of all the armies of the United States, while
Halleck, relieved from that duty, was retained at Washington as the
President's chief of staff.

Grant frankly confesses in his "Memoirs" that when he started east it
was with a firm determination to accept no appointment requiring him to
leave the West; but "when I got to Washington and saw the situation, it
was plain that here was the point for the commanding general to be." His
short visit had removed several false impressions, and future experience
was to cure him of many more.

When Grant again met Sherman in the West, he outlined to that general,
who had become his most intimate and trusted brother officer, the very
simple and definite military policy which was to be followed during the
year 1864. There were to be but two leading campaigns. Sherman, starting
from Chattanooga, full master of his own movements, was to lead the
combined western forces against the Confederate army under Johnston, the
successor of Bragg. Grant would personally conduct the campaign in the
East against Richmond, or rather against the rebel army under Lee. Meade
would be left in immediate command of the Army of the Potomac, to
execute the personal daily directions of Grant. The two Confederate
armies were eight hundred miles apart, and should either give way, it
was to be followed without halt or delay to battle or surrender, to
prevent its junction with the other. Scattered as a large portion of the
Union forces were in garrisons and detachments at widely separated
points, there were, of course, many details to be arranged, and a few
expeditions already in progress; but these were of minor importance, and
for contributory, rather than main objects, and need not here be
described.

Returning promptly to Washington, Grant established his headquarters
with the Army of the Potomac, at Culpepper, and for about a month
actively pushed his military preparations. He seems at first to have
been impressed with a dread that the President might wish to influence
or control his plans. But the few interviews between them removed the
suspicion which reckless newspaper accusation had raised; and all doubt
on this point vanished, when, on the last day of April, Mr. Lincoln sent
him the following explicit letter:

"Not expecting to see you again before the spring campaign opens, I wish
to express in this way my entire satisfaction with what you have done up
to this time, so far as I understand it. The part