Grant

[tomahawk6]

The History channel ran a 3 part series about Grant and Lee. It was well done . Grant was called a butcher by the press but the series dealt with that effectively. I have always felt that Grant fought a war of attrition since the North had more resources despite ineffective military leadership at least until Grant and Meade came along.

https://www.history.com/shows/grant/season-1

 

[Blackadder1916]

The miniseries is to be aired in Canada in the fall.

https://etcanada.com/news/630989/the-story-of-a-great-american-general-comes-to-life-in-miniseries-event-grant/

 

[tomahawk6]

Its a good one and explores Lincoln's relationship with Grant. Grant was a strategic thinker we got to see that in his Vicksburg campaign. He had his gunboats painted black and engines muffled so they could pass the guns of the city and they floated past the guns and landed troops on the same side of the river as the city.Eventually the city surrendered freeing up Grant to move East.

 

[exspy]

Grant was called a butcher by the press but the series dealt with that effectively. I have always felt that Grant fought a war of attrition since the North had more resources despite ineffective military leadership at least until Grant and Meade came along.

I think you're right on about Grant. He was mentally prepared to accept the casualties the North would have to incur in order to defeat the Confederacy in the Eastern Theatre. Something none of his predecessors had been prepared to do. And by doing so, ended the war in eleven months from when the first Union soldier, now under his command, stepped into the Wilderness in May 1864. The Army of the Potomac engaged the Army of Northern Virginia that first day and stayed engaged with them for the entire eleven months, thereby taking away the ANV's ability to maneuver and save itself.

I don't think Grant was necessarily a military genius, but he was the right man at the right place. He knew the war would be decided in the East and what was required to defeat the Confederacy in the shortest amount of time, and he was prepared to do it. That was his greatness.

Lincoln hated reading the casualty lists, but knew the fighting had to be done. He supported Grant through the darkest months of that final year of the war. And won the election, too.

Just my two pfennings.

 

[FJAG]

Its a good one and explores Lincoln's relationship with Grant. Grant was a strategic thinker we got to see that in his Vicksburg campaign. He had his gunboats painted black and engines muffled so they could pass the guns of the city and they floated past the guns and landed troops on the same side of the river as the city.Eventually the city surrendered freeing up Grant to move East.

He definitely was a strategic thinker albeit your example is a more tactical one. He did, however, design and conduct several campaigns that clearly destroyed the South's ability to bring any decisive force into play.

... He was mentally prepared to accept the casualties the North would have to incur in order to defeat the Confederacy in the Eastern Theatre. Something none of his predecessors had been prepared to do. ...

McClellan certainly was like that but Burnside threw his troops away stupidly at Marye's Heights at Fredericksburg to the tune of almost 13,000 dead wounded and captured which was roughly the same numbers that Grant/Meade suffered at Cold Harbor which is acknowledged as Grant's worst battle. As Grant himself said:

"I have always regretted that the last assault at Cold Harbor was ever made. ... No advantage whatever was gained to compensate for the heavy loss we sustained."

:cheers: