He received Susy very pleasantly, and then fell to talking about certain matters which he hoped to be able to dictate next day; and he said in substance that, among other things, he wanted to settle once for all a question that had been bandied about from mouth to mouth and from newspaper to newspaper.

That question was, "With whom originated the idea of the march to the sea?
Was it Grant's, or was it Sherman's idea ?" Whether I, or some one else (being anxious to get the important fact settled) asked him with whom the idea originated, I don't remember.

But I remember his answer.

I shall always remember his answer.

General Grant said: "Neither of us originated the idea of Sherman's march to the sea.
The enemy did it." He went on to say that the enemy, however, necessarily originated a great many of the plans that the general on the opposite side gets the credit for; at the same time that the enemy is doing that, he is laying open other moves which the opposing general sees and takes advantage of.