Mead had come into camp in a panic trying to explain what Lee would do to turn the battle into his advantage. At that time the usually calm Grant rose to his feet and said;
“Oh I am heartily tired of hearing what Lee is going to do. Some of you always seem to think he is suddenly going to do a double somersault, and land in our rear and on both flanks at the same time. Go back to your commands, and think what we are going to do ourselves, instead of what Lee is going to do.”
Grant; The greatest general this country ever produced. He personally ran 5 armies and won a contest with one of the greatest tactical generals in this nations history. All at the same time and often had to go personally to a theater to make things straight..I.E Hunter in the Shenandoah Valley.
Lee said that he searched history and up to that time he could find no greater general than US Grant. And to think that Halleck wanted to sack him. Lincoln, Halleck and Stanton were in fact perfect idiots, as Grant would have ended that war soon after Shiloh, if left to do what he wanted.
Grants weakness was his poor judgment of character...he was a kind trusting man and it caused him much unneeded trouble.
mho...this is the main point of the quote, by U.S. Grant, which makes a call to action. Yes, action, created by thinking and planning, then action. Now if the people in Congress are listening and paying attention, there will be thinking, planning, and action to problems currently existing which will create a much more stable America...mho
btw...it may become worse before it becomes better, even if thinking, planning, and action rule the field.
“Grants weakness was his poor judgment of character...he was a kind trusting man and it caused him much unneeded trouble.”
Quite true. And that is what sunk his presidency a decade later.