shrinking. Its money declined steadily. Happy Tom said that he had
to "swap it pound for pound now to the sutlers for groceries." Yet it
is the historical truth that the heart of the Army of Northern Virginia
never beat with more fearless pride, as the famous and "bloody" year of
'63 was drawing to its close.

The news arrived that Grant, the Sledge Hammer of the West, had been put
by Lincoln in command of all the armies of the Union, and would come
east to lead the Army of the Potomac in person, with Meade still as its
nominal chief, but subject, like all the others, to his command.

Harry heard the report with a thrill. He knew now that decisive action
would come soon enough. He had always felt that Meade in front of them
was a wavering foe, and perhaps too cautious. But Grant was of another
kind. He was a pounder. Defeats did not daunt him. He would attack
and then attack again and again, and the diminishing forces of the
Confederacy were ill fitted to stand up against the continued blows of
the hammer. Harry's thrill was partly of apprehension, but whenever he
looked at the steadfast face of his chief his confidence returned.

Winter passed without much activity and spring began to show its first
buds. The earth was drying, after melting snows and icy rains, and Harry
knew that action would not be delayed much longer. Grant was in the East
now. He had gone in January to St. Louis to visit his daughter, who
lay there very ill, and then, after military delays, he had reached
Washington.

Harry afterward heard the circumstances of his arrival, so characteristic
of plain and republican America. He came into Washington by train as a
simple passenger, accompanied only by his son, who was but fourteen years
of age. They were not recognized, and arriving at a hotel, valise in
hand, with a crowd of passengers, he registered in his turn: "U. S. Grant
and son, Galena, Ill." The clerk, not noticing the name, assigned the
modest arrival and his boy to a small room on the fifth floor. Then they
moved away, a porter carrying the valise. But the clerk happened to look
again at the register, and when he saw more clearly he rushed after them
with a thousand apologies. He did not expect the victor of great battles,
the lieutenant-general commanding all the armies of the Union, a battle
front of more than a million men, to come so modestly.

When Harry heard the story he liked it. It seemed to him to be the same