Reply #25: Lee sucked as a general... [View All]

[jimmil]

Lee wasn't half the general as Grant. Any student of military tactics knows that in order to attack another army that is entrenched you need 3 times the men and Lee never had that. Do not confuse Lee possessing great battlefield tactics with his men having great bravery. Lee's men are the ones mainly responsible for his reputation on the battlefield, that and the north had some really terrible generals at first. Grant learned that attacking was not the best way to fight an enemy. After Shiloh where Grant took terrible losses and Vicksburg where after two unsuccessful attacks he then laid siege to the Confederate works creating a new battlefield strategy for Grant. Grant also learned a lot in the Mexican War. As a supply officer he understood that logistics can win a battle. In the Civil War (was there anything civil about it?) he used his past experience with his new battlefield experiences to see the whole battle. It was not only the actual fighting but it is what backs the troops up that can carry the day. This can mean not only replacement troops held in reserve but also ammunition, food, water, everything a troop needs to carry on the mission.

No, Lee wasn't a great general. He was good at sacrificing men and material.