Posted on 09/08/2021 6:24:48 PM PDT by McGruff
And, the battle at Gettysburg was pretty much over even before Lee ordered Pickett to charge.
For not recognizing the tactical advantage the Union army had, and seemingly ignoring the fact that his soldiers had to cross an open killing field, Lee should never be considered the GOAT...or, should be considered the goat.
Douglas Freeman’s biography of Lee is probably the gold standard in that category.
Grant and Lee commanded armies for about the same amount of time - Grant from February 1862 and Lee from June 1862. Overall Lee suffered more casualties both in whole numbers and as a percentage of his command than Grant did. Grant came east and realized what had apparently escaped his precessors - the only way to beat Lee was to seek him out and, to paraphrase William Sherman, "give them all they want; not a word of argument, not a sign of let up, no cave in till we are whipped or they are." And that's what he did, accepting the terrible cost as what was needed to win.
Gen. Lee is the greatest General in American history.
Lee was a great general, no doubt about that. But Grant accepted the surrender of three armies in the field and Sherman was probably the best strategist of the three.
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