Adam Badeau, Military history of Ulysses S. Grant from April 1861 to April 1865. Volume 2

‘ [408] and to live upon the country, and destroy railroads, machine-shops, etc., not to build them. Take Mobile and hold it, and push your forces to the interior, to Montgomery and to Selma. Destroy railroads, rolling stock, and everything useful for carrying on the war, and, when you have done this, take such positions as can be supplied by water. By this means alone you can occupy positions from which the enemy's roads in the interior can be kept broken.’

On the 13th, he said to Halleck: ‘I received a letter from General Canby to-day, of the 1st of March. At that time he said nothing about starting for Mobile. Although I wrote to him he must go in command himself, I have seen nothing from him indicating an intention to do so. In fact, I have seen but little from Canby to show that he intends to do or have anything done.’ On the 14th, he telegraphed to Stanton: ‘I am much dissatisfied with Canby. He has been slow beyond excuse. [This was always the unpardonable sin in Grant's eyes.] I wrote to him long since that he could not trust Granger in command. After that he nominated him for the command of a corps. I wrote to him that he must command his troops, going into the field in person. On the 1st of March, he is in New Orleans, and does not say a word about leaving there. . . . As soon as Sheridan can be spared, I will want him to supersede Canby, and the latter put in command of the Department of the Gulf, unless he does far better in the next few weeks than I now have any reason to hope for.’ Grant always insisted that obstacles must be overcome. He did not so much blame those who did