After Grant and Sherman...

gary · #1 09-02-2007, 03:16 PM

Who's the most important Union general of the war? Mind you, he didn't have to survive the war. Discuss fully.

Ozark Iron John · #2 09-02-2007, 03:57 PM

ole · #3 09-02-2007, 04:42 PM

You ask tough questions, gary. Problem there is, without their survival, we can't know what Kearny, Reynolds and McPherson might have done. John makes an interesting observation with his colorful contribution. I suspect we'll hear from the Thomas faction shortly.

But can we include in here the QM General, or some involved in the MRR. How about Admirals? And I'll suggest that Li'l Mac might be considered for his development of the AotP. Or Halleck for helping Lincoln gain control of the military organization?

In battle, I'll have to go along with John: Phil Sheridan. For a fighting SOB, it would be hard to match anyone's career with the little guy's pugnacity. Seems like whatever battle he was in, he fought hard and, if not contributing to Union victory, certainly did lessen the consequences of defeat.

Interesting idea.

ole

5fish · #4 09-03-2007, 08:14 AM

Yes! CSA. Lt. Gen. R. S. Ewell saved the union. He accomplished this through his inability to exploit opprotunities in the last major battles of the Civil War.

The argument:

1) At the Battle of Gettysburg, he did not take the high ground of Cemetary ridge and Culp hill. You can argue it was Longstreet's childish behavior or Stuart's vanity that lost the Battle of Getty'sburg; but the battle was lost on the first day when Gen. Ewell ceded the high ground the union forces.

2) At the Battle of the Wilderness, he did not exploit the open union right. He knew from the early hours of the moring the union right was open but waited until after 5pm with limited force to attack it. If he would have thrown his whole corp at the open union right, he could have rolled it up as Gen. Longstreet had done to the union left. It would have been a deceive victory for the southern forces and maybe Gen Grant would have been just another one of Gen. Lee's victem.

3) At Spotsylvania, he was just useless!!

4) At North Anna the greatest battle never fought, he was the senior officer in charge for Gen. Lee was ill. Gen Hancock union corp was isolated from Gen. Grant main force. He unknowingly was facing two confederate corps with a river to his back. If Gen. Ewell would have ordered an attacked of his corp and Anderson corp, they could have destroyed Gen. Hancock's corp. It would have been a deceive victory and may have ended Gen Grant's path to fame; but the attack was never ordered and Gen Hancock entrenced.

5) At Sailor's creek a black day for Gen. Lee, he was again the senoir officer in charge. He chose to allow Gen Anderson to choose if they fight or surrender. Gen. Anderson chose fight; but it was futile. Gen. Ewell along with serveral other generals and a quarter of Gen. Lee's army was lost. Note, it Gen Ewell's lines that broke first in the battle.

CAS. Lt. Gen. R. S. Ewell save our union and should be honor as a hero of our great republic. He should have a statue of him in Washington, D. C.. He should be honor along side other great UNION generals.

I do not know why historians overlook his accomplishments of what incompetence.

matthew mckeon · #5 09-03-2007, 08:19 AM

By this standard, the greatest Confederate military hero of the war would be a tie between Ambrose Burnside and Benjamin Butler.

matthew mckeon · #6 09-03-2007, 08:21 AM

After Grant and Sherman, I would say George Thomas. Thomas, a Virginian, who unlike Lee, stayed with the Union, performed admirably as a corps commander at Chickamagua and very well as an army commander in the last battles of the Western theatre.

matthew mckeon · #7 09-03-2007, 08:25 AM

Gary, taking "did not survive the war" as a clue, are you thinking of John Reynolds?

Of able officers who were dismissed or resigned(thus not "surviving" professionally). Fitz John Porter was forced out for political reasons, although he was at least as capable as Burnside, Hooker and a half dozen other corps commanders. Darius Couch was a very able general, who resigned in disgust after Chancellorsville.

matthew mckeon · #8 09-03-2007, 08:28 AM

It's ironic, you often read things like, "if only Stonewall had lived," or the gallant Pelham, or Stuart. On the Union side, losing McDowall, Butler, Burnside, Banks, Fremont, Pleasanton could have only improved the North's chances!

larry_cockerham · #9 09-03-2007, 09:28 AM

Thomas, by many accounts, was the more likely to have filled the role of command on a broad well-managed scale. If I was just trying to kick butt, little Phil Sheridan was certainly a good choice. Ozark has a point.

Ozark Iron John · #10 09-03-2007, 11:47 AM

A Sacred Trust
Gettysburg – Little Round Top – July 2, 1863
by Ron Lessner

I would've thought one of you Union Blue boys would've mentioned Brigadier General (breveted Major General) Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain. Although lacking in formal military training he more'n made up for it in courage, tenacity, esprit-de-corps and e'lan. Medal of Honor winner for his actions on Little Round Top, designated to receive the first flag of surrender at Appomatax Court House and honored to lead the Army of the Republic in the victory parade in Washington, D.C.

I'd say he has to rank right up there on top.