Lee was technically a USG, and was probably one of the best generals in the war. He pretty much kicked the north’s ass until the lack of industry in the south became an issue.
I’m pretty sure this is wrong. I’m no historian, but I have been reading a lot about the US Civil War recently, and based on that my impression is that he’s generally regarded as highly competent and probably would have been given command of the Army of the Potomac over McClellan had he decided to stay with the Union.
For the first two years of the war Lee and Jackson won every major engagement they had with the Union forces. It wasn’t until Gettysburg that they really got a bloody nose, and that at great cost to the Union and at least partially only because Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain was such a badass.
Grant was highly competent as well, and relentless, and he had more men and materiel and better resupply. Once Sherman completed his run to Atlanta, it was pretty much over and just a matter of how Lee was going to surrender.
I never claimed the war was not already over due to Sherman, however, Lee’s hypothetical leadership of the Army of the Potomac has very little to do with the fact USG tactically defeated him in the Overland Campaign. They most major engagements until Lee met Grant, and the better general won. Based on what I’ve read about Overland, it wouldn’t have mattered if Lee was on equal footing, he was consistently outmatched by Grant.
Bronze reclaimed from an unskilled (compared to USG), traitorous general. 👍
Lee was technically a USG, and was probably one of the best generals in the war. He pretty much kicked the north’s ass until the lack of industry in the south became an issue.
When him and Grant’s forces actually met on the battlefield he got fucked up. The extent of his skill was overblown by decades of lost causers.
I’m pretty sure this is wrong. I’m no historian, but I have been reading a lot about the US Civil War recently, and based on that my impression is that he’s generally regarded as highly competent and probably would have been given command of the Army of the Potomac over McClellan had he decided to stay with the Union.
For the first two years of the war Lee and Jackson won every major engagement they had with the Union forces. It wasn’t until Gettysburg that they really got a bloody nose, and that at great cost to the Union and at least partially only because Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain was such a badass.
Grant was highly competent as well, and relentless, and he had more men and materiel and better resupply. Once Sherman completed his run to Atlanta, it was pretty much over and just a matter of how Lee was going to surrender.
I never claimed the war was not already over due to Sherman, however, Lee’s hypothetical leadership of the Army of the Potomac has very little to do with the fact USG tactically defeated him in the Overland Campaign. They most major engagements until Lee met Grant, and the better general won. Based on what I’ve read about Overland, it wouldn’t have mattered if Lee was on equal footing, he was consistently outmatched by Grant.