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520 Lee's withdrawal. Sherman at Chattanooga. [i864 willing to make, all cannot be accomplished that I had designed outside of the city (Richmond)." He still kept up a threatening front toward Lee's army, pushing reconnaissances, throwing up breastworks, and making preparations to cross the Chickahominy and White Oak Swamp, all to create the belief that he intended to advance by the left toward Richmond. These were, however, only the operations preliminary to transporting his army safely over the fifty miles of distance that lay between Cold Harbour and City Point, near Butler's camp on the James river. Difficult as was the nature of the ground, the design was successfully accomplished during the following week. On the evening of June 12, the army began withdrawing from Cold Harbour. Between the afternoon and midnight of the 14th, a bridge 3580 feet long was laid across the James river, and by midnight of the 16th the whole army was on the south side of the stream, in immediate junction with that of Butler, the two forming a total aggregate of about 150,000, while Lee with his army, numbering about 70,000, withdrew into the defences of Richmond. Before the Unionist troops had yet begun to cross the river, Grant was already with General Butler at Bermuda Hundred, directing the movements which were to begin the combined siege of Petersburg and Richmond. (2) THE CAPTURE OF ATLANTA. In the West the main military operation during the year 1864 was preceded by two minor campaigns, the Red River expedition under General Banks, and Sherman's expedition against Meridian, Mississippi. The former proved not only a complete failure, but a considerable disaster, which however, apart from the mere loss of men and material, was devoid of any serious consequences to the Unionist cause. The latter succeeded in accomplishing its main object, the destruction of about one hundred miles of the several railroads which centre at Meridian, thus making the whole railroad system of the State of Mississippi practically useless to the Confederates. This left but a single great north and south railroad system in operation between the Alleghany Mountains and the seaboard ; and along that route, from Chattanooga to Savannah, followed the principal and decisive western campaign of 1864. Pursuant to the plan agreed upon between Grant and Sherman, the latter had by the beginning of May assembled at Chattanooga the three principal western armies, that of the Cumberland under Thomas, that of the Tennessee under McPherson, that of the Ohio under Schofield, embracing altogether nearly 100,000 men with 254 guns. They were the flower of the western soldiers, seasoned men commanded by officers of sound judgment and tried courage. Appreciating the magnitude of his task, Sherman had prepared them for their perilous march with