March 23, 1864 (Sunday): Grant Arrives In Virginia

General Ulysses S. Grant

HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY,
Washington, D. C., March 23, 1864-12. 30 p. m.
Major-General MEADE,
Commanding Army of the Potomac:
    GENERAL: Lieutenant-General Grant will be at Culpeper by to-morrow morning's train, and will, at your earliest convenience thereafter, desire to see your troops; not in review, but simply drawn up in line in front of or near their respective corps encampments.
    By command of Lieutenant-General Grant:


    JNO. A. RAWLINS,
    Brigadier-General and Chief of Staff.

Official Records, Series I., Vol. 33, Part 1, Page 718.

Grant was plain spoken and not given to the trappings of being a general.  Typically, on his first day in command he was most interested in seeing his troops in place, not in review.