Hero of the Appomattox Campaign?

major bill

Brev. Brig. Gen'l
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Aug 25, 2012
Had Lee successfully escaped during the Appomattox Campaign, the War may well have lasted longer and more men would have lost their lives. Are there any Union generals who should recieved more credit for the Appomattox Campaign?


What do you think of the job General Sheridan did? Anyway Sherman, Grant, Lee, Stuart, and Sheridan are the Civil War generals who got Army tanks named for them. Sheridan had to wait until after World War Two.
 
The formative period for the Army of the Potomac was under George B McClellan or Little Mac. McClellan did quite a bit in weeding out incompetent regimental officers, drilling the troops, equipping the troops, holding reviews and so on. But McClellan also infected the AOP with a hideous disease. McClellan had the notion that he had u limited time. He never wanted to move until every button was polished, every shoe was shined, every preparation made an so on. If something caused a delay, it was understood.

Unlike McClellan, Grant saw time as a critically limited resource and so did his staff. The amazing thing is that the AOP whose officers tended to admire McClellan came to see time the way Grant did. In the Appomattox Campaign, the AOP pursued Lee’s desperate army relentlessly. The AOP in 1864 would not have. I think that if Grant had taken I’ll in April 1865, that the AOP would have still rounded up Lee’s Army. The AOP had to its great credit changed and largely from top to bottom.
 
Not only did the AotP improve but Ord tuned the Army of the James up and it too was in on the kill. Who in 1864 would’ve expected that? I’d like to learn more about Ord, a fella held in high regard by both Grant and Sherman.

I give great credit to the AotP’s corps commanders, all new since May of 64–Parke, Humphreys, Wright and Griffin.
 
The real hero of the Appomattox campaign is Lee, his recognition that the game was up and any furtherance of resistance would result in an "unnecessary effusion of blood" was a difficult but warranted decision.
 
Even I, as Sheridan's loudest critic, acknowledge that the pursuit of Lee's army to Appomattox was Sheridan's finest hour. It was the one and only time that he showed any sort of a killer instinct, and he did a commendable job of bringing the Army of Northern Virginia to bay.
Many would argue that his ride from Winchester to the battle at Cedar Creek was Sheridan's "finest hour".
 
Many would argue that his ride from Winchester to the battle at Cedar Creek was Sheridan's "finest hour".

And they would be wrong.

Wright had already stabilized the situation and was already moving forward when Sheridan arrived. By Sheridan's own admission, the battle would have ended the same way whether he was there or not.
 
Since there are no parameters for "finest hour", I hold on to his actions as victorious commander at Cedar Creek and as a subordinate at Missionary Ridge as pretty good moments--even if not totally a 60 minute "hour", they'll do. However, this thread concerns Appomattox and Sheridan's participation there was indeed critical to the Union victory but I still believe Lee's decision, all things considered and in terms of difficulty, was the best example of "finest hour" for any general officer during the campaign.
But, why quibble, it's a matter of opinion after all.
 
Well, I think like you that G A Custer gives the last checkmate to this war.
Appomattox station was the ultimate battlefield for this war 8 April 1865.
They took the train full of Confederation supplies, artillery based on North and captured also G L Walker.

G R Lee knew that war was definitely finished for them.

Three names are important for this war, a mix of bravoure, honor, and their tenacity: G. T J Jackson CSA , C J Chamberlain US, G. G Custer US.

I can make errors, I m not American, my visión of things comes from Europe.

Regards
 
IIRC Lee was spent subsequent to sailor's Creek. The CSA still put up a hellish fight there but the writing was on the wall and Lee's men were literally starving. I think once he surrendered the first thing Lee requested was food for his men. Sheridan had plenty to do with Lee's situation
 
Well, I think like you that G A Custer gives the last checkmate to this war.
Appomattox station was the ultimate battlefield for this war 8 April 1865.
They took the train full of Confederation supplies, artillery based on North and captured also G L Walker.

G R Lee knew that war was definitely finished for them.

Three names are important for this war, a mix of bravoure, honor, and their tenacity: G. T J Jackson CSA , C J Chamberlain US, G. G Custer US.

I can make errors, I m not American, my visión of things comes from Europe.

Regards
As you have noted Custer played an important part in the War but sometimes he got carried away with himself and his station in life. I have a quote below from James Longstreet's From Manassas to Appomattox which shows Custer being brought up by his betters.

"General Custer rode to Captain Sims to know his authority, and, upon finding that he was of my staff, asked to be conducted to my head-quarters, and down they came in fast gallop, General Custer's flaxen locks flowing over his shoulders, and in brusk, excited manner, he said,-
"In the name of General Sheridan I demand the unconditional surrender of this army."
He was reminded that I was not the commander of the army, that he was within the lines of the enemy without authority, addressing a superior officer, and in disrespect to General Grant as well as myself; that if I was the commander of the army I would not receive the message of General Sheridan.
He then became more moderate, saying it would be a pity to have more blood upon that field. Then I suggested that the truce be respected, and said,--
"As you are now more reasonable, I will say that General Lee has gone to meet General Grant, and it is for them to determine the future of the armies.""*
Regards
David
*http://www.civilwarhome.com/longstreetappomattox.html
 
Worse than a Sherman??
The M-4 Sherman was the workhorse medium tank of the U.S. Army and Marine Corps during World War II. It fought in every theater of operation—North Africa, the Pacific and Europe.

The Sherman was renown for its mechanical reliability, owing to its standardized parts and quality construction on the assembly line. It was roomy, easily repaired, easy to drive. It should have been the ideal tank.

But the Sherman was also a death trap.
Most tanks at the time ran on diesel, a safer and less flammable fuel than gasoline. The Sherman’s powerplant was a 400-horsepower gas engine that, combined with the ammo on board, could transform the tank into a Hellish inferno after taking a hit.
 
The Russians, who received many Shermans , named the tank "the grave for seven brothers" due to its propensity to burn.

It may have been "roomy" but SEVEN brothers! Must have been very small or very friendly brothers.
 
The Russians, who received many Shermans , named the tank "the grave for seven brothers" due to its propensity to burn.

It may have been "roomy" but SEVEN brothers! Must have been very small or very friendly brothers.

Even today Russian equipment is crowded and lacks the safety devices we accept as essential. The BMP for example has an open turret mechanism. Rotating the turrent can easily take off a hand or arm that is in the wrong place. The M2 bradley by comparison has a turrent shield and safety lock outs that would prevent such an accident.
 
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