Posted on 01/17/2019 8:15:01 AM PST by Sean_Anthony
Sir Winston Churchill: “Lee was the noblest American who had ever lived and one of the greatest commanders known to the annals of war.”
During a tour through the South in 1905, President Theodore Roosevelt told the aged Confederate veterans in Richmond, Virginia, “Here I greet you in the shadow of the statue of your commander, General Robert E. Lee. You and he left us memories which are part of the memories bequeathed to the entire nation by all the Americans who fought in the War Between the States.”
Saturday January 19, 2019, is the 212th birthday of Robert E. Lee.
Robert E. Lee, a man whose military tactics have been studied worldwide, was an American soldier, Educator, Christian gentlemen, husband and father.
Second glaring error. A quill pen? Really?
Lincoln once asked his generals why they could not capture Lee. One general answered:” Capture him? First, we’d have to go up a steep Hill. Then march down a Longstreet. And then, we’d have to jump over a Stonewall, just to engage him.”
I think the Fonda character was based on Custer - another soldier who is regularly hauled over the coals.
Lee operated under great disadvantages in number of men and material.
He did amazingly well for the circumstances.
He came very close to winning.
I believe this portrait is symbolic rather than trying to be accurate.
Yes, that is one. Does the room look like a parlor to you or a staff office?
I believe he was left-handed but someone decided to sign that document using his right hand. :-)
Custer grabbed up the table where the signing took place, I believe.
>>Lee was a great general but not as good as the one who defeated him.<<
I’m not one to argue over the events of the Civil War, but I will say although Grant was a great General, had he not enjoyed the enormous advantages of the North’s industrial power and manpower, the surrender at Appomattox might never have happened.
“Greatest American general.”
Greatest American STRATEGIC general. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson was America’s greatest TACTICAL general.
“Jackson was a rock star in 1862. He was a strange bird.”
My favorite American general. Yes, he was a bit odd, but he was a brilliant tactician. There were and are none better.
And Grant gave Custer’s wife the table upon which the surrender was signed.
All generals have the strength and weaknesses of the tactical situation they are confronted with. And as I said Lee was a very good General but he certainly made major mistakes. And he didn’t have the ability to learn from his mistakes all that we11. The “audacity” which gave him his greatest victories also contributed to his worst defeats. Once Grant started his Overland campaign, about 6 weeks later Richmond was invested, the army of Northern Virginia was in a siege and for all practical purposes the war was lost for the south. Certainly having to deal with the consequences of the defeats of lesser southern generals (Bragg, Hood) didn’t help Lee. Had Braxton Bragg exploited his victory at Chickamagua and destroyed Rosecranz’ army; the situation Lee faced in 1864 would have been much different.
Same birthday as Benjamin Franklin.
He lost Gettysburg because he fought it as if he still had Jackson, who died only two months before.
I never saw much strategy at all to Lee. His only two strategic moves were his invasions of the north, both of which he lost, sending him home with his tail between his legs and his army greatly depleted. If that's a strategy then it merely consisted of trying to securing a victory in the north and hoping that would convince the north surrender. Doesn't sound like much of a strategy to me.
Yet he pretty much disappeared during the 7 days battle and almost lost the battle of Fredricksburg for the south. He was a great southern general but I'm not convinced he was really any better than Longstreet.
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