But he did - Grant was appointed General-in-Chief in March 1864.
You probably mean: what if Lee had accepted the offer at the outbreak of the war.
Following his victory in the 1860 presidential election, Lincoln took direct control of Northern military forces from his vacillating generals and controlled the fighting until he appointed Gen Ulysses .S. Grant. His Emancipation Proclamation freeing the slaves helped quantify the fight against the Confederacy, as did his resolve in keeping the Union together.
One key advantage the North lacked was the number of generals who could serve a "general in chief " of the entire Union military. Lincoln had to appoint, then relieve far too many generals whom he appointed to take on that responsibility with success. Finally, Lincoln appointed General Grant to handle that assignment and Grant succeeded where the former generals failed.
Following his victory in the 1860 presidential election, Lincoln took direct control of Northern military forces from his vacillating generals and controlled the fighting until he appointed Gen Ulysses .S. Grant. His Emancipation Proclamation freeing the slaves helped quantify the fight against the Confederacy, as did his resolve in keeping the Union together.
By 1864, the commander of all Union forces was General Ulysses S. Grant. Grant was given this position by President Abraham Lincoln in March 1864 and was responsible for coordinating the Union army's strategy across multiple theaters of the American Civil War. His leadership ultimately played a significant role in the Union's victory.
Army Generals are NOT elected. They are appointed, with the consent of the Senate, by the President, as Commander-In-Chief of the US Armed Forces. Lincoln had appointed General George Mcclellan as Commander of the Union Army, but replaced him when little success was achieved in fighting the Civil War.
Lincoln served as President during the Civil War. in 1864, he appointed Grant as the overall commander of Union forces. Grant accepted Lee's surrender in 1865.
If the question pertains to the US Army of the Potomac, the last general to lead all the Union armed forces was Ulysses S. Grant. He was appointed by Lincoln and only reported to Lincoln. Whom ever might be leading any part of the Army of the Potomac, they reported to Grant. Grant was the last of a long line of generals to be appointed to lead all the Union forces.
He appointed Grant as General-in-Chief in March 1864.
Shorter and less deadly.
No one did. Grant was in charge of all the union forces in the East, and Grant appointed William Tecumseh Sherman to the forces in the South of the Confederacy.
Mr. Licoln chose Grant to be commander in chief not Lee. Lee was appointed commander in chief of the confederate forces .
By all accounts, US President Lincoln believed that general Ulysses S. Grant was the Union's most valuable general. Lincoln appointed him as commander of all Union military forces and had Grant report directly to the president.
The Commanding General of the Union Army during the US Civil War was General U.S. Grant. He was not the first commander of these forces, but he was appointed by Presedent Lincoln to command the U.S. forces prior to the end of the war. General Grant later became the 18th U.S. President.
Grant's successful campaigns in the West convinced Lincoln that Lee would not intimidate him.
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Hooker, Meade, and Grant.