Grant was so anxious about Burnside's relief he sent Colonel Wilson and Charles Dana to try to get into Knoxville and explain to Burnside what had happened and what was being done for his relief. He also asked Dana and Wilson to conveniently lose a document on the way to Knoxville explaining everything being done in hope that Longstreet would find the information.
Grant finally persuaded Granger to move on the 29th, but having lost all confidence in anything Granger might do he wrote Sherman a note explaining the situation. "Granger is on the way to Burnside's relief, but I have lost all faith in his energy and capacity to manage an expedition of the importance of this one. I am inclined to think, therefore, that I shall have to send you. Push, as rapidly as you can, to the Hiawassee, and determine for yourself what force to take with you from that point. Granger has his corps with him, from which you will select, in conjunction with the forces now with you. In plain words, you will assume command of all forces now moving up the Tennessee." 81
Sherman received Grant's letter at Charleston, Tennessee, already en route to Knoxville, on November 30th. By December 1st, he sent word to Granger, who was about 20 miles north of Decaturville, to meet him in Philadelphia. With their forces combined, Sherman moved rapidly to Loudon, Tennessee on the 2nd. Now he was within 30 or 40 miles of Knoxville. From there he found the going tougher because the bridges over the Tennessee River had been burned by the enemy. After repairing them, Sherman was able to reach Marysville on the 5th, some 10-15 miles short of his objective. From Marysville, Sherman contacted Burnside only to find that Longstreet had made a disastrous attack on Burnside on November 29th and was easily repulsed. Sherman also found that Longstreet, upon learning of Sherman's advance, had abandoned the siege on December 3rd and was retreating east toward Virginia. When Sherman went to visit Burnside on December 6th, he found the loyal people of the region had been supplying Burnside's needs for food and he had more provisions on hand at that time than he did when Grant had last heard from him.
At last Burnside had been relieved and everyone including Grant could rest easier. By the first week of December, 1863, Grant's work in east Tennessee was finished. He had turned around a desperate situation and finally liberated Tennessee from occupation by the enemy.
To the Victor Belongs the Spoils
On December 8th, Grant received the following telegram from the President.
WASHINGTON, D. C.,
December 8, 1863, 10.2 A.M.
MAJ.-GENERAL U. S. GRANT:
Understanding that your lodgment at Knoxville and at Chattanooga is now secure, I wish to tender you, and all under your command, my more than thanks, my profoundest gratitude for the skill, courage, and perseverance with which you and they, over so great difficulties, have effected that important object, God bless you all.
A. LINCOLN,
President U. S. 82
As December dawned upon the country, loyalists everywhere were uplifted by Grant's stunning victory at Chattanooga. President Lincoln issued a proclamation asking all loyal people to give thanks to God for the great victory and for the further success of the Union cause. Later that month, Congress voted a resolution of "thanks to Major-General Ulysses S. Grant, and the officers and soldiers who have fought under his command, during this rebellion." 83 In addition, a gold medal was struck in his honor, which was to be presented by the President "in the name of the people of the United States of America." 84
By December, Grant was probably the most popular person in the United States. Throughout the North, there was a resounding chorus of exultation. Even from newspapers who had never been friendly to Grant or the administration came statements proclaiming his greatness. From the New York Herald came: "Gen. Grant is one of the great soldiers of the age.....without an equal in the list of generals now alive." 85 The New York World proclaimed: “General Grant, out of a maze of tactics more wondrous than ever before puzzled the brains of observers afar off, has evolved a victory for our arms the importance of which it is yet impossible to estimate." 86
Grant’s name seemed to be on the tongue of everyone across the land. Many wanted him nominated to be General-in-Chief, while others wanted him nominated for President. As usual, Grant aspired to nothing. Grant had heard of his friend, Elihu Washburne's activities regarding reviving the rank of Lieutenant-General, with the intent to name Grant the recipient. On December 12th, he wrote the following to Washburne: "I feel under many obligations to you for the interest you have taken in my welfare. But recollect that I have been highly honored already by the government and do not ask or feel that I deserve anything more in the shape of honors or promotion. A success over the enemy is what I crave above everything else, and desire to hold such an influence over those under my command as to enable me to use them to the best advantage to secure this end." 87
In early December, Grant received a letter from Mr. Barnabas Burns, the Chairman of the Democratic Central Committee. Grant had been a registered Democrat and Burns wrote him an incredibly flattering letter asking him if he would allow Burns to place his name in nomination as the Democratic candidate for the Presidency in the election of 1864. Grant sent him this response.
Chattanooga, Tennessee,
December 17th, 1863.
B. Burns, Esq.
Chairman Dem. Cen. Com.
Dear Sir:
Your letter of the 7th inst. asking if you will be at liberty to use my name before the convention of the "War Democracy", as candidate for the office of the Presidency is just received.--The question astonishes me. I do not know of anything I have ever done or said which would indicate that I could be a candidate for any office whatever within the gift of the people.
I shall continue to do my duty, to the best of my ability, so long as permitted to remain in the Army, supporting whatever Administration may be in power, in their endeavor to suppress the rebellion and maintain National unity, and never desert it because my vote, if I had one, might have been cast for different candidates.
