[Non-Sequitur]

As someone else pointed out, if Grant was a drunk then it means our lush beat your sainted Bobby Lee. And Braxton Bragg. And John Pemberton. And Leonidas Polk. And Pierre Beauregard. And every other southern general sent against him. Doesn't say much for your sober leadership, does it?

[Gianni]

I'm not a big "Grant was a raging drunk" kind of guy. As was said, he earned a reputation as a butcher by sending men into the meatgrinders that Lee and others had put in place. How he earned a reputation as a drunk I do not know, but he apparently brought it back with him from the West coast.

In many respects, though, after the war, severe alchoholism wouldn't be a bad crutch to lean on for Grant supporters attempting to avoid accusations that he ran the most corrupt and abusive administration in American history.

[stand watie]

when you have essentially unlimited numbers of men,a HUGE industrial/manufacturing infrastructure, unlimited money & supplies AND are willing to win AT ANY PRICE (including closing your eyes to TENS of THOUSANDS of WAR CRIMES against UNarmed civilians), you don't have to be much of a general to win a war against a small, poor, under-supplied military force, no matter how motivated, brave or well-led.

free dixie,sw.