rity
of his foe. He made Grant's victory costly and difficult, but he did not
prevent it. He retreated with desperate reluctance, but he was forced
back. He could not protect his capital; he could not save his army. When
Lee measured powers with Grant, his cause was lost.

There are incidents of the campaign that mitigate its stern and in some
sense savage features. When the imperturbable soldier learned of the
death of his dear friend McPherson, who fell in one of Sherman's
battles, he retired to his tent and wept bitterly. When Lincoln,
visiting Grant at City Point, before the general departed on what was
expected to be the last stage of the campaign, said to him that he had
expected he would order Sherman's army to reinforce the Army of the
Potomac for the final struggle, the reply was that the Army of the
Potomac had fought the Army of Virginia through four long years, and it
would not be just to require it to share the honors of victory with any
other army. It was observed that when he bade good-by to his wife at
this departure his adieus, always affectionate, were especially tender
and lingering, as if presentiment of a crisis in his life oppressed him.
Lincoln accompanied him to the train. "The President," said Grant, after
they had parted, "is one of the few who have not attempted to extract
from me a knowledge of my movements, although he is the only one who has
a right to know them." Long before, Lincoln had written to him: "The
particulars of your campaign I neither know nor seek to know. I wish not
to intrude any restraints or constraints upon you." Grant's reply to
this confidence was: "Should my success be less than I desire or expect,
the least I can say is, the fault is not yours." These two understood
each other by a magnanimous sympathy that had no need of particular
confidences. That Lincoln respected Grant as one whom it was not
becoming for him to presume to question is in itself impressive evidence
of Grant's greatness.

CHAPTER XV

IN WASHINGTON AMONG POLITICIANS

Within a few weeks after the surrender of Lee, every army and fragment
of an army opposed to the Union was dissolved. But meantime Lincoln had
been assassinated, and the executive administration of the nation had
devolved upon Andrew Johnson. This wrought an immense change in the
aspect of national affairs. Lincoln was a strong, wise, conservative,
magnanimous soul. Johnson was arrogant, vain, narrow, and contentious.
Grant