Dover Hotel

Built between 1851 and 1853, the Dover Hotel accommodated riverboat travelers before and after the Civil War. During the battle, Confederate General Buckner and his staff used it as their headquarters. After Buckner accepted what he called Grant's "ungenerous and unchivalrous" terms of surrender, the two generals met there to work out the details. Their conversation was friendly. They had been friends before the war and had studied together at West Point. Grant conveyed his respect for Buckner's ability, while Buckner bore the defeat with dignity. After the war, they renewed their friendship. Buckner later became governor of Kentucky, and Grant became the 18th president of the United States.

Dover, Tennessee · United States