Admin Reply by: admin
Sheldon,
Yes, I started out much the same. As a young man I read all of Bruce Catton’s books. My favorite Generals were US Grant and Robert E. Lee. But after reading Shelby Foote’s trilogy, I realized that the Civil War was won in the Western Theater. I started reading about the best fought western battles and soon discovered General William S. Rosecrans and General George H. Thomas. Gen. Rosecrans did made bad mistakes at Chickamauga, but they were by far the best Generals of the war, and probably between them could have ended the war much sooner. But army politics kept them at the lower levels. General Grant kept promoting his friend General Sherman, not because he was a good general, but because he had such an influential brother in Senator Sherman.
Gen. Grant certainly has to be given credit for finally winning the war, but his strategy of winning by attrition, rather than using his superior numbers to win by maneuver caused huge Union losses that were unnecessary. I find the Civil War fascinating and keep hoping that the true history of the war will be revealed and that General Thomas be given his due, and perhaps one day a monument in his home State of Virginia alongside of his friend Robert E. Lee? Best regards,
Dave