’s not CAL-vary, it’s CAV-al-ry. That having been said, I liked his ability to bring different voices, accents, and so forth to life.
All in all, I enjoyed the book, and appreciated the added context and flavor it gave me about one of our greatest presidents.
June 8, 2017
For anyone who has read Trudeau's The Last Citadel: Petersburg, Virginia, June 1864-April 1865, Lincoln's Greatest Journey: Sixteen Days that Changed a Presidency, March 24 - April 8, 1865 covers familiar ground. Lincoln's Greatest Journey differs from The Last Citadel in its focus; instead of focusing on the entirety of the Petersburg campaign, Lincoln's Greatest Journey focuses on just the 16 days during which Lincoln stayed with Grant and the Army at City Point and his visits to Petersburg and Richmond. Trudeau tells the story not just of the visit itself, but how the visit affected what happened as Petersburg and Richmond fell and the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia and how the visit affected Lincoln. He holds that the visit gave Lincoln a time to rest and that what he saw and experienced while with the Army modified his views and would have impacted his post-war policies toward reconstruction.
While Lincoln's Greatest Journey gets into some of the battles around Petersburg and the pursuit of the Army of Northern Virginia, it mostly looks at the interactions between Lincoln and Grant as well as other individuals and groups. Trudeau's writing is vivid and engaging, once you get going you truly don't want to put the book down. As in other books I've read by Trudeau, he really gets into the heads of who he's writing about, giving you good insight into their personalities.
I found The Last Citadel to be a compelling and worthy read, thoroughly enjoying it from beginning to end. You may disagree with his conclusions but I think you'll enjoy the journey he takes you on the make them.
While Lincoln's Greatest Journey gets into some of the battles around Petersburg and the pursuit of the Army of Northern Virginia, it mostly looks at the interactions between Lincoln and Grant as well as other individuals and groups. Trudeau's writing is vivid and engaging, once you get going you truly don't want to put the book down. As in other books I've read by Trudeau, he really gets into the heads of who he's writing about, giving you good insight into their personalities.
I found The Last Citadel to be a compelling and worthy read, thoroughly enjoying it from beginning to end. You may disagree with his conclusions but I think you'll enjoy the journey he takes you on the make them.
September 23, 2023
Having read a number of books on the life of Abraham Lincoln as well as the Civil War, I am pleased to say that this one filled in some omissions that I did not even know were there. This detailed coverage of what would be the final days of both the war and the Lincoln presidency is invaluable for any serious reader/scholar of 19th century American History. All of the legendary military commanders appear—Grant, Sherman, Sheridan, Meade, Porter, etc. Though Grant will always be my favorite (thanks to Ron Chernow’s massive door-stopper biography), I found another whose personality and exploits are also very fascinating—Phil Sheridan, the cavalry officer whose philosophy of warfare mirrored Grant’s. Go hard, be relentless, never turn back. I highly recommend this book if history is your passion.
February 9, 2023
I enjoyed this book. But I’d bet plenty wouldn’t. Essentially this is a play by play of almost everything Lincoln did during his time at City Point in 1865. There’s a lot of minutiae and minor details covered that I enjoyed “experiencing” alongside the group but which could potentially easily drag down the read for someone not deeply interested already. I’ve always enjoyed these “play by play” reads though, especially when it’s a topic and people I’m interested in. I probably can subtract a point though for the conclusion. While I can’t say I necessarily disagree with it, it wasn’t built up to well throughout the book. It was more a case of “now we’re at the end and here’s the epilogue with conclusions that weren’t terribly well earned.
May 16, 2017
A Lincoln Tale
There are many books written about Lincoln, too many to count. This book is a great story of the trip Lincoln took near the end of the civil war. behind the scene so to speak with input from just about every one Lincoln came into contact with on this trip. I really didn't know much about the trip except for him going to the Jefferson Davis house in Richmond. This boo is a great insight into the life of Lincoln and a small part of his presidency and his involvement of the civil war. I would recommend this book for any person who interested in Lincoln and or the civil war.
There are many books written about Lincoln, too many to count. This book is a great story of the trip Lincoln took near the end of the civil war. behind the scene so to speak with input from just about every one Lincoln came into contact with on this trip. I really didn't know much about the trip except for him going to the Jefferson Davis house in Richmond. This boo is a great insight into the life of Lincoln and a small part of his presidency and his involvement of the civil war. I would recommend this book for any person who interested in Lincoln and or the civil war.
August 2, 2018
This is an excellent book on Lincoln’s longest and last trip from Washington. Trudeau does a great job developing the itinerary of the trip by piecing together a multitude of sources. He also provides a wonderful appendix on how he evaluated the sources to arrive at the narrative he presented. The book clearly reveals the main characters, particularly Lincoln, as very human but also very complex people. Trudeau also reveals Lincoln, in some ways, as a very modern president.
