Discussion Questions for April 1865

1.)  Were you surprised at the southern states' plan for guerrilla warfare?  What do you think would have been the outcome if they persisted?  

2.)  As the army of Northern Virginia marched south in retreat,  what were some of the mistakes they made?  What split-second decisions did they make that could have changed the outcome of their retreat?

3.)  When Lee abandoned Richmond and rendezvoused instead at Amelia Court House, do you think the outcome have been different if the supplies had been waiting for them?  

4.)  What are some of the things that went wrong and some of the things that went right between Lee and Grant during the fateful meeting held at a small red brick house in Appomattox, Virginia, on April 9, 1865?

5.)  Who would you describe as  a hero in the book and who were those that you think acted out of defeat?

6.)  Why did Grant's handling of the peace talk set the tone for the rest of the war and for the peace that was to come?

7.)  Jefferson Davis had very poor health, even back in 1861, do you think his medical condition affected the outcome?

8.)  What did you think of Lincoln's walk through Richmond?  

9.)  How did Lincoln go about reunifying the two nations into one?  What did they do specifically to mend social, cultural and political differences?

10.) Abraham Lincoln's advisors feared for his life, why do you think Lincoln did not take any precautions for his safety?