Adam Badeau, Military history of Ulysses S. Grant from April 1861 to April 1865. Volume 3

‘ [366] through a country rapidly enough to live off of it. . . . West of the Mississippi we do not want to do more than defend what we now hold, but I do want Canby to make a winter campaign either from Mobile bay or Florida .... What I would order is that Canby be furnished cavalry horses and be directed to prepare to commence a campaign, and that Thomas be telegraphed to say what he could do, and when, and get his choice, looking upon Selma as his objective. Thomas must make a campaign, or spare his surplus troops.’

Sherman had requested that Thomas should be ordered to move southward with a large force, but this Grant was unwilling to order; and on the 21st of January, he wrote to Sherman: ‘Before your last request to have Thomas make a campaign into the heart of Alabama, I had ordered Schofield to Annapolis,¹ Maryland, with his corps. . . . I did not believe Thomas could possibly be got off before spring. His pursuit of Hood indicated a sluggishness that satisfied me he would never do to conduct one of your campaigns. The command of the advance of the pursuit was left to subordinates, whilst Thomas followed far behind. When Hood had crossed the Tennessee, and those in pursuit had reached it, Thomas had not much more than half crossed the state, from which he returned to Nashville to take steamer for Eastport. He is possessed of excellent judgment, great coolness and honesty, but he is not good in a pursuit. He also reported his troops fagged, and that it was necessary to equip up. This report and a determination to give the enemy no rest determined me to use his surplus troops elsewhere.’