of Schofield, and before the national troops had all arrived an attempt was made to prevent their junction. On the 8th, the head of Schofield's column was driven back with a loss of seven hundred prisoners. On the 11th, the attack was renewed, but repelled with severe loss to the enemy, who fell back across the Neuse, destroying the bridge. In this action Schofield's loss was three hundred men. He had no pontoon train, however, and was obliged to wait till the bridge was rebuilt. On the 14th, this was effected, and the enemy at once abandoned Kinston, and moved off to join Johnston's army. Schofield now put a large force of men at work on the reconstruction of the railroad, and brought up supplies. On the 20th, he moved from Kinston, and on the 21st of March, took possession of Goldsboro.

Terry, meanwhile, had marched from Wilmington on the 15th; he reached Faison's depot without opposition on the 20th, and on the 22d secured the crossing of the Neuse, and communicated with Sher

man.

The result of the various operations of Sherman, Schofield, and Terry was that the whole sea-coast from Savannah to Newbern, with the forts, dockyards, and gunboats, had fallen into the national hands, and one hundred thousand soldiers were now in a position easy of supply, whence they could take an important part in any further operations directed by Grant.

And now, at last, all the great armies were in the positions designated by the general-in-chief. On the 20th of March, Stoneman started in East Tennessee, and the same day Canby moved against Mobile; on the 23rd, the junction between Sherman and Schofield

was effected at Goldsboro; on the 24th, Sheridan set out from White House to rejoin the army of the Potomac after a separation of nearly eight months; and on that day Grant issued his orders to Meade and Ord and the great cavalry leader for a movement against the right of Lee.

He meant to gather up all the threads, and overlooked no quarter, however distant, of the theatre of war. Pope had superseded Rosecrans in Missouri, and on the 21st of March, Arkansas was added to his command. The same day Grant wrote at length, instructing him to begin offensive operations against Price, and drive him across the Red river. "By taking an early start," he said, "going light, Pope will be able at least to throw the enemy beyond the Red river, not to return again." Then, confident that his plans at the East were approaching their consummation, he instructed his subordinate accordingly. "Movements now in progress may end in such results as to enable me to send you forces enough for any campaign you may want to make, even to the overrunning of Texas. If So, and you want them, they will be promptly sent."

On the 24th, he covered all the ground. To Halleck, on this day, he said: "I have no present purpose of making a campaign with the forces in the Middle Department, but want them in the best possible condition for either offensive or defensive operations. If Lee should retreat south, the surplus force under Hancock* could be transferred to another field. If he should go to Lynchburg, they will be required where they are." No contingency was forgotten, no preparation omitted.

*Hancock had been placed in command of the Middle Department when Sheridan rejoined Grant.

And now Grant waited only for the arrival of Sheridan from the Pamunkey. On the 20th of March, he invited the President to pay him a visit at City Point. Lincoln assented at once, and arrived on the 22nd. On the 25th, Sherman, leaving Schofield in command, also started for City Point. He had not been summoned, but was naturally anxious to communicate in person with his chief after the long series of important operations in which he had been engaged, as well as to receive orders in regard to his future movements. Grant met him at the steamboat landing, with more than a cordial welcome, and the great brothers in arms went together to pay their respects to the President. Admiral Porter was also present at the interview, and Lincoln listened with the keenest interest to Sherman's graphic story of his march.

There was nothing like a council of war, for Grant never held one in his life. He listened always with proper deference to the views of those of his subordinates who were entitled to offer them, and was never unwilling to receive ideas or information from any source; but his plans were his own, and were invariably announced in the shape of orders. Even when he seemed to adopt the views that were presented to him, those who offered them never knew it at the time, nor did they ever know whether he had conceived them in advance. He never claimed to have originated them, nor did he ever acknowledge an indebtedness. All was left in that obscurity which enveloped so much of his intellectual individuality, and never allowed any one, friend or follower, no matter how intimate, to know his intentions or convictions before they were fully formed.

In this crisis, he asked no advice on military mat ters from the President, who offered none; and he listened to Sherman's eager and restless eloquence, suggestive and advisory, yet deferential and subordinate, but said nothing in return more definite than he had already written. If there was a man living whose advice in such matters he would have sought, that man was certainly Sherman; and, as he had written and said, if Sherman had been his superior, Grant would have obeyed absolutely; but it was never his nature to seek advice; he sought only information, and without vanity or self-assertion, he came to his own conclusions. He did this always. He did so now.

Meade and Sheridan and Ord were invited to meet Sherman, and on the 28th of March, Grant's little hut was crowded with an illustrious company. On the same day they separated. Sherman returned to his army; the others to their own commands each thoroughly informed of the part he was to bear in the approaching campaign.

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CHAPTER XXXII.

Forces before Richmond and Petersburg, March 25, 1865-Grant's dispositions in Virginia and North Carolina-Order for movement in front of Petersburg-Rebel attack on Fort Steadman-Repulse of rebels-Desperate strategy of Lee-Movement of Grant to left, March 29th-Relations of Grant and Sheridan-Characteristics of Grant's strategy-Situation, March 30th-Sheridan ordered to take Five Forks-Lee masses one-third of his army against Grant's left-Warren disposes his forces contrary to orders-Attack on Warren-Repulse of Warren-Dissatisfaction of Grant -Unfortunate peculiarities of Warren-Advance of Humphreys and Warren-Pickett sent against Sheridan-Battle of Dinwiddie-Advance of Pickett-Repulse of rebels on Chamberlain's creek-Pickett pierces Sheridan's centre-Sheridan attacks in return-Sheridan forced back to Dinwiddie Sheridan holds Dinwiddie-Generalship of Sheridan-Situation, March 31st-Sheridan not dismayed-Grant determines to reinforce Sheridan-Warren ordered to Sheridan's support-Urgency of Grant and Meade-Inexcusable delay of Warren-Chagrin of Grant-Disarrangement of Sheridan's plan-Advance of Sheridan without Warren-Sheridan's new plan of battle-Battle of Five Forks-Dispositions of Sheridan-Further obstructiveness of Warren-Advance of cavalry-Assault by Ayres-Gallantry of Sheridan-Movements of Mackenzie-Deflection of Crawford-Inefficiency of Warren-Second advance of Ayres-Splendid success of Ayres-Movement of Griffin and Crawford-Simultaneous advance of cavalry-Complete victory of Sheridan-Rout of rebelsPursuit of rebels-Warren relieved from command-Results of battleGrant's endorsement of Sheridan-Characteristics of Warren and Sheridan.

On the 25th of March, 1865, Lee had still seventy thousand effective men in the lines at Richmond and Petersburg, while the armies of the Potomac and the James and Sheridan's cavalry, constituting Grant's immediate command, numbered one hundred and