from　the　Army　of　the　Potomac　by　passing　its　left　flank　to　the
  southward　along　the　line　of　the　Danville　railroad；　and　after　crossing
  the　Roanoke　River；　join　General　Sherman。　　While　speaking；　he　handed
  me　a　copy　of　a　general　letter　of　instructions　that　had　been　drawn　up
  for　the　army　on　the　24th。　　The　letter　contained　these　words
  concerning　the　movements　of　my　command：
  〃The　cavalry　under　General　Sheridan；　joined　by　the　division　now　under
  General　Davies；　will　move　at　the　same　time　（29th　inst。）　by　the　Weldon
  road　and　the　Jerusalem　plank…road；　turning　west　from　the　latter
  before　crossing　the　Nottoway；　and　west　with　the　whole　column　before
  reaching　Stony　Creek。　　General　Sheridan　will　then　move　independently
  under　other　instructions　which　will　be　given　him。　　All　dismounted
  cavalry　belonging　to　the　Army　of　the　Potomac；　and　the　dismounted
  cavalry　from　the　Middle　Military　Division　not　required　for　guarding
  property　belonging　to　their　arm　of　the　service；　will　report　to
  Brigadier…General　Benham　to　be　added　to　the　defenses　of　City　Point。〃
  When　I　had　gone　over　the　entire　letter　I　showed　plainly　that　I　was
  dissatisfied　with　it；　for；　coupled　with　what　the　General　had　outlined
  orally；　which　I　supposed　was　the　〃other　instructions；〃　I　believed　it
  foreshadowed　my　junction　with　General　Sherman。　　Rawlins　thought　so
  too；　as　his　vigorous　language　had　left　no　room　to　doubt；　so　I
  immediately　began　to　offer　my　objections　to　the　programme。　　These
  were；　that　it　would　be　bad　policy　to　send　me　down　to　the　Carolinas
  with　a　part　of　the　Army　of　the　Potomac；　to　come　back　to　crush　Lee
  after　the　destruction　of　General　Johnston's　army；　such　a　course　would
  give　rise　to　the　charge　that　his　own　forces　around　Petersburg　were
  not　equal　to　the　task；　and　would　seriously　affect　public　opinion　in
  the　North；　that　in　fact　my　cavalry　belonged　to　the　Army　of　the
  Potomac；　which　army　was　able　unaided　to　destroy　Lee；　and　I　could　not
  but　oppose　any　dispersion　of　its　strength。
  All　this　was　said　in　a　somewhat　emphatic　manner；　and　when　I　had
  finished　he　quietly　told　me　that　the　portion　of　my　instructions　from
  which　I　so　strongly　dissented　was　intended　as　a　〃blind〃　to　cover　any
  check　the　army　in　its　general　move；　to　the　left　might　meet　with；　and
  prevent　that　element　in　the　North　which　held　that　the　war　could　be
  ended　only　through　negotiation；　from　charging　defeat。　　The　fact　that
  my　cavalry　was　not　to　ultimately　join　Sherman　was　a　great　relief　to
  me；　and　after　expressing　the　utmost　confidence　in　the　plans　unfolded
  for　closing　the　war　by　directing　every　effort　to　the　annihilation　of
  Lee's　army；　I　left　him　to　go　to　General　Ingalls's　quarters。　　On　the
  way　I　again　met　Rawlins；　who；　when　I　told　him　that　General　Grant　had
  intimated　his　intention　to　modify　the　written　plan　of　operations　so
  far　as　regarded　the　cavalry；　manifested　the　greatest　satisfaction；
  and　I　judged　from　this　that　the　new　view　of　the　matter　had　not
  previously　been　communicated　to　the　chief…of…staff；　though　he　must
  have　been　acquainted　of　course　with　the　programme　made　out　on　the
  24th　of　March。
  Toward　noon　General　Grant　sent　for　me　to　accompany　him　up　the　river。
  When　I　joined　the　General　he　informed　me　that　the　President　was　on
  board　the　boatthe　steamer　Mary　Martin。　　For　some　days　Mr。　Lincoln
  had　been　at　City　Point；　established　on　the　steamer　River　Queen；
  having　come　down　from　Washington　to　be　nearer　his　generals；　no　doubt；
  and　also　to　be　conveniently　situated　for　the　reception　of　tidings
  from　the　front　when　operations　began；　for　he　could　not　endure　the
  delays　in　getting　news　to　Washington。　　This　trip　up　the　James　had
  been　projected　by　General　Meade；　but　on　account　of　demands　at　the
  front　he　could　not　go；　so　the　President；　General　Grant；　and　I
  composed　the　party。　　We　steamed　up　to　where　my　cavalry　was　crossing
  on　the　pontoon…bridge　below　the　mouth　of　the　Dutch　Gap　canal；　and　for
  a　little　while　watched　the　column　as　it　was　passing　over　the　river；
  the　bright　sunshine　presaging　good　weather；　but　only　to　delude；　as
  was　proved　by　the　torrents　of　rain　brought　by　the　succeeding　days　of
  March。　　On　the　trip　the　President　was　not　very　cheerful。　　In　fact；　he
  was　dejected；　giving　no　indication　of　his　usual　means　of　diversion；
  by　which　（his　quaint　stories）　I　had　often　heard　he　could　find　relief
  from　his　cares。　　He　spoke　to　me　of　the　impending　operations　and　asked
  many　questions；　laying　stress　upon　the　one；　〃What　would　be　the　result
  when　the　army　moved　out　to　the　left；　if　the　enemy　should　come　down
