Head Quarters, Armies in the Field,
Culpepper C. H. Va. Apl. 19th 1864
Maj. Gen. W. T. Sherman,
Comd.g Mil. Div. of the Miss.
General,
Since my letter to you I have seen no reason to change any portion of the general plan of Campaign if the enemy remain still and allow us to take the initiative. Rain has continued so uninteruptedly until the last day or two that it will be impossible to move however before the 27th even if no more should fall in the mean time. I think Saturday the 30th will probably be the day for our general move.
Col. Comstock, who will take this, can spend a day with you and fill up many little gaps of information not given in any of my letters.
What I now want more particularly to say is, that if the two main attacks, yours and the one from here, should promise great success the enemy may in a fit of desperation, abandon one part of their line of defence and throw their whole strength upon a single army, believing that a defeat with one victory to sustain them better than a defeat all along their line, and hoping too at the same time that the army meeting with no resistince will rest perfectly satisfied with their laurels having penetrated to a given point south thereby enabling them to throw their force first upon one and then on the other.
With the majority of Military commanders they might do this. But you have had too much experience in traveling light and subsisting upon the country to be caught by any such ruse. I hope my experience has not been thrown away. My directions then would be if the enemy in your front show signs of joining Lee follow him up to the full extent of your ability. I will prevent the concentration of Lee upon your front if it is in the power of this Army to do it.
The Army of the Potomac looks well and so far as I can judge officers and men feel well.
Yours Truly
U. S. GRANT
Lt. Gen.