April 3, 2024
Lincoln is truly the ultimate combination of greatness and goodness
This book, particularly the last chapter, reminded me why Abraham Lincoln
As a president and a human being is so compelling. Leadership with a heart
And a head. I was so moved by his visit to the field hospital where he visited
With so many patients with individual words of compassion and kindness.
It gives the reader incite into the core of is character as a great man.
This book, particularly the last chapter, reminded me why Abraham Lincoln
As a president and a human being is so compelling. Leadership with a heart
And a head. I was so moved by his visit to the field hospital where he visited
With so many patients with individual words of compassion and kindness.
It gives the reader incite into the core of is character as a great man.
December 16, 2025
Insightful and thought-provoking
I have read many texts on the Civil War, as well as biographies of Grant and Lincoln. None have detailed the events at city point – and integrated their affect on the thinking of both men – as Noah Trudeau’s book does.
I must read for every Civil War buff.
I have read many texts on the Civil War, as well as biographies of Grant and Lincoln. None have detailed the events at city point – and integrated their affect on the thinking of both men – as Noah Trudeau’s book does.
I must read for every Civil War buff.
July 31, 2022
I have really enjoyed this book! It was very informative in a very short, specific period of time. This was a fantastic read!
January 25, 2023
Very good , very enthralling , deep , personal feelings shown , would recommend
January 20, 2026
A wonderful work of scholarship, well written and focused. A great addition to my library!
August 1, 2016
Another great historically accurate, military niche book by Savas Beatie, LLC Publishers. The niche being the sixteen days that saw President Lincoln travel from Washington, DC to City Point, Virginia and the camp of Lt. General US Grant and his Union Army in the closing days of the Civil War. The period details Lincoln's presence so near the last hard fought battles leading up to the Union's occupation of Richmond and Petersburg and to General Lee's surrender at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865. It relates in detail what Lincoln said and did, and also importantly did not do with regard to the soldiers from both sides he met, the former slaves he came in contact with, his time with his family, his impact upon his commanders, and his plans to welcome back into the Union the seceded southern states and their populace without malice, undue burden or punishment. These sixteen days helped him escape the many demands of Washington DC and helped restore and renew him for what he saw as the many challenges ahead.
Author Noah Andre Trudeau is a meticulous researcher and skilled historical writer and brings his many talents to bear in, "Lincoln's Greatest Journey, Sixteen Days that Changed a Presidency March 24-April 8, 1865." Despite the careful detail the book does not read like a dry history book but rather comes alive in Trudeau's hands. He does not allow his fact finding to bog down the narrative but rather has kept footnotes to a minimum deciding instead to further expound on what led him to reason out events and their order chapter by chapter in the epilogue of the book. It is here he explains his logic and the many ways he crosschecked his references to help debunk various legends, embellishments and heretofore previously held "truths" as improbable or outright impossible.
Individuals come alive and are imbued with the humanity they deserve, warts and all. Through the years many individuals of this pivotal time period have become so one dimensional that it is sometimes impossible to truly parse out the blood and bone beneath the whitewash. Trudeau does an exemplary job in this regard, neither demonizing or deifying those on either side. He allows the narrative and the facts to speak for the person. I have read countless memoirs, biographies, autobiographies, and books of fiction and nonfiction about the people, the period and the War and all to some extent have a slant. I believe Trudeau truly attempted to keep personal bias, if he has any, out of this book. It was nice to just let the story unfold with very little gossip mongering which Trudeau always balanced out. It was a complicated period and so too this book. It is a difficult task to walk the line between the maudlin and the sensational in a story soon to be overshadowed by the tragedy of Lincoln's assassination. But I think Trudeau accomplished it while still retaining the vigor and humanity of the man and a hope of, "what if?" As Trudeau states early on, he did not wish to make this book into another, "dead man walking" scenario. The book rarely alludes to future events, only when integral to the narrative, and very rarely imbues the time related with the time to come.
The future of course is tantalizing. What would have become of a fractured nation led by a president so changed by his experiences of this time? In just the few short days he had remaining Lincoln had already hinted at the monumental shift in his ideologies concerning former slaves and their rightful place in this new emancipated United States and learned a few lessons about what Reconstruction might look like. It is also interesting to imagine Lincoln as he reads over the war news and relays it to an anxious nation. The Great Emancipator turned into the Great Communicator. A peek of things to come with FDR's Fireside Chats. Whether Lincoln would have been able to make a difference sidestepping the mess of Reconstruction, carpetbagging and racial prejudice that still resounds today will always be unknown but with a bit of Trudeau's hopefulness I think he would have.
