To which I can reply with Joe Johnston, Braxton Bragg, Leonidas Polk, John Hood, Pierre Beauregard, John Pemberton, and Kirby Smith. The North did not have the monopoly on military idiots.
I’ve concluded Longstreet was probably the single best corps commander in either army overall. They all made errors, some larger than others, to be sure.
I would disagree. Longstreet was a little better than average when he was under Lee but was a disaster when on detached duty. The Union had some who were better.
‘McDowell, Pope, Hooker, BURNSIDE, Sickles, Howard come to mind immediately.’
‘To which I can reply with Joe Johnston, Braxton Bragg, Leonidas Polk, John Hood, Pierre Beauregard, John Pemberton, and Kirby Smith. The North did not have the monopoly on military idiots. ‘
Hmmmm. Joe Johnston did have the ‘retrograde movement’ down pat at any rate...(chuckle). Bragg, Polk, and Pemberton we agree about.
Beauregard did have his ‘moments’ so I wouldn’t put him in the same catagory you did, although his plan for a grand sweep of the western theater, then into Kentucky, and finally climaxing with a march on Washington was a bit ‘much’.
Hood was a very good division commander, great at getting his troops where they needed to be, but was completely wrong as the replacement for Johnston, no denying it.
‘I’ve concluded Longstreet was probably the single best corps commander in either army overall. They all made errors, some larger than others, to be sure.’
‘I would disagree. Longstreet was a little better than average when he was under Lee but was a disaster when on detached duty. The Union had some who were better.’
I think he saved Lee from himself quite a few times. And I completely disagree with the ‘little better than average’ remark. Average compared to who? And considering his logistical support was negligible at best for the entire war except for the three or four weeks leading to Gettysburg. Like you, I didn’t think he did well in an ‘independent command’ but I didn’t address that. I thought he was a great corps commander, the best on either side. Its debatable on that level in my view.