Nothing likely to happen would pain me so much as to see my name used in connection with a political office. I am not a candidate for any office nor for favors from any party. Let us succeed in crushing the rebellion, in the shortest possible time, and I will be content with whatever credit may then be given me, feeling assured that a just public will award all that is due.
Your letter I take to be private. Mine is also private. I wish to avoid notoriety as far as possible, and above all things desire to be spared the pain of seeing my name mixed with politics. Do not therefore publish this letter but wherever, and by whatever party, you hear my name mentioned in connection with the candidacy for any office, say that you know from me direct that I am not "in the field," and cannot allow my name to be used before any convention.
I am, with great respect,
your obt. svt.
U. S. GRANT 88
Later Grant received a similar solicitation from Congressman J. N. Morris of Quincy, Illinois. This gentleman was a determined opponent of President Lincoln. To this inquiry, Grant responded much as he did to Mr. Burns. ".....I am not a politician, never was, and hope never to be, and could not write a political letter. My only desire is to serve the country in her present trials. To do this efficiently it is necessary to have the confidence of the Army and the people. I know no way to better secure this end than by a faithful performance of my duties. So long as I hold my present position I do not believe that I have the right to criticize the policy or orders of those above me, or to give utterance to views of my own except to the authorities at Washington, through the General-in-Chief of the Army. In this respect, I know I have proven myself a good soldier.
In your letter you say I have it in my power to be the next President. This is the last thing in the world I desire. I would regard such a consummation as being highly unfortunate for myself, if not for the country. Through Providence I have attained to more than I had ever hoped, and with the position I now hold in the regular Army, if allowed to retain it, will be
more than satisfied. I certainly shall never shape a sentiment, or the opening of a thought with the view of being a candidate for office. I scarcely know the inducement that could be held out to me to accept the office, and unhesitatingly say that I infinitely prefer my present position to that of any civil office within the gift of the people. This is a private letter not intended for others to see or read, because I want to avoid being heard from by the public except through acts in the performance of my legitimate duties." 89Grant was even being asked about the Presidency by friends and family. To his boyhood friend, Captain Daniel Ammen of the navy, he wrote: "I have always thought the most slavish life any man could lead was that of a politician. Besides, I do not believe any man can be successful as a soldier whilst he has an anchor ahead for any other advancement. I know of no circumstances likely to arise which could induce me to accept any political office whatever. My only desire will be, as it always has been, to whip out the rebellion in the shortest way possible, and to retain as high a position in the army afterwards as the administration then in power may think me suited for." 90
Grant had to reign in his cantankerous father, Jesse Grant as well. Old Jesse was always interested in taking advantage of anything which would advance him in life and this talk of the Presidency was right up his alley. To his father, Grant wrote: "I am not a candidate for any office. All I want is to be left alone to fight this war out; fight all rebel opposition and restore a happy Union in the shortest possible time. You know, or ought to know, that the public prints are not the proper mediums through which to let a personal feeling pass. I know that I feel that nothing personal to myself could ever induce me to accept a political office. From your letter you seem to have taken an active feeling, to say the least, in this matter, that I would like to talk to you about. I could write, but do not want to do so. Why not come down here and see me?" 91
There was one man who did display a keen interest in what aspirations General Grant did possess and that was Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln knew how popular Grant was so he thought Congressman Elihu Washburne could inform him of Grant’s aspirations. To his surprise, Washburne told Lincoln he did not know Grant as well as everyone thought. He suggested Lincoln talk to Mr. Russell Jones, the United States Marshal in Chicago. Jones was a trusted friend of Grant's from Galena and his financial advisor.
Lincoln immediately sent Mr. Jones a message asking him to come to the White House. Jones realized why he was being summoned to Washington because, like everyone else, he had witnessed this stampede toward Grant. When Jones saw all this Grant-mania developing, he sent a letter to Grant cautioning him not to let this hysteria turn his attention from the job before him. It just so happens that as Jones was getting ready to leave for Washington, Grant's response landed in Jones's mailbox. It read: "I am receiving a great deal of that kind of literature, but it soon finds its way into the wastebasket. I already have a pretty big job on my hands, and my only ambition is to see this rebellion suppressed. Nothing could induce me to think of being a presidential candidate, particularly so long as there is a possibility of having Mr. Lincoln re-elected." 92
When Jones arrived in Washington he called on the President. After general niceties were exchanged, Jones could sense Lincoln wanted to talk about Grant, so Jones gave Grant's recent letter to Lincoln to read. After he finished, Lincoln said: "My son, you will never know how gratifying that is to me. No man knows, when that Presidential grub gets to gnawing at him, just how deep it will get until he has tried it; and I didn't know but what there was gnawing at Grant." 93
It took someone with exceptional dedication to stay focused on the task at hand. Grant was just such a man with great humility and modesty, nothing could distract him from his cause. Such true patriotism, an unselfish display of country over self, is exceedingly rare.
