Grant Who would be?

[Virginia Dave]

My question is this. Who would grant have considered the most competent General under his command other than Sherman? As part of my War display i am mounting a few photos of important characters from both sides of the conflict. I have Grant, Sherman along with Lincoln, but I need another general to round out the display. Who should I look for?

 

[connecticut yankee]

"Little Phil" Sheridan

When Grant came east in 1864 he brought with him two generals--- James Wilson, and Philip Sheridan. The two men would have a far reaching impact on the mounted wing of the Army of the Potomac. Abraham Lincoln described Sheridan as a "brown, chunky little chap, with a long body, short legs [and] not enough neck to hang him, and such long arms that if his ankles itch he can scratch them without stooping." An officer in the War Department commented to Grant that "The officer you brought on from the West is rather a little fellow to handle your cavalry." To which Grant responded, "You will find him big enough for the purpose before we get through with him."

 

[Buckeye Bill]

Major General James B. McPherson

 

[Rebforever]

Grant and Robert E Lee.

 

[Rick Richter]

My question is this. Who would grant have considered the most competent General under his command other than Sherman? As part of my War display i am mounting a few photos of important characters from both sides of the conflict. I have Grant, Sherman along with Lincoln, but I need another general to round out the display. Who should I look for?

I'd have to agree with Sheridan, who received increasingly increased responsibility under Grant as the war progressed. McPherson was highly regarded, but inexperienced, and Grant gave Sherman the more important assignments to rely less on McPherson.

 

[Buckeye Bill]

I'd have to agree with Sheridan, who received increasingly increased responsibility under Grant as the war progressed. McPherson was highly regarded, but inexperienced, and Grant gave Sherman the more important assignments to rely less on McPherson.

Sheridan is a great choice too.....

 

[Josh The Lighthouse Guy]

Except maybe members of his staff, I think it's clearly between Sheridan and McPherson.

Didn't Wilson initially come east to run the Bureau of Cavalry, then transferred to a division command?

It's worth noting that Grant's confidence in Sheridan, McPherson, and Wilson was all at least a little misplaced. Not to say they were incompetent. But...

Sheridan was an aggressive fighter, but insubordinate, sometimes reckless, and lacked the temperament to have his cavalry do the crucial work they were needed for because it wasn't glamorous. He's basically the Union equivalent of Joe Wheeler. He was in his element in the Shenandoah and Appomattox Campaigns, but nearly met disaster at Trevelyan Station and left the AOTP blind because wanted to run off and fight Stuart (he exhausted the AOTP's horseflesh in the process, IIRC).

McPherson was unquestionably talented, but he was given a corps command with no prior combat experience (he had been an engineer and staff officer). He was pushed too high too fast and it hurt his performance.

Wilson had a rough 1864, although he had clearly hit his stride by 1865. I think he was a similar situation to McPherson: prodigy who only had staff experience before becoming a cavalry division commander in the largest cavalry corps in the war against some of the best Confederate cavalry. He learned, but he didn't need to be fed into the fire like that.

 

[captaindrew]

Don't know who Grant would personally pick but you can't count out Meade, who was still technically in command of the AoP

 

[dlofting]

I'd put Meade there, just because Sheridan is about the only Civil War general that I really dislike. He was a self promoter, full of himself and a serial liar.

 

[Ole Miss]

This very subject was addressed and answered in She Wore a Yellow Ribbon
Regards
David

Captain Nathan Brittles: What? Sergeant... my appointment: chief of scouts! With a rank of Lt. Colonel. And will you look at those endorsements: Phil Sheridan, William Tecumseh Sherman and Ulysses Simpson Grant, President of The United States of America! There's three aces for you, boy!

Sgt Tyree : Yeah, but I kinda wish you'da been a-holdin' a full hand.

Captain Nathan Brittles: Huh? Full hand? Whaddaya mean: full hand?

Sgt Tyree: Robert E. Lee, sir.

Captain Nathan Brittles: Oh. Heh... wouldn't a been bad. Let's go.

 

[Virginia Dave]

Don't know who Grant would personally pick but you can't count out Meade, who was still technically in command of the AoP

I was thinking Meade also.

 

[Josh The Lighthouse Guy]

I was thinking Meade also.

It's notable that after Lincoln's reelection Grant was free from a number of previous political constraints and sacked or shunted quite a few generals. Yet there was no apparent consideration of getting rid of Meade.