As long as the Southern governments were administered via the bayonet, there was no 'peaceful reunification'. Grant was no friend to the South, neither were his successors of ex-Union generals that became presidents. Hancock, who tried in 68 and again in 80 most likely would have been the most friendly, and probably would have ended reconstruction earlier. Not until William McKinley, the lowest ranking ex-Union officer to be president, a non-general, did reunification actually be felt with ex-Confederate generals getting commissions in the United States Army.

Johnson favored a moderate reconstruction and with General Hancock's help tried to bring it about.

Grant (General), a hard-liner towards the South, ran against civilian Horatio Seymour- a liberal who was against many of the laws that Lincoln passed that curbed civil liberties; and Horace Greeley- too wishy-washy to figure out what he would have done, but he was known to be highly radical against the South.

Hayes (General) ran against Samuel J. Tilden that ended in a disputed election. They gave the election to Hayes after the South demanded the end to reconstruction, which Hayes did. So if Hayes had won out right, there is nothing to prove that reconstruction would have ended during his term.

Garfield (General) was known to be very hawkish against the South and he ran against W.S. Hancock (General) whose moderate stance towards the South was well known.

Arthur (General) was made president when Garfield died, he was too busy trying to hold his party together than trying to unify the North and South.

Grover Cleveland did not serve. He was favored in the South.

Harrison (General) beat Cleveland. In Harrison's inauguration address he did not speak very warmly to the South, in fact he spoke a bit down to them.

William Mckinley (Private-Brevet Major) Promoted a 'pluralistic nation' and sought economic reforms that would help all the nation. He ran against William Jennings Bryan, althought popular in the South, he may have done more harm in unifying the sections of the country if he were elected.

So except for a couple of exceptions I do not believe that a U.S president who was also an ex-Union General made reunification that much more peaceful, it depends on the man.

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David Upton