Negotiations began for the surrender of the two remaining major Confederate armies in the field. Jefferson Davis sought to escape westward and continue the fight. Those accused of conspiring with John Wilkes Booth were put on trial. Radical Republicans pushed new President Andrew Johnson to punish the South, while Johnson sought to continue Lincoln’s moderate policy of reconciliation.
Conducing to the Ends of Public Justice
President Andrew Johnson establishes a military commission to try the eight people accused of conspiring with John Wilkes Booth to assassinate President Abraham Lincoln. The tribunal is given questionable constitutional powers that could impact the defendants’ rights and future appeals.
Confederate President Jefferson Davis and his dwindling government-in-exile holds what turns out to be their last council of war in their southward flight to avoid Federal capture.
Illinois’ Slain but Glorified Son
President Abraham Lincoln and his son Willie are laid to rest at Oak Ridge Cemetery in their hometown of Springfield, Illinois, nearly three weeks after Lincoln had been assassinated.
The Davis Administration Reaches Sandersville
Jefferson Davis and his small Confederate escort reach the banks of the Oconee River in Georgia, while Federal forces rapidly close in on them.
President Jefferson Davis reunites with his family at Dublin, Georgia, after responding to rumors that they were under attack by desperate Confederate troops. Meanwhile, Federal cavalry tightens its dragnet and prepares to intercept Davis near Irwinville, Georgia.
Federal forces accept the paroles of Confederate soldiers from the Department of Alabama, Mississippi, and East Louisiana, thereby disbanding the last major Confederate force east of the Mississippi River.
Restoring the Insurrectionary States
President Andrew Johnson continues efforts to quickly restore the Union by endorsing Abraham Lincoln’s Ten-Percent Plan, recognizing new state governments, and reinstating officials loyal to the U.S. While Radical Republicans seek harsh penalties for the South, Johnson signals leniency toward soldiers and civilians.
The Capture of Jefferson Davis
Federal cavalry seizes Confederate President Jefferson Davis and members of his party near Irwinville, Georgia.
A Little Battlefield Glory Before the War Ends
In distant Texas, a Federal expedition threatens to break an unofficial ceasefire before news arrives that the war east of the Mississippi is over.
The Booth Conspiracy Trial Begins
A military commission assembles to try eight individuals accused of conspiring to assassinate Abraham Lincoln. The trial raises complex issues regarding justice and conspiracy.
A skirmish that takes place in south Texas after the war ends ironically results in Confederate victory.
Jefferson Davis Under Federal Guard
Jefferson Davis and what was left of the Confederate government-in-exile is sent under Federal guard to Augusta, Georgia, from which they will be shipped by water to the coast.
The ocean vessel conveying former Confederate President Jefferson Davis and other captured members of his government arrives at Fortress Monroe, on the tip of Virginia’s York-James Peninsula.
Last Update: 5/22/2025