diane
Retired User
- Joined
- Jan 23, 2010
- Location
- State of Jefferson
You know, even the whole ' Grant the commoner V Lee the aristocrat ' has been wildly overdone, seems a little suspect to me. You know how he's portrayed- and no, of course he did not give shiny brass a second thought, hated dress uniforms, dispensed with the trappings a lot of generals trail around. I said a lot- some sterling generals did not and probably for the same reason finding them pointless- this was war- but did not get it in the neck and still do not 150 years later. Buford did not, famously plain of dress. And Grant's family was just fine, too despite revisionist insistence on bringing the guy down a peg or 20. West Point? Must have made it tougher hitting rock bottom, you're right, he got himself out of that one albeit with Julia's faith in him.
There's a lot in this post Dam Yankee, thank you. I've always thought poor Lee is consigned forever riding Traveler, festooned with blooms picked by the hands of Confederate maidens, on a loop between Bull Run and Appomatox despite his excellent work academically and administratively at Washington College post war, despite aspects to his life, family and character which would flesh him out and allow him to be human. So is Grant stuck in that loop only not riding. He's in that tent at Cold Harbor drinking and writing inflammatory orders while somehow the war is won outside the flaps. anyway.
That's a good summary. When it comes down to it, all the posts and threads notwithstanding, Robert E Lee and Ulysses S Grant are forever conjoined twins. They will always be chasing each other between Richmond and Appomattox, Lee a symbol of what the South lost and Grant the symbol of what the North won. Ironically, Lee wanted to just eat his own cornbread in peace and Grant wanted to finally check out California. Neither one saw the war as the end-all and be-all of their lives!