Before Ulysses S. Grant assumed command of the Union army, it would venture south into Confederate territory, suffer a defeat, then withdraw northward to conduct endless marching drills and meaningless grand reviews—anything to avoid striking a serious blow at the enemy.

That all changed when Lincoln put Grant in charge. Journalist Michael Kilian describes the immediate impact the new general made on an army conditioned to defeat:

In May 1864 … a horrible, two-day battle ensued, with many wounded burning to death when the woods caught fire. The fight was a standoff but so costly to the North a Union withdrawal was expected.

On the rainy night after the close of battle, the weary soldiers of the battered Union Army were slogging along, believing they were once again going to retreat, as they had done time after time in Virginia since the first battle of Bull Run three years before.

Instead, at the crossroads, they encountered the muddy, unkempt figure of their new commanding general, who sat upon his horse, blocking the road to the north, directing the troops onto another that led south and east and eventually to Richmond.

Grant's resolve to lead his troops forward were costly, but he did not retreat and instead continued moving south. Grant's firm leadership finally paid off. In April of 1865, General Lee surrendered to Grant at the McLean House in Appomattox Court House, Virginia.

Possible Preaching Angles: (1) Leadership—an example of courageous leadership; (2) Discipleship—an example of Christ's call to follow him without turning back.