In addition to sending General Sherman a copy of the letter to Halleck, dated Nashville, January 15th, General Grant, a few days after sending the above letter to General Banks, again wrote the outlines of his plans to General Sherman, as will be seen by the letters which follow:[139] necessary to hold possession of, I would say concentrate at least twenty-five thousand men of your present command for operations against Mobile. With these and such additions as I can give you from elsewhere, lose no time in making a demonstration, to be followed by an attack upon Mobile. Two or more iron-clads will be ordered to report to Admiral Farragut. This gives him a strong naval fleet with which to cooperate. You can make your own arrangements with the Admiral for his cooperation and select your own line of approach. My own idea of the matter is, that Pascagaula should be your base; but, from your long service in the Gulf Department, you will know best about the matter. It is intended that your movements shall be cooperative with movements elsewhere, and you can not now start too soon. All I would now add is, that you commence the concentration of your forces at once. Preserve a profound secresy of what you intend doing, and start at the earliest possible moment.
headquarters armies of the United States, Washington, D. C., April 4, 1864.General: It is my design, if the enemy keep quiet and allow me to take the initiative in the Spring campaign, to work all parts of the army together, and somewhat towards a common center. For your information I now write you my programme as at present determined upon. I have sent orders to Banks by private messenger to finish up his present expedition against Shreveport with all dispatch; to turn over the defense of the Red River to General Steele and the navy, and return your troops to you and his own to New Orleans; to abandon all of Texas except the Rio Grande, and to hold that with not to exceed four thousand men; to reduce the number of troops on the Mississippi to the lowest number necessary to hold it, and to collect from his command not less than twenty-five thousand (25,000) men. To this I will add five thousand (5,000) from Missouri. With this force he is to commence operations against Mobile as soon as he can. It will be impossible for him to commence too early. Gilmore joins Butler with ten thousand (10,000) men, and the two operate against Richmond from the south side of James River. This will give Butler thirty-three thousand (33,000) men to operate with; General W. F. Smith commanding the right wing of his forces, and Gilmore the left wing. I will stay with the Army of the Potomac, increased by Burnside's corps of not less
Major-General W. T. Sherman, Commanding Military Division of the Mississippi.
