Abraham Lincoln to Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant, August 3, 1864—6 p.m.

WASHINGTON, D.C., August 3, 1864—6 p.m.                  

(Received 4th.)

Lieutenant-General GRANT:

I have seen your dispatch* 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 dispatches 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 death” in any direction. I repeat to you it will neither be done nor attempted, unless you watch it every day and hour and force it.

A. LINCOLN,                       

President.

_______________

* See p. 558.

SOURCE: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volume 37, Part 2 (Serial No.71 ), p. 582