His use of primary documents, music, and photographs gave you a glimpse into a time gone by.
One of the most rememberable parts of it, was a photo taken from Cold Harbor, with the words of a journal found in the hand of a dead soldier.
"Today I died."
A truly magnificent work and one which I credit for my interest in the Civil War. Twenty years later I have him to thank for the hundred or so books on the subject that I have littering my den. (Which my wife calls my "Devil's Den". She thinks she's a very funny individual.)
Burns focused on the entire war, Rhea on a single campaign. And his work came along long after Burns released his documentary. It's a question of focus. I have no reason to doubt Rhea's research, and no criticism of Burns for quoting what up until now where commonly accepted figures.