iety that had settled
upon the nation. Sherman, with two corps, was at once sent to the relief
of Knoxville; but Longstreet, having heard of Bragg's defeat, made an
unsuccessful assault and retreated into Virginia. By the administration
in Washington, and by the people of the North, General Grant's
preeminence was conceded. His star shone brightest of all. Congress
voted a gold medal for him.

CHAPTER XII

LIEUTENANT-GENERAL, COMMANDER OF ALL THE ARMIES

During the winter, after the Chattanooga victory, General Grant made his
headquarters at Nashville, and devoted himself to acquiring an intimate
knowledge of the condition of the large region now under his command, to
the reorganization of his own lines of transportation, and the
destruction of those of the enemy. He made a perilous journey to
Knoxville in the dead of winter, and a brief trip to St. Louis, on
account of the dangerous illness of his son there. On this trip he wore
citizen's clothes, traveled as quietly as possible, declined all public
honors, and made no delays. The whole route might have been a continuous
enthusiastic ovation; but he would not have it so. His work was not
done, and he sternly discountenanced all premature glorification. Too
many generals had fallen from a high estate in the popular judgment, for
him to court a similar fate. The promotions that gave him greater
opportunity of service he accepted; but he preferred to keep his capital
of popularity, whatever it might be, on deposit and accumulating while
he stuck to his unaccomplished task, instead of drawing upon it as he
went along for purposes of vanity and display. Of vulgar vanity he had
as little as any soldier in the army.

Nashville was the base of supplies for all the operations in his
military division. Its lines of transportation had been worn out and
broken down, largely through incompetent management. He put them in
charge of new men, who reconstructed and equipped them. While engaged in
this necessary work he dispatched Sherman on an expedition through
Mississippi, which he hoped would reach Mobile; but it terminated at
Meriden, through failure of a cavalry force to join it. But it did a
work in destruction of railroads and railroad property, that inflicted
immense damage on the Confederacy. Throughout the winter Grant worked
as if his reputation was yet to be made, and to be made in that military
division.

Meanwhile Congress and the country were pondering his