How could you describe General Grant's drive to the South in 1864?

Answer 1

It wasn't really a drive to the South.

It was a drive to destroy the two main Confederate armies, wherever they might be.

He gave Sherman the responsibility of defeating Joe Johnston's Army of Tennessee, while he himself took care of Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia.

This was also the beginning of the 'total war', with Sheridan destroying farms in the Shenandoah Valley and Sherman doing the same in Georgia.

OR

Grant's forces advanced south while suffering a large number of casualties") A+")
Logical, merciless and likely to succeed.

In particular, the ending of the system of prisoner exchange. This caused unimaginable suffering to both sides, as the prison-camps became more overcrowded, especially with the Union prisoners in Southern camps, where even the Confederate troops running the place were on half-rations or less, so the prisoners themselves were reduced to starvation, and in some places, cannibalism.

Even Grant's own Siege of Petersburg looked like a criminal waste of manpower, and it brought serious doubts about Lincoln's re-election. Yet it still guaranteed Lee's (eventual) surrender - which was Grant's brief.
A war of attrition - facing up to it that there would be high casualties on both sides, and simply watching the Confederates running out of manpower first. the british government favored the north over the south.