addition, contrary to what Grant had been
led to believe, Lincoln and Stanton were not
eager to remove Meade from command and
did not blame Meade for the army’s lack-
luster performance up to that time. They
placed that blame on Halleck, who had laid
down the rules and objectives under which
Meade’s army had been operating. Grant
decided to retain Meade in command.
After his visit with Meade, Grant
returned to Washington on the 11th and
met again with Lincoln and his cabinet.
Secretary Welles observed that Grant now
appeared more calm and businesslike than
before, but that he was still lacking in mil-
itary bearing and dignity. Meanwhile, Sher-
man sent more reminders to his com-
manding officer and friend to beware of
political intrigues festering in Washington
and again begged Grant to return to the
West as fast as he could.
After informing the administration of his
intention to control the nation’s armies
from the Eastern Theater and make his
field headquarters with the Army of the
Potomac, Grant announced that he would
be leaving that night for Nashville to meet
with Sherman and other principal Western
generals to discuss the upcoming military
campaign. At the same time he would put
his personal affairs in order and move his
family east.
Before Grant could depart Washington
he had to fend off Mrs. Lincoln’s insistence
he remain in town for a banquet in his
honor on the 12th. Grant held firm to his
plan to leave for Tennessee, describing the
last three days as “the warmest campaign
I have ever witnessed during the war.”
Although appreciating the “honor Mrs.
Lincoln would do me,” he told the presi-
dent, “Time is very important now. And
really, Mr. Lincoln, I have had enough of
this show business.” It was a mark of
Grant’s growing confidence that he felt safe
in refusing the formidable and capricious
First Lady’s invitation. Lincoln’s reaction
was unrecorded.
Grant returned to Washington on March
23 from his conclave with the Western gen-
erals. Three days later he established his
headquarters at Culpeper, Virginia, nearbut not with the Army of the Potomac.
There he fine-tuned his strategy for a coor-
dinated and sustained attack on Confeder-
ate forces by the Federal armies on May 3.
During these preparations, Grant made
four more trips to Washington to give the
administration the barebones outline of his
forthcoming military operations. While at
the capital he stayed again at Willard’s,
declining to work in the two-room office
space set up for him at the War Depart-
ment. And everywhere he went he drew
enthusiastic and admiring crowds. On his
last morning in Washington, as the spring
campaign was about to commence, a
reporter caught up with Grant as the latter
was rushing from Willard’s to the train sta-
tion. The newspaperman jokingly inquired
if Grant intended to breakfast again until
the war was over. Granted responded tartly,
“Not here, I don’t.”
A few days after handing Grant his new
rank and responsibilities, Lincoln was
asked by William Stoddard, assistant to
John Nicolay, what type of general hethought Grant would turn out to be. After
remarking that wherever he was Grant
seemed to “make things git,” Lincoln
added admiringly, “Grant is the first gen-
eral I’ve had. He’s a general.” Lincoln
observed that every other military man he
had previously put in charge wanted the
president to approve his plans and take
responsibility for the outcome of those
plans. But with Grant, Lincoln declared,
“He hasn’t told me what his plans are. I
don’t know and I don’t want to know. I’m
glad to find a man who can go ahead with-
out me.”
When Grant came to Washington in
early March 1864, he not only captured
the hearts and imagination of the politi-
cians and common people, but also the
confidence, respect and fulsome support of
the president of the United States. It was a
singular personal and political victory for
Grant, and it would lead to more victories
in the future, for both him and the war-
weary nation he served. Lincoln, as usual,
had been right.In this famous photograph by Timothy H. O’Sullivan, Grant is seen leaning over a church pew at Mass-
aponax Baptist Church, Virginia, on May 21, 1864. He is studying a war map with Maj. Gen. George Gor-
don Meade after the Battle of Spotsylvania.CWQ-EW16 Grant Takes DC_Layout 1 10/22/15 1:07 PM Page 17