He decided not to make any more attempts on fortified locations, and, examining his maps, he chose to approach Richmond from a different angle. In 1862, McClellan and the Army of the Potomac had come up the James Peninsula and been stopped; in 1864, Grant would cross over the James River and attack Richmond from the south.

This was one of those brilliant solutions that when it is finally presented, everyone marvels it had not been seen before. But to execute this audacious plan, Grant had to pull back from where his men stared at Lee’s, move to his left, and cross a major river, all without alerting the enemy to his intentions. That he even made the attempt indicates his boldness.