Assuring him that I would do the best I could with the means at hand, and avoid as far as possible annoying him or the War Department, our first interview ended.
The Secretary of War I had met once before only, but felt that I knew him better.
While commanding in West Tennessee we had occasionally held conversations over the wires, at night, when they were not being otherwise used.

He and General Halleck both cautioned me against giving the President my plans of campaign, saying that he was so kind-hearted, so averse to refusing anything asked of him, that some friend would be sure to get from him all he knew.

I should have said that in our interview the President told me he did not want to know what I proposed to do.

But he submitted a plan of campaign of his own which he wanted me to hear and then do as I pleased about.

He brought out a map of Virginia on which he had evidently marked every position occupied by the Federal and Confederate armies up to that time.