To demonstrate how selfless Ulysses was, there was an incident which was recorded years later by a friend visiting Grant in 1876, just before the expiration of his second term as President. While he was visiting, he mentioned to Grant the possibility of getting a third term as President. Grant replied that he really would prefer to return to private life and then made an extraordinary statement. "If it would be possible in any way for me to make a sacrifice for the American people, I would like to repay them by some sacrifice for the great honors they have conferred on me. I have never been able to make a sacrifice for them. I have tried several times, but every sacrifice I have attempted has turned out to be an additional reward." 94 No historian has ever been able to measure the true level of humility of this man.
Because of Grant's accomplishments, his elevated status with the public and with the apparent intention to appoint him General-in-Chief, with the revived rank of Lieutenant-General, the Administration began to seek his opinions about the remaining course of the war, both within and outside his scope of responsibility.
On December 7th, Grant wrote to Halleck suggesting the next logical move for his forces, which was a return to one of his pet projects, a move upon Mobile. Grant viewed Atlanta as the back door to Lee's army and by cutting a swath from Chattanooga to Atlanta and Mobile, he could cut off the remaining east-west railways supplying Lee's army. ".....I take the liberty of suggesting a plan of campaign that I think will go far towards breaking down the rebellion before spring.....
I propose, with the concurrence of higher authority, to move by way of New Orleans and Pasagoula on Mobile. I would hope to secure that place, or its investment, by the last of January. Should the enemy make an obstinate resistance at Mobile, I would fortify outside and leave a garrison sufficient to hold the garrison of the town, and with the balance of the army make a campaign into the interior of Alabama and possibly Georgia. The campaign, of course, would be suggested by the movements of the enemy. It seems to me that the move would secure the entire States of Alabama and Mississippi and a part of Georgia, or force Lee to abandon Virginia and North Carolina. Without his force the enemy have not got army enough to resist the army I can take....." 95
On January 15th, Grant responded once again to a request from Halleck concerning his next move. "I look upon the next line for me to secure to be that from Chattanooga to Mobile, Montgomery & Atlanta being the important intermediate points. To do this large supplies must be secured on the Tennessee River so as to be independent of the rail-roads from here to the Tennessee for a conciderable length of time. Mobile would be a second base. The destruction which Sherman will do the roads around Meridian will be of material importance to us in preventing the enemy from drawing supplies from Mississippi and in clearing that section of all large bodies of rebel troops." 96
At Halleck's suggestion, Grant offered his own views on strategy outside his own field of operations.
Confidential, Head Quarters, Mil. Div. of the Miss.
Nashville Ten. Jan.y 19th 1864,
Maj. Gen. H. W. Halleck
Gen. in Chief of the Army,
Washington, D. C.
General,
I would respectfully suggest whether an abandonment of all previously attempted lines to Richmond is not advisable, and in line of these one be taken further South. I would suggest Raleigh North Carolina as the objective point and Suffolk as the starting point. Raleigh once secured I would make New Bern the base of supplies until Wilmington is secured. A moving force of sixty thousand men would probably be required to start on such an expedition. This force would not have to be increased unless Lee should withdraw from his present position. In that case the necessity for so large a force on the Potomac would not exist.
A force moving from Suffolk would destroy first all the roads about Weldon, or even as far north as Hicksford. From Weldon to Raleigh they would scarsely meet with serious opposition. Once there the most interior line of rail way still left to the enemy, in fact the only one they would then have, would be so threatened as to force him to use a large portion of his army in guarding it. This would virtually force an evacuation of Virginia and indirectly of East Tennessee. It would throw our Ar
mies into new fields where they could partially live upon the country and would reduce the stores of the enemy. It would cause thousands of the North Carolina troops to desert and return to their homes. It would give us possession of many Negroes who are now indirectly aiding the rebellion. It would effectually blockade Wilmington, the port now of more value to the enemy than all the balance of their sea coast. It would enable operations to commence at once by removing the war to a more southern climate instead of months of inactivity in winter quarters. Other advantages might be cited which would be likely to grow out of this plan, but these are enough. From your better opportunities of studying the country, and the Armies, that would be involved in this plan, you will be better able to judge of the practicability of it than I possibly can.
I have written this in accordance with what I understood to be an invitation from you to express my views about Military operations and not to insist that any plan of mine should be carried out. Whatever course is agreed upon I shall always believe is at least intended for the best and until fully tested will hope to have it prove so.
I am General, very respectfully
your obt. svt.
U. S. GRANT
Maj. Gen. 97
By the middle of December, Grant's work in Chattanooga was done so he decided to move his headquarters to Nashville. Foster had replaced Burnside in Knoxville, Thomas was left in command in Chattanooga and Sherman's army was placed along the Tennessee River between Stevenson and Decatur. On December 20th, he moved his headquarters to Nashville and by Christmas he was off to Knoxville on an inspection of that front. Grant had been given permission on December 21st to make the Mobile expedition if Longstreet could be expelled from East Tennessee, so he wanted to go to Knoxville to see what possibilities existed for operations in the spring.
Grant The Forgotten Hero Page 35