Greatest Union General

[PBrunsel]

I vote for William T. Sherman.



"War is the remedy our enemies have chosen, and I say let us give them all they want."
-General William T. Sherman

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

Um... as a southerner... I vote AGAINST William T. Sherman

[PBrunsel]

Um... as a southerner... I vote AGAINST William T. Sherman

I'll be posting one about Confederate Generals soon for all the Southerners.

[Harry]

I'd have to say Grant.

[12th Doctor]

Grant and Hancock are tied in my mind.  I put Hancock to make sure he got some representation.  John Reynolds would have been an excellent commander if he hadn't been killed at Gettysburg.  John Buford and John Sedgwick were also good.

[12th Doctor]

Also, Gen. Thomas, the "Rock of Chicamugua"

[PBrunsel]

Also, Gen. Thomas, the "Rock of Chicamugua"

Thomas! That's who I missed!

[12th Doctor]

Of course, Buford was less a "General" and more a "Soldier".  Kinda like Bradley in WWII.  Buford was the "GI General" of the Civil War.

Also, Sedgwick has probably the most embarrasing last words in history.  At Spottsylvania in 1964, Sedwick was examining the enemy trech lines (about 1/2 a mile away) from the Federal treanches.  When an aid commented that he should put get back down, for his own safety.  Sedwick turned to the aid and said "Son, they couldn't hit an elephant from this dis...".  Sedwick was then struck dead by a bullet to the head.

[PBrunsel]

Of course, Buford was less a "General" and more a "Soldier".  Kinda like Bradley in WWII.  Buford was the "GI General" of the Civil War.

Also, Sedgwick has probably the most embarrasing last words in history.  At Spottsylvania in 1964, Sedwick was examining the enemy trech lines (about 1/2 a mile away) from the Federal treanches.  When an aid commented that he should put get back down, for his own safety.  Sedwick turned to the aid and said "Son, they couldn't hit an elephant from this dis...".  Sedwick was then struck dead by a bullet to the head.

Funny last words. it was said the Stonewall Jackson said before Chancelorsville, "Where is Lieutenant Anderson." "He was killed two days ago," was a colonel's answere. "Very comendable," was General Jackson's reply.

[zachman]

Chamberlain, except I don't think he was a general.

[12th Doctor]

Chamberlain, except I don't think he was a general.

Yeah, he was a Major General by the end of the war.

[??????????]

How about George C. McClellan! I think he's the best Union general. He was a far better technical general then tactical general. If he had built and trained the AOP the way it became the US would have not beaten the CS in 4 years.

[TexasGurl]

General George H. Thomas

[Kodratos]

They all sucked. Nobody compares to Lee, Jackson, Stuart, Forrest, etc. Grant took over after the South had already exhausted it's resources. The war was his for the taking.

[Emsworth]

Winfield Scott Hancock.

[CARLHAYDEN]

How about George C. McClellan! I think he's the best Union general. He was a far better technical general then tactical general. If he had built and trained the AOP the way it became the US would have not beaten the CS in 4 years.

A very perceptive comment.

Suggest you read Liddel Hart's analysis of McClellan's penisula campaign.  

If Lincoln had not be frightened by Jackson's Shendoah Valley campaign and had not withdrawn froces from McClellan, the war would have probably have ended years earlier.

[PBrunsel]

McClellan was great at organization, training, and millitary tactics, but he was to damn cautious. In Yorktown, durring the peninsula campaign, McClellan fell for a clever trick. The Commander of Yorktown had only 5,200 troops in reserve. He decided to have a massive artilery barrage and then march his troops around the city as to simulat a mighty host of troops. McClellan fell for the trick, and began the siege of Yorktown.

McClellan showed no respect for President Lincoln. He called him, "The Original Gorila" and refused to cooperate. One day Seward and Lincoln went to McClellans house in D.C. McClellan came home at about 8:00 at night. After Lincoln and Seward waited for two hours it was informed to them that McClellan had gone to bed.

[CARLHAYDEN]

What would likely have occured if Lincoln had not withdrawn forces from McClellan in the penisula campaign?

[12th Doctor]

McClellan was about as worthless as a dead dog.

[??????????]

Another favorite Lincoln quote about McClellan.
"If you're not going to use the army, perhaps I could borrow it for a while?" -A.Lincoln

The thing that was said earlier about the Souths' resources being exhausted, I want to debate that. The south had thousands of tons of food and clothing in storage at warehouses in North Carolina and Atlanta, the problem was, the South had very very poor means of transporting the supplies to the armies. The Souths' railroads were so poor because years before the war the North was sucking the South dry of its tax money and using the money to build Northern infrastructure. One of the contributing factors for the war.

[12th Doctor]

Another favorite Lincoln quote about McClellan.
"If you're not going to use the army, perhaps I could borrow it for a while?" -A.Lincoln

The thing that was said earlier about the Souths' resources being exhausted, I want to debate that. The south had thousands of tons of food and clothing in storage at warehouses in North Carolina and Atlanta, the problem was, the South had very very poor means of transporting the supplies to the armies. The Souths' railroads were so poor because years before the war the North was sucking the South dry of its tax money and using the money to build Northern infrastructure. One of the contributing factors for the war.

All true.

[PBrunsel]

McClellan was about as worthless as a dead dog.

No one but McClellan could wait 16 hours to attack Lee at Anteitem when he had Lee's battle plan!

[??????????]

McClellan was about as worthless as a dead dog.

No one but McClellan could wait 16 hours to attack Lee at Anteitem when he had Lee's battle plan!

Yes, I agree that was a terrible thing to do. The battle of South Mountain slowed McClellan down a bit. He was erring on the side of caution and was afraid the CS Forces would outnumber them.

[12th Doctor]

McClellan was about as worthless as a dead dog.

No one but McClellan could wait 16 hours to attack Lee at Anteitem when he had Lee's battle plan!

Exactly.

[TexasGurl]

McClellan always assumed he was outnumbered.that's why he was overly cautious.