"war began in my dining room and ended in my parlor"

Consider the case of one Wilmer McLean. Wilmer was a simple grocer when the first shots of the American Civil War were fired in his back yard. The First Battle of Bull Run ensued. As you can imagine, Wilmer was uncomfortable, to say the least, with cannonballs taking out his dining room fireplace, so he moved to Appomattox Court House.

Fast forward to 1865, and we get the Battle of Appomattox Court House. The Civil War followed Wilmer McLean right into his parlor, where General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Ullyses S. Grant.

In fact, when the surrender document was signed, the Union soldiers started pocketing all of Wilmer's belongings as souvenirs. George Custer got the table upon which the surrender was signed. Wilmer protested this theivery of course, but the soldiers merely gave him cash as they walked out his door.