Abe, Grant and the 1864 Election

[tulip]

Hi Yankeewoman:

Cadwallader's book is excellent. It is most famous as the source of the tale of Grant's binge on the Yazoo. Quite a story and IMO true. Unlike his sidekick Sherman, Grant was not afraid to deal with journalists. He treated them with respect and let them do their business. For a man of action, it is somewhat amazing that many of his closest friends over the years became men of ideas and words; John Russell Young, Thomas Nast, Albert Richardson, Charles Dana and of course Mark Twain. Each remained in awe of Grant. Even Dana, who became an acknowledged political foe, in the end reversed himself and wrote a positive book of recollections on Grant the warrior.

Lee invariably answered the question, who was the greatest Union general, “McClellan.” Grant returned the favor by claiming he feared Joe Johnston more than any other Reb general. Go figure! I believe that each was disingenuous and knew deep down the truth of the matter. While neither was lying, I think both were jealous of the other’s fame and both were incapable of acknowledging, the other’s talent. But hey at the same time, when Grant heard that President Johnson was about to arrest Lee, he threatened to resign and go to the press with his reasons. In addition, several years after the war someone at Washington College defamed Grant in front of Lee. Lee became quite agitated and said, "Sir, if you ever again presume to speak disrespectfully of General Grant in my presence, either you or I will sever his connection with his University."

Yankeewoman, not certain what you have in mind as to a discussion forum specific to Grant. Such as? Will be glad to listen to any ideas.

[yankeewoman]

Connie,

I think what I might have in mind is simply to start the ball rolling and talk about the man and all his little idiosyncrasies (good and bad). So much has been said about Lee...Pickett...Chamberlain... Hancock and many others. Grant was a man who had been very unsure of himself.... until he was made head of the Union Army. As President, he was lackluster at best, and had a presidency rife with scandal. George Custer became involved at one point, and testified about selling of government contracts(?) with some less than complimentary things to say about the President's brother Orville. (George had his own problems, though, and met them at Little Big Horn not that long after testifying.)

[jac]

I've read this whole discussion with interest, and it's made me think about years after the Civil War, and how actions during the CW influenced the future.
IMO, one of RE Lee's greatest actions may have been to tell his men to go home and plant crops, and not to go into the hills and fight a guerrilla war. Our history might have been much bloodier....
Also, I wonder if Lee's continuing right to the bitter end eliminated a lot of denial after the war. No one could really say, 'If we'd just kept fighting'. If you look at the history of Germany after WW1, that sentiment was rampant, and may have helped the lead up to WW 11.
As to this general or that general being a 'butcher'. The Civil War taught any tactician who wanted to look, that trenches defended by men with rifles could not be taken without horrendous losses. This lesson was apparently missed by the generals who were in charge of the fighting in Europe in World War One. You want to call a general a butcher, look there.