William Boynton, Sherman's Historical Raid

[135] intermediate points. To do this, large supplies must be secured on the Tennessee River, so as to be independent of the railroad from here to the Tennessee for a considerable length of time. Mobile would be a second base. The destruction which Sherman will do the roads around Meridian will be of material importance to us in preventing the enemy from drawing supplies and in clearing that section of all large bodies of rebel troops. I do not look upon any points except Mobile in the south and the Tennessee River in the north as presenting practical starting points from which to operate against Atlanta and Montgomery. They are objectionable as starting points to be all under one command, from the fact that the time it will take to communicate from one to the other will be so great But, Sherman or McPherson, one of whom would be entrusted with the distant command, are officers of such experience and reliability, that all objections on that score, except that of enabling the two armies to act as an unit, would be removed. * * * *

The same objection will exist probably not to so great an extent, however, if the movement is made in more than one column. This will have to be with an army of the size we will be obliged to use.

Heretofore I have refrained from suggesting what might be done in other commands than my own, in cooperation with it, or even to think much over the matter. But, as you have kindly asked me in your letter of the 8th of January, only just received, for an interchange of views on our present situation, I will write you again in a day or two, going outside of my own operations.

U. S. Grant, Major-General.

Afterward, when General Grant was made Lieutenant-General and ordered East, turning over his command at Nashville to General Sherman, he sent the latter a copy of the above letter for his guidance.

Four days after thus unfolding his plan for the Atanta and Gulf campaign to General Halleck, and while General Sherman was on the Mississippi preparing his Meridian campaign, General Thomas, who was then in command at Chattanooga, was made acquainted with General Grant's design by the following letter:

headquarters Military division of the Mississippi, Nashville, January 19, 1864.
Major-General George H. Thomas, Chattanooga.

Owing to the presence of Longstreet in East Tennessee it will be impossible to attempt any movement from your present position while he remains.

The great number of veterans now absent and yet to be furloughed will be another difficulty in the way of any movement this Winter. Sherman,