A book I heartily recommend. I believe Trudeau accomplished what he intended in writing this book, to pull back the curtain a bit more on the man many believe to be the greatest of US Presidents. A five of five stars.
I was provided an ARC for my honest review.
Author Noah Andre Trudeau is a meticulous researcher and skilled historical writer and brings his many talents to bear in, "Lincoln's Greatest Journey, Sixteen Days that Changed a Presidency March 24-April 8, 1865." Despite the careful detail the book does not read like a dry history book but rather comes alive in Trudeau's hands. He does not allow his fact finding to bog down the narrative but rather has kept footnotes to a minimum deciding instead to further expound on what led him to reason out events and their order chapter by chapter in the epilogue of the book. It is here he explains his logic and the many ways he crosschecked his references to help debunk various legends, embellishments and heretofore previously held "truths" as improbable or outright impossible.
Individuals come alive and are imbued with the humanity they deserve, warts and all. Through the years many individuals of this pivotal time period have become so one dimensional that it is sometimes impossible to truly parse out the blood and bone beneath the whitewash. Trudeau does an exemplary job in this regard, neither demonizing or deifying those on either side. He allows the narrative and the facts to speak for the person. I have read countless memoirs, biographies, autobiographies, and books of fiction and nonfiction about the people, the period and the War and all to some extent have a slant. I believe Trudeau truly attempted to keep personal bias, if he has any, out of this book. It was nice to just let the story unfold with very little gossip mongering which Trudeau always balanced out. It was a complicated period and so too this book. It is a difficult task to walk the line between the maudlin and the sensational in a story soon to be overshadowed by the tragedy of Lincoln's assassination. But I think Trudeau accomplished it while still retaining the vigor and humanity of the man and a hope of, "what if?" As Trudeau states early on, he did not wish to make this book into another, "dead man walking" scenario. The book rarely alludes to future events, only when integral to the narrative, and very rarely imbues the time related with the time to come.
The future of course is tantalizing. What would have become of a fractured nation led by a president so changed by his experiences of this time? In just the few short days he had remaining Lincoln had already hinted at the monumental shift in his ideologies concerning former slaves and their rightful place in this new emancipated United States and learned a few lessons about what Reconstruction might look like. It is also interesting to imagine Lincoln as he reads over the war news and relays it to an anxious nation. The Great Emancipator turned into the Great Communicator. A peek of things to come with FDR's Fireside Chats. Whether Lincoln would have been able to make a difference sidestepping the mess of Reconstruction, carpetbagging and racial prejudice that still resounds today will always be unknown but with a bit of Trudeau's hopefulness I think he would have.
A book I heartily recommend. I believe Trudeau accomplished what he intended in writing this book, to pull back the curtain a bit more on the man many believe to be the greatest of US Presidents. A five of five stars.
I was provided an ARC for my honest review.
November 25, 2016
There is an overwhelming array of books written about Lincoln, but I had never heard about this particular facet of his life, the sixteen days before his death as the Civil War was coming to a close. Although fully based on fact, this is so well written, it entices the reader as though it were a novel. It is full of anecdote, personalities, quirks, twists and how these days merged to create the end of the war and events that lead to Lincoln's assassination that in some ways ties up loose pieces and in other ways makes you wonder about what would have happened if... I listened to this audio book, and it is superb for history, and presidential buffs. Tie it in with listening to "Hanging Mary" and you will have an interesting different viewpoint of these days.
May 27, 2017
I won this in a Goodreads giveaway.
I geeked out on this being a Civil War buff. I would guess someone not as into this era as much as me would be bored with this book but for those like me it is a wonderful book.
I geeked out on this being a Civil War buff. I would guess someone not as into this era as much as me would be bored with this book but for those like me it is a wonderful book.
March 29, 2017
Excellent account of Lincoln's journey to Petersburg and Richmond for the final campaign of the civil war. Lincoln's journey was unusual in that he had rarely been away from the White House for an extended period of time since 1861. Trudeau does a great job of capturing Lincoln's activities and shows his guiding hand in directing Grant's actions accepting Lee's surrender.
It is easy to get caught up in the stories of the final dramatic days of the Confederacy- Trudeau chooses to focus on the other side, with fascinating results.
It is easy to get caught up in the stories of the final dramatic days of the Confederacy- Trudeau chooses to focus on the other side, with fascinating results.
April 11, 2017
Great Book of Lincoln's Finest Days
To see how he was able to bring a sharply divided country to work as a United nations again is fine example of how great a President he truly was.l
To see how he was able to bring a sharply divided country to work as a United nations again is fine example of how great a President he truly was.l
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