Posted on 06/03/2018 4:42:36 PM PDT by Bull Snipe
Following General Grant's instructions, General George Meade orders three Corps of his Army of the Potomac to attack the lines of General Lee's Army of Northern Virginia near a crossroads named Cold Harbor. The attack is a failure, about 7000 Union soldiers are killed, wounded or captured within a short time. For the three days of combat around Cold Harbor, the Army of the Potomac has lost between 13 - 14 thousand men as casualties. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia has lost between 4500-5000 men.
Both of Patton’s Grandfathers were members of the Confederate Army. One a General and one a Colonel. One was killed at the battle of New Market.
When Patton was a child his family regularly hosted a house guest named John Mosby. Patton learned a lot from him.
To anyone passing by on US Rte. 295 going to or from Florida, taking a break there to stop by and look over the battle site is worthwhile. The marks of the conflict are still there. Awesome.
A certain demographic will never STFU about how much they matter when 10,000 Americans would die in one day so that the skin color obsessed of today have the voice to disparage the honor of those who fought to free slaves.
Lee grew short of capable officers. Corp, Division ,and Brigade officer slots were always filled. But the capability of those newly appointed officers was, in many instances, less than the officers they replaced.
Would one of those trajectories include Great Britain
recognizing the Confederate State of America as a nation
and providing military assistance including using the British navy to break the Union blockade?
Hence the term “rich man’s war, poor man’s fight”.
I used to live practically on the Cold Harbor battlefield. My home would have been behind the Confederate lines. Took my son (who at the time was 5) and walk the battlefield. Was there for the 125th anniversary and reenactment. They say you couldn’t walk there and not step on a dead soldier. It was a sobering experience.
Been to Cold Harbor. To bad only a small portion of that battlefield has been preserved.
A fight between Jackson and TR both in their prime would have been fierce to say the least. As tough as Jackson was, Roosevelt was a trained boxer. I still would not count Jackson out tho. He might just find a way to win.
With guns I would go with Jackson. TR loved guns and shooting but admitted he was a mediocre shot. It might have had something to do with his poor eyesight.
I forgot to add, they may well have killed each other. Neither would have given up.
He lost a lot of the good ones: Albert Sydney Johnston at Shiloh, Barnard Bee at Bull Run, Jackson at Chancellorsville, JEB Stuart at Yellow Tavern ...
Irreplaceable talent.
Russia helped check GB and France. They stationed fleets off the East Coast and California during the Civil War.
Just like today, great powers get involved in other countries Civil Wars.
Well, someone had to stay home and make their slaves were well treated. /S
Nobody fought to free the slaves. They fought to maintain economic control of the South. "Slaves" didn't become a goal of the war until almost two years into it, and then it wasn't done for the benefit of the slaves, it was done for the express purpose of damaging the South's ability to continue the war.
I’ve often thought Meade should have pursued Lee at the end of the third day at Gettysburg. But that’s just my opinion.
I did not know that about the Russian fleet. Thank you for your post. On FR I lean much everyday.
All the other generals who preceded him had the same resources, and all save Meade failed miserably using them. I can't think of any of the other generals who had the knowledge, leadership ability AND personality to survive the politics that Grant had or developed.
He should have. Meade lacked the killer instincts of Grant, Sherman or Sheridan. After 3 days of battle in 90 degree heat, 57,000 casualties, both armies were plum fought out.
I’m not sure what it is about Cold Harbor but there is evidence that the Union casualty rate has been badly inflated. The usual estimate is about 12,000 killed, wounded, and missing but Gordon Rhea, who is on his fifth book detailing the Overland Campaign, has come up with a much lower casualty list that is about a third of that.
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