The last year of the Civil War gave Grant supreme command, and put him directly against the great General Robert E. Lee. The final campaign became a "duel between the short, stocky Northerner in his shabby blue uniform, and the tall, dignified Southerner dressed in perfectly tailored grey." (P488)

"If It Takes All Summer:"

Early in 1864, Grant became Lieutenant General, and President Lincoln gave him command of all Union armies. Northern armies could now move, as Grant said, (P488) "like a team pulling together." Grant planned three large campaigns.

1. The Army of the Potomac, under General Meade, would attempt to destroy Lee's army in northern Virginia and capture Richmond. Grant would accompany this army and direct its movements because he knew Lee was a formidable opponent.

2. An army under General William T. Sherman would advance from Chattanooga into Georgia and besiege Atlanta.

3. General Banks would march from New Orleans to Montgomery Alabama and then join Sherman. (This third campaign did not take place for Banks' army was almost wiped out in the Battle of Pleasant Hill on April 9 by a Confederate army under General Richard Taylor.)

The Wilderness:

In May, the Army of the Potomac, commanded by Grant marched into a forsaken area in Virginia known as the Wilderness. This large slice of land, just tangled forest and underbrush, was located west of Chancellorville. Grant, with his 115,000 men, decided to march through the Wilderness, attack Lee's right flank, and force the Confederate's into battle. Lee, accompanied by a mere seventy-five thousand troops, travelled to meet Grant on May 5, and the resulting Battle of the Wilderness raged for two days. Troops ran blindly through the dense forest, where both cavalry and artillery were useless. Exploding artillery shells caused the undergrowth to catch fire and wounded men died screaming in flames. Both sides suffered severe losses, but the battle proved to be a stalemate.

Spotsylvania Court House:

In spite of savage losses, Grant did not turn back. He moved off towards Richmond, the Confederate capital. Lee prepared to meet him, and the two great generals clashed once more at Spotsylvania Court House on May 8-12. At Spotsylvania, both sides suffered heavy losses again, and the result was, yet again, indecisive. However, Grant sent message to Halleck and

Lincoln in Washington, saying, "I propose to fight it out if it takes all summer!" (P489)

Cold Harbour:

Again Grant moved closer to Richmond, and again Lee followed. By June 1, Grant reached Cold Harbour which was just north of the Confederate capital. There, on June 3, he made another attempt to crush Lee's army. Union troops charged the Confederate lines in a direct frontal assault. But murderous Confederate fire cut down over 6,000 Union troops in one hour, and forced Grant to call off the attack.

The Battle for Cold Harbour forced Grant to change his tactics. Lee had shown that he and his men were excellent defenders, and Northern losses reached unbelievable tallies. In just four weeks of battle, Grant had lost approximately fifty-five thousand men. However, Grant felt that if he kept utilising the same strategies, Lee would retreat to Richmond where the Confederates could withstand a siege. So Grant made one final desperate attempt to