An Uneasy Partnership

At the battles of the Wilderness and Spotsylvania Court House, Grant struggled not only against Lee’s army but also against the conservative, sometimes timid methods of the Union Army of the Potomac. George G. Meade, commander of that army, was a cautious leader much like the commanders who had preceded him, and Lee had made a career of using Union caution to his advantage. Although Grant had no wish to interfere with Meade’s handling of the Army of the Potomac, he increasingly found it necessary to impose his will upon his subordinate. The aggressive tactics employed by the army throughout 1864 and 1865 carried Grant’s stamp above all others. As Grant told Meade, “Lee’s army will be your objective point. Wherever Lee goes, there you will go also.”

Lake of the Woods, Virginia · United States