this point the real
responsibility of Lincoln in regard to military events became
comparatively small, and to the end of the war those events may be traced
with even less detail than has hitherto been necessary.

Upon joining the Army of the Potomac Grant retained Meade, with whom he
was pleased, in a somewhat anomalous position under him as commander of
that army. "Wherever Lee goes," he told him, "there you will go too."
His object of attack was, in agreement with the opinion which Lincoln had
from an early date formed, Lee's army. If Lee could be compelled, or
should choose, to shut himself up in Richmond, as did happen, then
Richmond would become an object of attack, but not otherwise. Grant,
however, hoped that he might force Lee to give him battle in the open.
In the open or behind entrenchments, he meant to fight him, reckoning
that if he lost double the number that Lee did, his own loss could easily
be made up, but Lee's would be irreparable. His hope was to a large
extent disappointed. He had to do with a greater general than himself,
who, with his men, knew every inch of a tangled country. In the
engagements which now followed, Grant's men were constantly being hurled
against chosen positions, entrenched and with the new device of wire
entanglements in front of them. "I mean," he wrote, "to fight it out on
this line if it takes all summer." It took summer, autumn, winter, and
the early spring. Once across the Rapidan he was in the tract of scrubby
jungle called the Wilderness. He had hoped to escape out of this
unopposed and at the same time to turn Lee's right by a rapid march to
his own left. But he found Lee in his way. On May 5 and 6 there was
stubborn and indecisive fighting, with a loss to Grant of 17,660 and to
Lee of perhaps over 10,000--from Grant's point of view something gained.
Then followed a further movement to the left to out-flank Lee. Again Lee
was to be found in the way in a chosen position of his own near
Spottsylvania Court House. Here on the five days from May 8 to May 12
the heavy fighting was continued, with a total loss to Grant of over
18,000 and probably a proportionate loss to Lee. Another move by Grant
to the left now caused Lee to fall back to a position beyond the North
Anna River, on which an attack was made but speedily given up. Further
movements in the same general direction, but without any such serious
fighting--Grant still endeavouring to turn Lee's right, L