Benson J. Lossing, Pictorial Field Book of the Civil War. Volume 3.

General Grant made a flying visit to the Headquarters of the Army of the Potomac, and then started for the West, to make arrangements for inaugurating the grand campaign of the spring of 1864. At Nashville he issued the following modest order on the 17th of March, dated “Headquarters of the armies of the United States” :--

In pursuance of the following order of the President:--

Executive mansion, Washington, November 10, 1864.

Under the authority of the Act of Congress to appoint to the grade of Lieutenant-General in the Army, of March 1, 1864, Lieutenant-General Ulysses S. Grant, United States Army, is appointed to the command of the armies of the United States.

Abraham Lincoln.

I assume command of the Armies of the United States. Headquarters will be in the field, and, until further orders, will be with the Army of the Potomac. There will be an office Headquarters in Washington, to which all official communications will be sent, except those from the army where the Headquarters are at the date of their address.

General Grant spent the remainder of March and a greater portion of April in making arrangements for the decisive campaigns which followed, the grand geographical objectives being Richmond and Atlanta, and the prime object the destruction or capture of the two principal armies of the Conspirators, one under Lee and the other under Johnston. To General Meade, as commander of the Army of the Potomac, Grant assigned the task of conquering Lee and taking Richmond, and to Sherman was intrusted the duty of conquering Johnston and taking Atlanta. In these two generals Grant reposed the most perfect confidence, and was not disappointed. He made his Headquarters thence-forth with the Army of the Potomac, and gave to Meade the help of his counsel and the prestige of his name; while Sherman, who was appointed to succeed Grant in the command of the Military Division of the Mississippi, with Major-General J. B.

James B. McPherson.

McPherson as commander of the Department and Army of the Tennessee,² was left to his own resources under general but explicit orders from the Lieutenant-General.