gut won through。
Inside the harbor the Tennessee fought hard against the overwhelming Union fleet。 But her lowpowered engines gave her no chance at quick maneuvers。 Three vessels rammed her in succession； and she was forced to surrender。
After this purely naval victory on the fifth of August； General Granger's troops invested Fort Morgan； which； becoming the target of an irresistible converging fire from both land and sea on the twenty…second； surrendered on the twenty…third。
The next objective of a joint expedition was Fort Fisher； which stood at the end of a long； low tongue of land between the sea and Cape Fear River。 Fort Fisher guarded the entrance to Wilmington in North Carolina； the port； above all others； from which the Confederate armies drew their oversea supplies。 Lee wrote to Colonel Lamb； its commandant； saying that he could not subsist if it was taken。 Lamb had less than two thousand men in the fort； but there were six thousand more forming an army of support outside。 The Confederates； however； had no naval force to speak of； while the Union fleet； commanded by Admiral Porter； was the largest that had ever yet assembled under the Stars and Stripes。 There were nearly sixty fighting vessels of all kinds； including five new ironclads and the three finest new frigates。 The guns that were carried exceeded six hundred。
There was also a mine ship； the old Louisiana； stuffed chock…a…block with powder to blow in the side of the fort。 The Washington wiseacres set great store on this new mine of theirs。 It was； of course； to end the war。 But naval and military experts on the spot were more than doubtful。 On the night of the twenty…third of December the Louisiana was safely worked in near the fort by brave Commander Rhind； who fired the slow match and escaped unhurt with his devoted crew of volunteers。 A tremendous explosion followed。 But； as there was nothing to drive the force of it against the walls； it simply resulted in an enormous flurry of water； mud； sand； earth； and bits of flaming wreckage。
Next morning the fleet bombarded with such success as to silence many of the guns opposed to them。 But on Christmas Day General Weitzel reported that an assault would fail； whereupon General Butler concurred and retreated； much to the rage of the fleet； which thought quite otherwise。
In a few days General Terry arrived with the same white troops reinforced by two small colored brigades； making a total of eight thousand men。 To these Porter； strongly reinforced； added a naval brigade； two thousand strong； that volunteered to storm the sea face of Fort Fisher。 These gallant men had only cutlasses and pistolsexcept the four hundred marines； who carried bayonets and rifles。 They were a scratch lot； from the soldier's point of view； never having been landed together as a single unit till called upon to assault the most dangerous features of the fort。 Yet； though they were repulsed with considerable loss； they greatly helped to win the day by obliging the defenders to divide their forces。 As Terry's army was； by itself； four or five times stronger than Lamb's entire command the military stormers succeeded in fighting their way through every line of defense and compelling a surrender。 They did exceedingly well。 But their rear was safe； because Bragg had withdrawn the supporting army for service elsewhere； while； in their front； the enemy defenses had been almost torn out by the roots in many places under the terrific converging fire of six hundred naval guns for three successive days。
When Fort Fisher surrendered on the fifteenth of January （1865） the exhausted South had only one good port and one good raider left： Charleston and the Shenandoah。
CHAPTER X。 GRANT ATTACKS THE FRONT： 1864
On March 9； 1864； at the Executive Mansion； and in the presence of all the Cabinet Ministers； Lincoln handed Grant the Lieutenant…General's commission which made him Commander…in…Chief of all the Union armiesa commission such as no one else had held since Washington。 On April 9； 1865； Grant received the surrender of Lee at Appomattox； and the four years war was ended by a thirteen months campaign。
Victor of the River War in '63； Grant moved his headquarters from Chattanooga to Nashville soon before Christmas。 He then expected not only to lead the river armies against Atlanta in '64 but； at the same time； to send another army against Mobile； where it could act in conjunction with the naval forces under Farragut's command。
He consequently made a midwinter tour of inspection： southeast to Chattanooga； northeast to Knoxville and Cumberland Gap； northwest to Lexington and Louisville； thence south； straight back to Nashville。 This satisfied him that his main positions were properly taken and held； and that a well…concerted drive would clear his own strategic area of all but Forrest's elusive cavalry。
