- Mar 5, 2004
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Who would you rate as the ten best generals--Blue or Gray--of the American Civil War and why? Please rank with one being your top choice.
Here is my list:
1) Ulysses S. Grant (North)--Saw the need for a total war of annihilation to defeat the South, not afraid to use his forces accordingly. Generous in victory, he allowed the Southern troops to keep their horses so they could work their farms and sup[plied food to feed Lee's army.
2) William T Sherman (North)--Like Grant saw the need for waging total war against the South. Not afraid to take chances with his army, including leaving his supply like and living off the land.
3) Robert E. Lee (South)--Kept the South in the war against overwhelming odds; without Lee the war would have ended much sooner. Unfortunately for the South drawing out the war ended any possibility of the South being restored to the union with slavery still legal. Lee fought his worst battle at Gettysburg, the fight that could have changed the outcome of the war.
4) Stonewall Jackson (South)--Jackson defeated northern forces in every battle he fought. Of course he fought against several incompetent Northern general--Pope, Hooker, Burnside among them. He never faced a general of the caliber of Meade, Thomas or Sherman in battle. Nevertheless he had a great military mind. Had his advice been taken the South may have won the war.
5) George Thomas (North)--One of the most underrated generals of the war, Thomas saved the Union army at Chickamanga in 1863 and crushed Hood's forces at Nashville in 1864.
6) Nathan Bedford Forrest (South)--A tactical genius, he knew how to use the terrain and he used blitzkrieg tactics long before Rommel and the Germans did in World War II.
7) George Meade (North)--Another underrated general, Meade defeated Lee at Gettysburg, the most important battle of the war. Perhaps the best defensive mind of the war. Those who criticize Meade for not pursuing Lee after the battle forget that his army had also suffered serious losses, and that Meade was still new to command.
8) Phil Sheridan (North)--Perhaps the best cavalry commander of the war, Sheridan scorched earth tactics won the war for the North in the Shenandoah Valley.
9) James Longstreet (South)--Longstreet wanted to entrench at Gettysburg and not charge the Union lines. Lee might have won if he had listened. Performed well at Fredericksburg, Bull Run, Chickamauga and the Wilderness.
10) Patrick Cleburne (South)--Repeatedly withstood vastly superior forces and became known as the "Stonewall Jackson of the West."
Here is my list:
1) Ulysses S. Grant (North)--Saw the need for a total war of annihilation to defeat the South, not afraid to use his forces accordingly. Generous in victory, he allowed the Southern troops to keep their horses so they could work their farms and sup[plied food to feed Lee's army.
2) William T Sherman (North)--Like Grant saw the need for waging total war against the South. Not afraid to take chances with his army, including leaving his supply like and living off the land.
3) Robert E. Lee (South)--Kept the South in the war against overwhelming odds; without Lee the war would have ended much sooner. Unfortunately for the South drawing out the war ended any possibility of the South being restored to the union with slavery still legal. Lee fought his worst battle at Gettysburg, the fight that could have changed the outcome of the war.
4) Stonewall Jackson (South)--Jackson defeated northern forces in every battle he fought. Of course he fought against several incompetent Northern general--Pope, Hooker, Burnside among them. He never faced a general of the caliber of Meade, Thomas or Sherman in battle. Nevertheless he had a great military mind. Had his advice been taken the South may have won the war.
5) George Thomas (North)--One of the most underrated generals of the war, Thomas saved the Union army at Chickamanga in 1863 and crushed Hood's forces at Nashville in 1864.
6) Nathan Bedford Forrest (South)--A tactical genius, he knew how to use the terrain and he used blitzkrieg tactics long before Rommel and the Germans did in World War II.
7) George Meade (North)--Another underrated general, Meade defeated Lee at Gettysburg, the most important battle of the war. Perhaps the best defensive mind of the war. Those who criticize Meade for not pursuing Lee after the battle forget that his army had also suffered serious losses, and that Meade was still new to command.
8) Phil Sheridan (North)--Perhaps the best cavalry commander of the war, Sheridan scorched earth tactics won the war for the North in the Shenandoah Valley.
9) James Longstreet (South)--Longstreet wanted to entrench at Gettysburg and not charge the Union lines. Lee might have won if he had listened. Performed well at Fredericksburg, Bull Run, Chickamauga and the Wilderness.
10) Patrick Cleburne (South)--Repeatedly withstood vastly superior forces and became known as the "Stonewall Jackson of the West."
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