ing of the conquest of the
Mississippi. As it was it wasted much force.

Before Grant could safely launch his forces southward from Chattanooga
against Johnston, it was necessary to deal in some way with the
Confederate force still at large in Mississippi. Grant determined to do
this by the destruction of the railway system by which alone it could
move eastward. For this purpose he left Thomas to hold Chattanooga,
while Sherman was sent to Meridian, the chief railway centre in the
Southern part of Mississippi. In February Sherman arrived there, and,
though a subsidiary force, sent from Memphis on a similar but less
important errand somewhat further north, met with a severe repulse, he
was able unmolested to do such damage to the lines around Meridian as to
secure Grant's purpose.

There was yet a further preliminary to the great final struggle. On
March 1, 1864, pursuant to an Act of Congress which was necessary for
this object, Lincoln conferred upon Grant the rank of Lieutenant-General,
never held by any one else since Washington, for it was only brevet rank
that was conferred on Scott. Therewith Grant took the command, under the
President, of all the Northern armies. Grant came to Washington to
receive his new honour. He had taken leave of Sherman in an interchange
of letters which it is good to read; but he had intended to return to the
West. Sherman, who might have desired the command in the West for
himself, had unselfishly pressed him to return. He feared that the
dreaded politicians would in some way hurt Grant, and that he would be
thwarted by them, become disgusted, and retire; they did hurt him, but
not then, nor in the way that Sherman had expected. Grant, however,
could trust Sherman to carry out the work he wanted done in the West, and
he now saw that, as Lincoln might have told him and possibly did, the
work he wanted done in the East must be done by him. He went West again
for a few days only, to settle his plans with Sherman. Sherman with his
army of 100,000 was to follow Johnston's army of about 60,000, wherever
it went, till he destroyed it. Grant with his 120,000 was to keep up an
equally unfaltering fight with Lee's army, also of 60,000. There was, of
course, nothing original about this conception except the idea, fully
present to both men's minds, of the risk and sacrifice with which it was
worth while to carry it out. Lincoln and Grant had never met till this
month. Grant at the