Lincoln signed the same day he submitted Grant's name to the Senate. His nomination was confirmed by the Senate on March 2, 1864. Grant in 1864 waged the bloody Overland Campaign, which exacted heavy losses on both sides. When Lincoln asked what Grant's plans were, the persistent general replied, "I propose to fight it out on this line if it takes all summer." Grant's army moved steadily south. Lincoln traveled to Grant's headquarters at City Point, Virginia, to confer with Grant and William Tecumseh Sherman. Lincoln reacted to Union losses by mobilizing support throughout the North. Lincoln authorized Grant to target infrastructure—plantations, railroads, and bridges—hoping to weaken the South's morale and fighting ability. He emphasized defeat of the Confederate armies over destruction (which was considerable) for its own sake. Lincoln's engagement became distinctly personal on one occasion in 1864 when Confederate general Jubal Early raided Washington, D.C. Legend has it that while Lincoln watched from an exposed position, Union Captain (and future Supreme Court Justice) Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. shouted at him, "Get down, you damn fool, before you get shot!" As Grant continued to weaken Lee's forces, efforts to discuss peace began. Confederate Vice President Stephens led a group meeting with Lincoln, Seward, and others at Hampton Roads. Lincoln refused to negotiate with the Confederacy as a coequal; his objective to end the fighting was not realized. On April 1, 1865, Grant nearly encircled Petersburg in a siege. The Confederate government evacuated Richmond and Lincoln visited the conquered capital. On April 9, Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox, officially ending the war. Reelection Lincoln ran for reelection in 1864, while uniting the main Republican factions, along with War Democrats Edwin M. Stanton and Andrew Johnson. Lincoln used conversation and his patronage powers—greatly expanded from peacetime—to build support and fend off the Radicals' efforts to replace him. At its convention, the Republicans selected Johnson as his running mate. To broaden his coalition to include War Democrats as well as Republicans, Lincoln ran under the label of the new Union Party. Grant's bloody stalemates damaged Lincoln's re-election prospects, and many Republicans feared defeat. Lincoln confidentially pledged in writing that if he should lose the election, he would still defeat the Confederacy before turning over the White House; Lincoln did not show the pledge to his cabinet, but asked them to sign the sealed envelope. The pledge read as follows: The Democratic
{
        'QUESTION: Who nominated Ulysses S. Grant?' : 'Answer: Abraham Lincoln',
        'QUESTION: What was the name of the campaign that Grant led in 1864?' : 'Answer: The Overland Campaign',
        'QUESTION: Where did Lincoln travel to meet General Grant?' : 'Answer: City Point, Virginia',
        'QUESTION: How long did the Civil War last?' : 'Answer: The American Civil War lasted from 1861 to 1865.',
        'QUESTION: Why didn\'t Lincoln want to negotiate with the Confederate government?' : 'Answer: Lincoln believed that the Confederate states had seceded illegally from the United States and could not be treated as equal parties in negotiations.',
        'QUESTION: Which city did Lee surrender to Grant?' : 'Answer: Lee surrendered to Grant in Appomattox.',
        'QUESTION: Who succeeded Lincoln after his assassination?' : 'Answer: After Lincoln’s death, Andrew Johnson took office as the 17th president of the United States.',
        'QUESTION: What was the name of the party Lincoln ran under during his re-election campaign?' : 'Answer: During his re-election campaign, Lincoln ran under the banner of the new Union Party.',
        'QUESTION: What happened to the Confederate government when Petersburg fell?' : 'Answer: When Petersburg fell, the Confederate government evacuated Richmond.',
        'QUESTION: What was the significance of the Hampton Roads conference?' : 'Answer: The Hampton Roads Conference was significant because it marked the first time representatives of the Confederate government met with members of the federal government to discuss potential terms for ending the Civil War.'
    }
}

<</SYS>
```python
q_a_dict = {
    'QUESTION: Who nominated Ulysses S. Grant?': 'Answer: Abraham Lincoln',
    'QUESTION: What was the name of the campaign that Grant led in 1864?': 'Answer: The Overland Campaign',
    'QUESTION: Where did Lincoln travel to meet General Grant?': 'Answer: City Point, Virginia',
    'QUESTION: How long did the Civil War last?': 'Answer: The American Civil War lasted from 1861 to 1865.',
    'QUESTION: Why didn\'t Lincoln want to negotiate with the Confederate government?': 'Answer: Lincoln believed that the Confederate states had seceded illegally from the United States and could not be treated as equal parties in negotiations.',
    'QUESTION: Which city did Lee surrender to Grant?': 'Answer: Lee surrendered to Grant in Appomattox.',
    'QUESTION: Who succeeded Lincoln after his assassination?': 'Answer: After Lincoln’s death, Andrew Johnson took office as the 17th president of the United States.',
    'QUESTION: What was the name of the party Lincoln ran under during his re-election campaign?': 'Answer: During his re-election campaign, Lincoln ran under the banner of the new Union Party.',
    'QUESTION: What happened to the Confederate government when Petersburg fell?': 'Answer: When Petersburg fell, the Confederate government evacuated Richmond.',
    'QUESTION: What was the significance of the Hampton Roads conference?': 'Answer: The Hampton Roads Conference was significant because it marked the first time representatives of the Confederate government met with members of the federal government to discuss potential terms for ending the Civil War.'
}