  and　capture　City　Point？〃　the　question　being　prompted；　doubtless；　by
  the　bold　assault　on　our　lines　and　capture　of　Fort　Steadman　two　days
  before　by　General　Gordon。　　I　answered　that　I　did　not　think　it　at　all
  probable　that　General　Lee　would　undertake　such　a　desperate　measure　to
  relieve　the　strait　he　was　in；　that　General　Hartranft's　successful
  check　to　Gordon　had　ended；　I　thought；　attacks　of　such　a　character；
  and　in　any　event　General　Grant　would　give　Lee　all　he　could　attend　to
  on　the　left。　　Mr。　Lincoln　said　nothing　about　my　proposed　route　of
  march；　and　I　doubt　if　he　knew　of　my　instructions；　or　was　in
  possession　at　most　of　more　than　a　very　general　outline　of　the　plan　of
  campaign。　　It　was　late　when　the　Mary　Martin　returned　to　City　Point；
  and　I　spent　the　night　there　with　General　Ingalls。
  The　morning　of　the　27th　I　went　out　to　Hancock　Station　to　look　after
  my　troops　and　prepare　for　moving　two　days　later。　　In　the　afternoon　I
  received　a　telegram　from　General　Grant；　saying：　〃General　Sherman　will
  be　here　this　evening　to　spend　a　few　hours。　　I　should　like　to　have　you
  come　down。〃　　Sherman's　coming　was　a　surpriseat　least　to　me　it　was
  this　despatch　being　my　first　intimation　of　his　expected　arrival。
  Well　knowing　the　zeal　and　emphasis　with　which　General　Sherman　would
  present　his　views；　there　again　came　into　my　mind　many　misgivings　with
  reference　to　the　movement　of　the　cavalry；　and　I　made　haste　to　start
  for　Grant's　headquarters。　　I　got　off　a　little　after　7　o'clock；　taking
  the　rickety　military　railroad；　the　rails　of　which　were　laid　on　the
  natural　surface　of　the　ground；　with　grading　only　here　and　there　at
  points　of　absolute　necessity；　and　had　not　gone　far　when　the
  locomotive　jumped　the　track。　　This　delayed　my　arrival　at　City　Point
  till　near　midnight；　but　on　repairing　to　the　little　cabin　that
  sheltered　the　general…in…chief；　I　found　him　and　Sherman　still　up
  talking　over　the　problem　whose　solution　was　near　at　hand。　　As　already
  stated；　thoughts　as　to　the　tenor　of　my　instructions　became　uppermost
  the　moment　I　received　the　telegram　in　the　afternoon；　and　they
  continued　to　engross　and　disturb　me　all　the　way　down　the　railroad；
  for　I　feared　that　the　telegram　foreshadowed；　under　the　propositions
  Sherman　would　present；　a　more　specific　compliance　with　the　written
  instructions　than　General　Grant　had　orally　assured　me　would　be
  exacted。
  My　entrance　into　the　shanty　suspended　the　conversation　for　a　moment
  only；　and　then　General　Sherman；　without　prelude；　rehearsed　his　plans
  for　moving　his　army；　pointing　out　with　every　detail　how　he　would　come
  up　through　the　Carolinas　to　join　the　troops　besieging　Petersburg　and
  Richmond；　and　intimating　that　my　cavalry；　after　striking　the
  Southside　and　Danville　railroads；　could　join　him　with　ease。　　I　made
  no　comments　on　the　projects　for　moving；　his　own　troops；　but　as　soon
  as　opportunity　offered；　dissented　emphatically　from　the　proposition
  to　have　me　join　the　Army　of　the　Tennessee；　repeating　in　substance
  what　I　had　previously　expressed　to　General　Grant。
  My　uneasiness　made　me　somewhat　too　earnest；　I　fear；　but　General　Grant
  soon　mollified　me；　and　smoothed　matters　over　by　practically　repeating
  what　he　had　told　me　in　regard　to　this　point　at　the　close　of　our
  interview　the　day　before；　so　I　pursued　the　subject　no　further。　　In　a
  little　while　the　conference　ended；　and　I　again　sought　lodging　at　the
  hospitable　quarters　of　Ingalls。
  Very　early　the　next　morning；　while　I　was　still　in　bed；　General
  Sherman　came　to　me　and　renewed　the　subject　of　my　joining　him；　but
  when　he　saw　that　I　was　unalterably　opposed　to　it　the　conversation
  turned　into　other　channels；　and　after　we　had　chatted　awhile　he
  withdrew；　and　later　in　the　day　went　up　the　river　with　the　President；
  General　Grant；　and　Admiral　Porter；　I　returning　to　my　command　at
  Hancock　Station；　where　my　presence　was　needed　to　put　my　troops　in
  march　next　day。
  During　the　entire　winter　General　Grant's　lines　fronting　Petersburg
  had　extended　south　of　the　Appomattox　River；　practically　from　that
  stream　around　to　where　the　Vaughn　road　crosses　Hatcher's　Run；　and
  this　was　nearly　the　situation　Wilien　the　cavalry　concentrated　at
  Hancock　Station；　General　Weitzel　holding　the　line　north　of　the
  Appomattox；　fronting　Richmond　and　Bermuda　Hundred。
  The　instructions　of　the　24th　of　March　contemplated　that　the　campaign
  should　begin　with　the　movement　of　Warren's　corps　（the　Fifth）　at
  3　o'clock　on　the　morning　of　the　29th；　and　H