Lincoln · written by Tony Kushner · 2012

Lincoln asks Grant for mercy toward the defeated South; Grant tells him he must lead the nation out of war.

Scene 95 of 102 · ≈ 1 min on screen · Act three

Lincoln
Grant

Act oneAct twoAct three

Begins 1:58 into a 2:06 film

The story so farBefore scene 95

In the final winter of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln risks a fragile coalition and the chance of an early peace to force an amendment abolishing slavery through a divided House of Representatives.

Scenes 1–7
The reelected president balances military command, popular affection and a household wounded by grief.
Scenes 8–13
Lincoln needs a durable constitutional abolition measure and commits to passing it before the term ends.
Scenes 14–16
Radical allies and discreet patronage operatives join the campaign as the amendment enters House debate.
Scenes 17–84
Lincoln bargains, delays peace commissioners, confronts family costs and defends the vote against postponement.
Scenes 85–90
The House passes the amendment and the victory enters the private lives of Lincoln and Stevens.
Just before
Scene 92
Lincoln tells the Confederate commissioners that slavery is finished and asks them to stop the bleeding.
Scene 93
Artillery consumes a southern river city in fire.
Scene 94
Lincoln rides across the battlefield outside Petersburg, seeing Union and Confederate corpses at close range.
Scene 95
This scene

95EXT. THE THOMAS WALLACE HOUSE, GRANT'S TEMPORARY HEADQUARTERS, ON MARKET STREET, PETERSBURG - MORNING

Grant, smoking his cigar, his uniform dusty and rumpled, is sitting on the small porch. He stares piercingly at Lincoln, in a rocker next to him, watching his troops pass by as they move in to secure the conquered town. Lincoln closes his eyes.

He has grown older, the skin around his eyes is cobwebbed with fine creases, and his hair's thinner, softer, suffused with grey. His brow has grown smoother.

LINCOLN

Once he surrenders, send his boys

back to their homes, their farms,

their shops.

GRANT

Yes sir, as we discussed.

LINCOLN

Liberality all around. No

punishment. I don't want that. And

the leaders - Jeff and the rest of

`em - if they escape, leave the

country while my back's turned,

that wouldn't upset me none.

When peace comes it mustn't just be hangings.

GRANT

By outward appearance, you're ten

years older than you were a year

ago.

LINCOLN

Some weariness has bit at my bones.

(BEAT)

I never seen the like of it before.

What I seen today. Never seen the

like of it before.

GRANT

You always knew that, what this was

going to be. Intimate, and ugly.

You must've needed to see it close

when you decided to come down here.

LINCOLN

We've made it possible for one

another to do terrible things.

GRANT

And we've won the war. Now you have

to lead us out of it.