He led the United States/Union through the Civil War; our bloodiest, most constitutional war. He first concentrated on the military and political parts of the war. He mainly wanted the country to reunite. He paid quite a lot of attention to his selection of generals, including his most successful general, Ulysses S. Grant. Lincoln made many major decisions on the Union's war strategy, including sending naval blockades to shut down the South's normal trade. He made moves to take control of Kentucky and Tennessee and used gunboats to receive control of the southern river system. He tried many times to capture the Confederate capital at Richmond, but each time, his general failed. Lincoln substituted general after general until Grant finally accomplished the job. Reconstruction began during the war, as Lincoln and his helpers tried to answer questions of how to bring the conquered southern states back together. He also had to determine how to figure out the fates of the Confederate leaders and freed slaves. Shortly after Lee surrendered, a general asked Lincoln how the defeated Confederates were to be treated, and Lincoln replied, "Let 'em up easy." He mainly wanted the country to be