cer the rank of Lieutenant-General,
giving him, under the President, command of all the armies of the United
States. General Grant at once proceeded to adopt a plan for harmonious
movements of all the armies. General Sherman, in the west, was directed
to push vigorously southward, penetrating the enemy's country as far as
possible, and prevent reinforcements being sent to Lee's army in the
east. General Butler, on the Peninsula, was to advance on Richmond,
taking Petersburgh, and, if possible, Richmond itself, while the Army of
the Potomac was to attack Lee's army in the front, and force it back
upon Richmond or destroy it.

These cooeperative movements having been all arranged, each commander of
an army or department informed not only of the part which he was
expected to perform himself, but what all were expected to do, the Army
of the Potomac was ready to move. General Grant had established his
head-quarters with that army.

At length the order for moving came. On the morning of the 4th of May,
reveille was sounded at half-past two o'clock, and at half-past four the
Sixth corps moved, taking the road to Germania Ford.

It was a lovely day, and all nature seemed rejoicing at the advent of
spring. Flowers strewed the wayside, and the warble of the blue bird,
and the lively song of the sparrow, were heard in the groves and hedges.

The distance from our camps to Germania Ford was sixteen miles. This
distance we marched rapidly, and long before sunset we had crossed the
ford on pontoon bridges and marched to a point three miles south of the
river, where we bivouacked for the night.

The Second corps, at an earlier hour, had crossed at Ely's Ford, and had
reached a position near the old Chancellorsville battle-field, and the
Fifth corps had led the way across Germania Ford.

The infantry had been preceded by the cavalry divisions of Gregg and
Wilson, under Sheridan. They had fallen in with a small picket force
which, after exchanging a few shots, had beat a hasty retreat.

Before night the army and the greater part of our trains had effected a
crossing without opposition; and, doubtless, much to the surprise and
chagrin of General Lee, we were holding strong positions, from which it
would hardly be possible to force us.

Except slight skirmishes in front of Hancock's Second corps, there was
no fighting on the fourth of May. At seven o'clock on the morning of the
fifth, the Sixth corps moved southward about two mil