Who did Lincoln appoint as general-in-chief of the Union Army in 1864?

Abraham Lincoln appointed Ulysses S. Grant general-in-chief of the Union Army in 1864. Lincoln restored the rank of lieutenant general for Grant and gave him command of all Union armies on March 10, 1864; the appointment was publicly announced on March 12.

Grant had earned Lincoln's confidence through victories at Fort Donelson, Vicksburg, and Chattanooga. Unlike several earlier Union commanders, he consistently pursued Confederate forces rather than allowing them to recover after battles.

As general-in-chief, Grant coordinated simultaneous campaigns across the Confederacy. He made his headquarters with the Army of the Potomac and directed the Overland Campaign against Robert E. Lee, while William T. Sherman advanced toward Atlanta in the Western Theater.

A common mix-up is George B. McClellan, who had previously commanded the Union Army but was removed in 1862. Grant held the top Union command until the Civil War ended in 1865.