he inched his way toward Corinth, erecting intrenchments at every
halt, only to find, after a month, that he had been frightened
by shadows and dummy guns and that the city had been abandoned by
the Confederates. No commander responsible for such a ridiculous
performance could retain the confidence of an army in the field,
and Sherman assured Grant that Halleck would not long survive the
fiasco. This advice was sorely needed, for Grant had grown tired
of being constantly humiliated and had already requested Halleck
to relieve him from duty when Sherman persuaded him to remain and
wait for something to happen.

Something happened sooner then either man expected, for Halleck
was suddenly "kicked up stairs" by his appointment to the chief
command with headquarters in Washington, and on July 11, 1862,
about three months after the battle of Shiloh, Grant found himself
again at the head of a powerful army.





Chapter XV




Lee in the Saddle


While Grant was earning a reputation as a fighting general in the