After R.E. Lee

[MikeyB]

Did the South have any great army commanders? I can name several on the Union side, but if asked on the CSA side, the only other name I come up with is Joseph E. Johnston and I'm not sure how many people would consider him "great" versus mediocre/serviceable.

 

[Stone in the wall]

T.J.Jackson and his Valley Army in 1862.

 

[Saruman]

Did the South have any great army commanders? I can name several on the Union side, but if asked on the CSA side, the only other name I come up with is Joseph E. Johnston and I'm not sure how many people would consider him "great" versus mediocre/serviceable.

Stonewall Jackson (Army of the Valley) & Albert Sidney Johnston (Army of Mississippi)

 

[Kyle Kalasnik]

Patrick Cleburn, an outstanding division commander.

 

[MikeyB]

Stonewall Jackson (Army of the Valley) & Albert Sidney Johnston (Army of Mississippi)

Forgot about Jackson that is true. AS Johnston I wasn't sure had enough time to demonstrate what he could do.

 

[BillO]

Actually I'm very curious as to your several "great" union army commanders.

 

[Robin Lesjovitch]

Did the South have any great army commanders? I can name several on the Union side, but if asked on the CSA side, the only other name I come up with is Joseph E. Johnston and I'm not sure how many people would consider him "great" versus mediocre/serviceable.

Dick Taylor might have done well in major command. Lee held command in VA so long that others can't really be judged in the East. Beauregard, despite his Creole temper, was really a good general. Sidney Johnston started the war with a Department too large to be efficiently commanded. That would have resolved itself eventually.But he was a capable soldier. Ed Johnson did well on his own, but circumstances denied him any real opportunities at high command.

 

[Pollaco]

It almost sounds like you never heard of Nathan B. Forrest.

 

[thomas aagaard]

It almost sounds like you never heard of Nathan B. Forrest.

How many battles was he involved with as army commander?

 

[Kyle Kalasnik]

Dick Taylor might have done well in major command. Lee held command in VA so long that others can't really be judged in the East. Beauregard, despite his Creole temper, was really a good general. Sidney Johnston started the war with a Department too large to be efficiently commanded. That would have resolved itself eventually.But he was a capable soldier. Ed Johnson did well on his own, but circumstances denied him any real opportunities at high command.

Dick Taylor might have done well in major command. Lee held command in VA so long that others can't really be judged in the East. Beauregard, despite his Creole temper, was really a good general. Sidney Johnston started the war with a Department too large to be efficiently commanded. That would have resolved itself eventually.But he was a capable soldier. Ed Johnson did well on his own, but circumstances denied him any real opportunities at high command.

Are you referring to Edward "Allegheny" Johnson?

 

[Robin Lesjovitch]

Are you referring to Edward "Allegheny" Johnson?

Yep. Most that knew him called him Ed. He was called Allegheny by others, which led to one writer of the period to refer to him as "General A. Johnson". He had done well in Western VA, but when cooperating with Stonewall Jackson at McDowell received a serious wound above his foot. Returned to duty commanding the "Stonewall" division, he had the misfortune of being posted on the end of the 2nd corps line and had to spend most of July 2nd waiting to attack. Lee considered him for Corps Command, but he was captured at Spotsylvania. Exchanged, he went to the Army of Tennessee and was captured again.

 

[MikeyB]

Actually I'm very curious as to your several "great" union army commanders.

Grant, Sherman, Thomas. Arguably Meade.

 

[Old Breck]

Bragg has certainly been rehabilitated by scholars recently.

 

[Kyle Kalasnik]

Yep. Most that knew him called him Ed. He was called Allegheny by others, which led to one writer of the period to refer to him as "General A. Johnson". He had done well in Western VA, but when cooperating with Stonewall Jackson at McDowell received a serious wound above his foot. Returned to duty commanding the "Stonewall" division, he had the misfortune of being posted on the end of the 2nd corps line and had to spend most of July 2nd waiting to attack. Lee considered him for Corps Command, but he was captured at Spotsylvania. Exchanged, he went to the Army of Tennessee and was captured again.

Appreciate the information. Very informative. The only thing I really knew of him was his service at Gettysburg on the second and third days as a Division Commander around Culp's Hill.

 

[diane]

How many battles was he involved with as army commander?

Chickamauga was the closest! Corps commander. He didn't do as well as he might have but better than expected - the same thing applies to Jeb Stuart after Jackson was shot at Chancellorsville. Both did much better in their own specialty.

I think one possibility for a successor to R E Lee was Custis Lee. He didn't have much of an opportunity to shine - Lee did want to keep the nepotism down because half his generals were related to him anyway - but Custis may well have been as good or better than his dad.

 

[thomas aagaard]

Chickamauga was the closest! Corps commander.

Exactly. The OP asked about " great army commanders " and Forrest was not an army commander.

 

[Robin Lesjovitch]

Bragg has certainly been rehabilitated by scholars recently.

The attempt had been made. i think he would have made a great division commander..........r

 

[Robin Lesjovitch]

To expand the issue a bit, I think Joe Johnston and Longstreet could have made good Union generals. And, perhaps Rosecrans a good Confederate general.

 

[Borderruffian]

Stonewall, Thomas Hindman if given the chance. Several good smaller Unit commanders that with time may have been good Army Cs.

 

[Kyle Kalasnik]

To expand the issue a bit, I think Joe Johnston and Longstreet could have made good Union generals. And, perhaps Rosecrans a good Confederate general.

I find this very interesting. Very much like the NFL. What if Barry Sanders played for the Dallas Cowboys instead of the Detroit Lions? Makes you think.