It was the hardest winter known for many years。 The sticky clay roads round Cumberland Gap had been churned by wheels and pitted by innumerable feet throughout the autumn rains。 Now they were frozen solid and horribly encumbered by debris mixed up with thousands upon thousands of perished mules and horses。 Grant regretted this terrible wastage of animals as much in a personal as in a military way； for； like nearly all great men； his sympathies were broad enough to make him compassionate toward every kind of sentient life。 No Arab ever loved his horse better than Grant loved his splfndid charger Cincinnati； the worthy counterpart of Traveler； Lee's magnificent gray。
Summoned to Washington in March； Grant； after one scrutinizing look at the political world； then and there made up his steadfast mind that no commander…in…chief could ever carry out his own plans from any distant point； for； even in his fourth year of the war； civilian interference was still being practiced in defiance of naval and military facts and needs； and of some very serious dangers。
Lincoln stood wisely for civil control。 But even he could not resist the perverting pressure in favor of the disastrous Red River Expedition； against which even Banks protested。 Public and Government alike desired to give the French fair warning that the establishment of an imperial Mexico； especially by means of foreign intervention； was regarded as a semi…hostile act。 There were two entirely different ways in which this warning could be given： one completely effective without being provocative； the other provocative without being in the very least degree effective。 The only effective way was to win the war； and the best way to win the war was to strike straight at the heart of the South with all the Union forces。 The most ineffective way was to withdraw Union forces from the heart of the war； send them off at a wasteful tangent； misuse them in eccentric operations just where they would give most offense to the French； and then expose them to what； at best； could only be a detrimental victory； and to what would much more likely be defeat； if not disaster。
Yet； to Grant's and Farragut's and every other soldier's and sailor's disgust； this worst way of all was chosen； and Banks's forty thousand sorely needed veterans were sent to their double defeat at Sabine Cross Roads and Pleasant Hill on the eighth and ninth of April； while Porter's invaluable fleet and the no less indispensable transports were nearly lost altogether owing to the long…foretold fall of the dangerous Red River。 The one success of this whole disastrous affair was the admirable work of Colonel Joseph Bailey； who dammed the water up just in time to let the rapidly stranding vessels slide into safety through a very narrow sluice。
Even the Red River lesson was thrown away on Stanton； whose interference continued to the bitter end； except when checked by Lincoln or countered by Grant and Sherman in the field。 When Grant was starting on his tour of inspection he found that Stanton had forbidden all War Department operators to let commanding generals use the official cipher except when in communication with himself。 There were to be no secrets at the front between the commanding generals； even on matters of immediate life and death； unless they were first approved by Stanton at his leisure。 The fact that the enemy could use unciphered messages was nothing in his autocratic eyes。 Nor did it prick his conscience to change the wording in ways that bewildered his own side and served the enemy's turn。
When Grant took the cipher Stanton ordered the operator to be dismissed。 Grant thereupon shouldered the responsibility； saying that Stanton would have to punish him if any one was punished。 Then Stanton gave in。 Grant saw through him clearly。 〃Mr。 Stanton never questioned his own authority to command； unless resisted。 He felt no hesitation in assuming the functions of the Executive or in acting without advising with him 。 。 。 。 He was very timid； and it was impossible for him to avoid interfering with the armies covering the capital when it was sought to defend it by an offensive movement against the army defending the Confederate capital。 The enemy would not have been in danger if Mr。 Stanton had been in the field。〃
Stanton was unteachable。 He never learnt where control ended and disabling interference began。 In the very critical month of August； '64； he interfered with Hunter to such an extent that this patriotic general had to tell Grant 〃he was so embarrassed with orders from Washington that he had lost all trace of the enemy。〃 Nor was that the end of Stanton's interference with the operations in the Shenandoah Valley。 Lincoln's own cipher letter to Grant on the third of August shows what both these great men had to suffer from the weak link in the chain between them。
〃I have seen your despatch in which you say； 'I want Sheridan put in command of all the troops in the field； with instructions to put himself south of the enemy； and follow him to the death。 Wherever the enemy goes； let our troops go also。' This； I think； is exactly right； as to how our forces should move。 But please look over the despatches you may have received from here； even since you made that order； and discover； if you can； that there is any idea in the head of any one here of 〃putting our army SOUTH of the enemy；〃 or of 'following him to the D