What do you think would have happened if Robert E. Lee commanded the US Army instead of the Confederate?
- Thread starter JEDI
- Start date
It is hard to guess how it might have turned out. Lee was a brilliant tactician, but the war was actually won by the strategic thinking of Grant. An over simplification granted, but relevent.
if Lee took the offer than the war would have been over much sooner. And Grant might not have become president.
Lee was first a Virginian and second a citizen of the USofA. While Thomas was first a citizen of the USofA and second a Virginian.
And what would have happened if Sherman accepted the offer to join the Southern cause? Sherman's March from Syracuse to the sea?
Schadenfroh
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- Mar 8, 2003
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the cival war would have been MUCH shorter. Lee was a much better commander than Grant. If Lee had the resources available to Grant/backing of the union industrial and economic might. The south would have been squashed like a bug VERY quickly.
Personally I think Lee was the most overrated commander in U.S., if not world history. He fought the wrong kind of war, missed numerous oppurtunities to decisively win the war, and did not take into account the change in weaponry between the Civil War and the Mexican War. If he had listened to Jackson more, who had most of the brilliant ideas used by the south (and much more potent ones not used) we would not be a unifed country today.
Lee sided with the Confederacy because his home state did. He wished for his state to stay in the Union, he had strong allegience to the USA, but a stronger allegiance to his home state of Virginia. he actually pleaded with Virginia's politicians to stay with the North. But once they decided to join the confederacy, he states that his job was only that of a soldier and he would do what his state asked him. He put all of his effort behind them(very admirable in itself).
Lee actually almost won the war, He was within 10 miles of DC and kickin some union tail. He asked the confederate president to offer a peace treaty to the Union, he said the best option was to get out while your ahead, with your original objectives, save as many lives as possible, and bring peace asap. The confederate president refused, wanting to control DC instead(butthead). This was a mistake because even the talented Lee only managed to lose men and equipment against the DC stronghold. After this the north chased lee all over the south, and eventually had assembled a much larger army. They could replace thier men faster. General after General were replaced and given the task to defeat Lee, many failed, until finnaly Grant came along. Grant was still not near the skilled tactician Lee was, but he knw one thing, he outnumbered him 10 to 1, and calmly chased Lee until his lines were stretched and his men worn out, Lee only surrendered when he knew that cost of fighting grant was more than his army could muster. So he told his men to go home and live proudly, and he would accept all responsibility for the souths surrender.
-- Paraphrased from "The Leadership lessons of Rober E Lee, how to win when your outgunned, outnumbered, and underfinanced."
Lee actually almost won the war, He was within 10 miles of DC and kickin some union tail. He asked the confederate president to offer a peace treaty to the Union, he said the best option was to get out while your ahead, with your original objectives, save as many lives as possible, and bring peace asap. The confederate president refused, wanting to control DC instead(butthead). This was a mistake because even the talented Lee only managed to lose men and equipment against the DC stronghold. After this the north chased lee all over the south, and eventually had assembled a much larger army. They could replace thier men faster. General after General were replaced and given the task to defeat Lee, many failed, until finnaly Grant came along. Grant was still not near the skilled tactician Lee was, but he knw one thing, he outnumbered him 10 to 1, and calmly chased Lee until his lines were stretched and his men worn out, Lee only surrendered when he knew that cost of fighting grant was more than his army could muster. So he told his men to go home and live proudly, and he would accept all responsibility for the souths surrender.
-- Paraphrased from "The Leadership lessons of Rober E Lee, how to win when your outgunned, outnumbered, and underfinanced."
heh, I dont remember the exact words from all the books I've read, but after the war, Grant basically told Lee: "dude, you pwn3d me"
Lee was a traitor. So were most Southeners. End of story. Now their descendants start with other nations in the name of a flag they fought so vehemently against.
While there are many factors to consider about why the CSA lost the Civil War, I thought that we were asked to consider a question about generals.
