do_battle_lines_still_exist_113661.html

This was an all around great read article and an item thought many would find of interest.
"At the time General Grant took command of the army it was organized into regional commands similar to that found in current Afghan operations and elsewhere. Each command having the same goal but acting autonomously within their region, this state of organization, however, would not be able to create and direct the force required to win so he moved to unify the commands into a single cohesive line which could both trap and destroy the enemy:

There were thus seventeen distinct commanders. Before this time; these various armies had acted separately and independently of each other, giving the enemy an opportunity often of depleting one command, not pressed, to reinforce another more actively engaged. I determined to stop this. To this end I regarded the Army of the Potomac as the centre, and all west to Memphis along the line described as our position at the time, and north of it, the right wing; the Army of the James, under General Butler, as the left wing, and all the troops south, as a force in rear of the enemy. Some of these latter were occupying positions from which they could not render service proportionate to their numerical strength. All such were depleted to the minimum necessary to hold their positions as a guard against blockade runners. Where they could not do this, their positions were abandoned altogether."