sourced story
March 10, 1864Primary source · 2 sourcesWell documented

Lincoln Makes Grant General-in-Chief of All Union Armies

Congress revives the rank of lieutenant general so Grant can command every Union force at once

On the timeline · around March 10, 1864 · Grant, Sherman, and Union Victory (1864-1865)The Turning Point (1863)Grant, Sherman, and Union Victory (1864-1865)Lincoln Makes Grant General-in-Chief of All Union Armies1864

Quick facts

Date signed
March 10, 1864
New rank
Lieutenant General, later General-in-Chief
Predecessor in role
Henry Halleck

What happened

Frustrated by a string of Union generals in the East who moved too cautiously against Lee, Lincoln backed a bill reviving the rank of lieutenant general, previously held only by George Washington and, by brevet, Winfield Scott. Congress passed the bill, and Lincoln signed it on February 29, 1864, then nominated Ulysses S. Grant the same day. The Senate confirmed Grant on March 2, and Lincoln signed his commission on March 10, 1864, making Grant general-in-chief of all Union armies, replacing Henry Halleck in that role and reporting only to Lincoln as commander in chief. Grant, who had won at Fort Donelson, Shiloh, Vicksburg, and Chattanooga, chose to make his headquarters in the field with the Army of the Potomac rather than in Washington.

Why it matters

For the first time, one commander coordinated Union strategy across every theater simultaneously, letting Grant order Sherman's, Sheridan's, and his own armies to attack together so the Confederacy could no longer shift troops from a quiet front to reinforce a threatened one.

How we know

The National Archives holds Lincoln's original nomination message to the Senate and Grant's signed commission as lieutenant general.

Sources

See something wrong? . Corrections with a source get fixed fastest.

Part of a timelineThe American Civil War33 events · How a nation split over slavery, fought itself for four years, and came out with slavery abolished by lawView all →