lue Ridge, crowding Lee to the seaboard? Would he
not make, rather, a sudden change of base to Fredericksburg? None of the
wise men, military or civil, in their speculations, indicated the line
which General Grant adopted. The public accepted the disaster at
Chancellorsville and the failure at Mine Run as conclusive evidence that
a successful advance across the Rapidan by the middle fords was
impossible, or at least improbable. So well was the secret kept, that,
aside from the corps commanders, none in or out of the army, except the
President and Secretary of War, had information of the line of march
intended.

We know now how General Burnside marched to Washington, contrary to the
expectations of the public; how his troops passed in review before the
President,--a few veterans, with Roanoke, Newbern, all the seven days
before Richmond, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Vicksburg, and Knoxville on
their tattered ensigns; how they were cheered by the crowd; how,
following them, came a division for the first time shouldering a musket
for their country,--who till a year ago never had a country,--who even
now, although Americans, are not citizens,--disfranchised, yet fighting
for the flag,--beholding now for the first time the careworn, yet
benevolent face of their benefactor, and rending the air with their
hurrahs. There was swinging of hats, waving of handkerchiefs and
banners. They marched to victory or certain death. For them there was no
surrender, after the massacres of Milliken's Bend, Plymouth, and Fort
Pillow.

We know how Butler went up to White House, and then suddenly down the
York and up the James to Bermuda Hundred. We know of the movements of
Sigel and Crook and Averell,--minor, yet important in the general plan.
We have had the victorious march of Sherman, flanking and defeating
Johnston. All these movements were parts of the well-considered plan of
operations.

The expedition of General Banks up the Red River was in process of
execution when General Grant was appointed Commander-in-Chief of all the
forces in the field. He sent a messenger recalling it; but, through some
miscarriage or misconception of orders, or from some cause yet
unexplained, the expedition kept on its way, resulting in disaster. The
withdrawal of the gunboats which had been demonstrating off Mobile, and
the departure of troops from the Mississippi, enabled General Johnston
to gather all the forces of the Southwest in front of Sherman. General