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Lot 355
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Historic Ulysses S. Grant Plan for Mississippi Campaign, Directed to Henry Halleck
Historic Ulysses S. Grant Plan for Mississippi Campaign, Directed to Henry Halleck
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Description:

Ulysses S. Grant
n.p., January 15, 1864
Historic Ulysses S. Grant Plan for Mississippi Campaign, Directed to Henry Halleck
AD
Historic content manuscript document, 5pp. 7.75" x 9.75", [n.p., n.d. but ca. January 15, 1864], titled "Memorandum of a Campaign in NC with Raleigh & Wilmington for objective points" and penned in a secretarial hand, with seven lines in Grant's hand at the conclusion. Addressed to General Henry Halleck, then Grant's superior, this memorandum comprises an authentic rough draft of an ambitious proposal about the taking of North Carolina which would eventually be sent to Halleck on January 19, 1864, and which has subsequently been published. Tipped to another page, overall boldly penned and in very good condition.

Ten days before our document, on January 9, 1864 Grant instructed General George Meade, commanding the Army of the Potomac, to take out the rail lines in the area of Norfolk, Virginia, including those as far west as Greensboro, N.C. Meade was then to move towards New Bern or Wilmington, capturing the port at Wilmington along with the Weldon railroad, before invading and capturing the city of Raleigh, North Carolina.

As follow-up to that plan, our "Memorandum" reads, in part: "...Washington to be left with a garrison of 50,000 men to hold the line of the Potomac with defensive works thrown up to command the practicable forces as far as Williamsburg. A force of not less than 60,000 men to be reinforced as the success of the expedition will justify from the force left near Washington to link [?] a company in NC to hold the Eastern line of the RR from Richmond to Charleston & threaten throughout the entire line the Western road between the above places which will thus be exposed in flank. This would force the guarding of the road & take an army to do it.

Suffolk or Newburn to be the base for this movement. Suffolk the best at first on account of facility of navigation for vessels of all classes. This would make Weldon the first objective point & give the privilege of establishing a base if necessary at or near the mouth of the navigable river emptying into the Sounds. Newburn [sic, New Bern] to be the base after Raleigh is occupied till Wilmington falls. Such a campaign would cut the rebel army in V[irgini]a from the supplies in the South & indirectly force the evacuation of East Tenn. It would if made now or begun now over three [?] months of inactivity by getting into a better climate & country. As a move for other than military, it would seem to give NC promise of substantial support & aid the people to come back to their allegiance & furnish much in the way of supplies & soldiers & contrabands which now go to aid the Rebel cause. The Atlantic slope [?] being the only unenforced portion of the so-called ‘Confederacy' military operations must be conducted in this or some other direction leading into the country now or in the future, and if this plan is not adopted I hold it of vital importance that some other promising equal results be adopted and put into execution at once. The activity of the Eastern forces would render the labor of my own command much less difficult. The only operation of primary importance, or likely to be of lasting injury to the enemy, is that preshadowed (or indicated) in my communication of 15". If the enemy is left unmolested to concentrate every thing to resist me, the difficulties to be overcome will be much increased. While the two armies work in conjunction there can be no doubt of their success."

Grant pens at conclusion: "I have written this in accordance with what I understand to be an invitation from you [Halleck] to express my views about operations, and not to insist that any plan of mine should be carried out. Whatever is agreed upon I shall always believe is at least intended for the best, and, until tried, will hope is for the best."

During the winter of 1863-64, Grant was engaged in reconnaissance missions to capture Atlanta himself. Traversing the rugged terrain of East Tennessee and in the bitter cold, he left on January 7 to ride toward the Cumberland Gap with the intent to review the roads as a potential supply route. Finding them in miserable condition, potholed and strewn with broken equipage and dead animals, Grant abandoned the idea and returned to Lexington to formulate a new plan.

In a letter penned on January 8, 1864, Henry Halleck invited Grant to share his views for the upcoming campaign in the Military Division of the Mississippi. Halleck, a military scholar and theoretician, desired to hear suggestions from his generals, but often left them to the actual decision-making on the field of battle. It comes as no surprise, then, that he would ask of Grant a strategy for the upcoming campaign. Grant initially demurred, stating that he heretofore had abstained from offering suggestions about what might be done in campaigns other than his own, but agreed to write Halleck again in a few days. In his work "The Rise of U.S. Grant," p. 310, A. L. Conger states: "...On January 19, 1864, Grant presented his first proposal to Halleck, in response to Halleck's invitation...". A comparison with the subsequent printed text of the letter shows our manuscript herein to be the true rough draft.

Grant's final letter to Halleck reads, in part:

"...I would respectfully suggest whether an abandonment of all previously-attempted lines to Richmond is not advisable, and in lieu of these, one to be taken farther south. I would suggest Raleigh, N. C, as the objective point, and Suffolk as the starting point. Raleigh once secured, I would make Newbern 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 scarcely meet with serious opposition. Once there, the most interior line of railway 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 armies into new fields, where they could partially live upon the country, and would reduce the stores of the enemy. It would cause thousands of 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 draw the enemy from campaigns of their own choosing, and for which they are prepared, to new lines of operations never expected to become necessary. It would effectually blockade Wilmington, the post 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."

Some scholarship suggests that the views expressed in the memorandum were not Grant's, but actually those of his chief engineer W. F. Smith, who had served in the east. Grant would abandon the plans outlined herein after he visited the eastern theatre saw for himself the situation there. Regardless, Grant would abandon all plans outlaid in both the memorandum and subsequent letter, and began planning for the Overland Campaign instead.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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  • Dimensions: 7.75" x 9.75"
  • Medium: AD

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