Sure, railroads were an important factor in the war. While Lee only seemed to attack them as a target of opportunity, Grant persued the destruction and capture of them with great gusto. Part of his stragegic thinking.
The North did in fact have a manpower advantage, but Grant was the only Northern general to commit to a war of attrition. Lee might never have done that, thinking of his soldiers as people instead of assets.
Grant divided the South at the Mississippi in a series of straticic moves.
Grant introduced the concept of "modern war" where citizens of the opponent government were made to share the burden of war first hand. Sherman's March is the classic example of this. It was not intended to confront and destroy armies in the field until its end. It was to instill terror in the South, deprive citizens as well as soldiers of food, the taking of Atlanta was as much a psychological as a military victory. It caused serious disruption to the South's economic system and caused inflation that ruined the value of the Confederate dollar. Most believe that Lee still wanted to fight according to traditional gentalman's rules of warfare.
It is really ironic that Lee's biggest attempt at a stratigic move was Gettysburg, where it was a series of tactical failures by his forces that carried the day for the North, and failure to follow Lee in his retreat was a gigantic stratigic failure by the North.
In limiting the comparison to just the 2 generals, I stand by my assertion that the most pronounced difference between the 2 was Lee's tactical brilliance vs Grant's stratigic overview.
Sure, railroads were an important factor in the war. While Lee only seemed to attack them as a target of opportunity, Grant persued the destruction and capture of them with great gusto. Part of his stragegic thinking.
The North did in fact have a manpower advantage, but Grant was the only Northern general to commit to a war of attrition. Lee might never have done that, thinking of his soldiers as people instead of assets.
Grant divided the South at the Mississippi in a series of straticic moves.
Grant introduced the concept of "modern war" where citizens of the opponent government were made to share the burden of war first hand. Sherman's March is the classic example of this. It was not intended to confront and destroy armies in the field until its end. It was to instill terror in the South, deprive citizens as well as soldiers of food, the taking of Atlanta was as much a psychological as a military victory. It caused serious disruption to the South's economic system and caused inflation that ruined the value of the Confederate dollar. Most believe that Lee still wanted to fight according to traditional gentalman's rules of warfare.
It is really ironic that Lee's biggest attempt at a stratigic move was Gettysburg, where it was a series of tactical failures by his forces that carried the day for the North, and failure to follow Lee in his retreat was a gigantic stratigic failure by the North.
In limiting the comparison to just the 2 generals, I stand by my assertion that the most pronounced difference between the 2 was Lee's tactical brilliance vs Grant's stratigic overview.
I dont consider the Southerners traitors at all. Half of the country broke away, a significant amount. I guess all Americans are traitors from Britain, and I guess all the countries that broke off from Russia are traitors from Russia? Gimme a break.
So if people disagree with thier government anf fail to make change they should just sit back and take it? Or pick up thier rifles and declare themselves free? I respect that the south was willing to fight for thier independence. I doubt you would have the cajones to do the same.
Yes, we all know the southeners were fighting for their freedom... :roll: ...the freedom to keep people enslaved. Much the same way the red states of today are fighting for their freedom to warmonger and to push their flawed moral system on other people. :thumbsdown: I'm not surprised you respect people for fighting for slavery either.
Since you have the e-cajones, maybe you can take up arms for other unjust causes and be put in your place the way the south was ulitimately owned in the civil war. The south was on the wrong side of history. The new red states are on the wrong side of history and you are on the wrong side of history.Robert E. Lee called a slavery "a moral and political evil" in a Dec. 1856 letter. When his wife inherited a working plantation, he began freeing the slaves on it when he took over its management. He was also opposed to secession, but considered his obligation to his home state greater than his obligation to the country.
Don't they teach history in schools anymore?
Let's see; Virginia is a 'new red state', having gone for Republicans the last 5 or 6 elections (at least), and they're also the first (and still only, I think) state to have a black (and Democratic, to boot) governor. So I guess that's being "on the wrong side of history" for you, eh?
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