The newly appointed general-in-chief of Union armies, Ulysses S. Grant, decided to make his headquarters with the Army of the Potomac rather than in an office in Washington, D.C. Leaving George G. Meade in charge of the details, Grant sent the army not after Richmond, as his predecessors had done, but after Robert E. Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia. The resulting Overland Campaign in the spring of 1864 led to bloody battles at the Wilderness and Spotsylvania Court House. In spite of casualties in the tens of thousands, Grant continued to take the offensive. His cavalry commander, Philip H. Sheridan, wanted to do the same. While the fighting raged at Spotsylvania, he approached Meade regarding his function in the current campaign. The traditional role of cavalry was to “screen,” or obscure, the movements of its own army while gathering information on the strength and movements of the enemy. Sheridan, however, wanted his cavalry to strike out on its own, not simply to observ
Recent home sales south of Boston (Dec. 30)
ABINGTON
201 Oak St. One-family Cape Cod, built in 1963, 2,516 square feet, 11 rooms, 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, on 22,197-square-foot lot. $580,000
323 Hampton Way #323 Condo, built in 2003, 1,400 square feet, 5 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 2 baths. $340,000
711 Randolph St. One-family Ranch, built in 1950, 690 square feet, 5 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, on 6,930-square-foot lot. $308,000
BRAINTREE
145 Oak St. One-family Cape Cod, built in 1935, 1,858 square feet, 7 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, on 16,631-square-foot lot. $810,000
529 Middle St. One-family Colonial, built in 1950, 2,460 square feet, 7 rooms, 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, on 12,219-square-foot lot. $673,000
73 Hawthorn Road One-family Colonial, built in 1927, 1,610 square feet, 7 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, on 9,953-square-foot lot. $590,000
11 Margaret Drive One-family Split Level, built in 1957, 1,155 square feet, 5 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, on 12,602-square-foot lot. $585,000