nd carry out his plans. He found
after reaching Knoxville that General Foster's forces could not be used,
so he abandoned the campaign, only sending Sherman to Vicksburg, who
marched out to Meridian and returned, while the 7,000 cavalry under
General William Sooy Smith, who was to join Sherman overland, moved south,
fighting and driving the enemy until he reached West Point, where he met a
superior force of the enemy and returned to Memphis.

In March, 1864, General Grant was called to Washington to be given his
commission as Lieutenant-General of the Army and command of all the
forces. On his return to Nashville, on March 17th, we were again called to
meet him. General Grant told us of his visit to Washington, his reception
by the President, and all the courtesies that had been paid him. He told
us that he accepted the commission of Lieutenant-General and Commander of
all the Armies on condition that his plans should not be interfered with
at Washington and that he should have the command of the staff departments
of the armies. Those departments had always considered themselves
independent of the Commander in the field; in fact, in the beginning of
the war the officers of Commissary Quarter-Master and Ordnance Departments
declined to obey the orders of the commanders they were serving under,
except upon the order of their chief in Washington. General Grant settled
this. A Commissary of Subsistence declined to carry out one of his orders,
and General Grant said to him that while he could not force him to obey
the order, he could relieve him and put in his place one of the line
officers who would obey all orders. This officer reported this to
Washington and it changed their orders so that they were ordered to obey
the orders of the officer in the field and to report their orders to their
chiefs in Washington. General Grant said that President Lincoln said in
reply to his request for the command of the staff departments that he
could not give him that legally; but, he said, "There is no one but myself
that can interfere with your orders; and you can rest assured that I will
not do it." We were all anxious to hear of his visit to the Army of the
Potomac, and his opinion of it, and Sherman soon got him to talking about
it. He said it was the finest Army he had ever seen; far superior to any
of ours in equipment, supplies, and transportation. He said, however, that
the officers he talked with considered he would have a much mo