World Affairs Board - View Single Post - Which military leader do you most admire?

Albany Rifles · 04-14-2008, 13:15 PM

[quote=zraver;480701]bunch of choices, but only allowed 1. Bobby Lee was probalby the greatest combined arms American battlefield commander. His ability to read the enemy and react before the enemy was awesome. IIRc the British Military attache attached to his HQ described how after each battle vs Grant, Lee would pinpoint the exact next spot the two armies would collide.QUOTE]

1. There was no more official British military presence in the Conferderacy after Arthur Freemantle left in the late summer of 1863. It had simply become too much of a political hot potato for the British to risk having any of their serving officers caught within Confederate lines. So this never happened. And since the UK never recognized the CSA there would never have been a "British Military Attache".

2. Lee and Grant first tangled in May 64...no Brits around.

3. Who did Lee beat? Lost to Meade at Gettysburg and never figured better than a draw after that. Additionally Lee was not fighting a combined arms battle from May 64 onward; he was fighting a desperate deensive battle. His one great strategic move int eh summer fo 1864 (Early to the Valley and beyond) didn't amount to more than scaring some clerks and generals. Grants detached 1 corps from his army (VIth Corps) who stopped Early outside of Washington. And the detached force was destroyed by Sheridan over the course of the autumn.

04-14-2008, 13:15 PM	#27 (permalink)
Albany Rifles *Defense Professional* *Military Professional* Join Date: 04-27-07 Location: Prince George, VA Posts: 1,013 Country:	[quote=zraver;480701]bunch of choices, but only allowed 1. Bobby Lee was probalby the greatest combined arms American battlefield commander. His ability to read the enemy and react before the enemy was awesome. IIRc the British Military attache attached to his HQ described how after each battle vs Grant, Lee would pinpoint the exact next spot the two armies would collide.QUOTE] 1. There was no more official British military presence in the Conferderacy after Arthur Freemantle left in the late summer of 1863. It had simply become too much of a political hot potato for the British to risk having any of their serving officers caught within Confederate lines. So this never happened. And since the UK never recognized the CSA there would never have been a "British Military Attache". 2. Lee and Grant first tangled in May 64...no Brits around. 3. Who did Lee beat? Lost to Meade at Gettysburg and never figured better than a draw after that. Additionally Lee was not fighting a combined arms battle from May 64 onward; he was fighting a desperate deensive battle. His one great strategic move int eh summer fo 1864 (Early to the Valley and beyond) didn't amount to more than scaring some clerks and generals. Grants detached 1 corps from his army (VIth Corps) who stopped Early outside of Washington. And the detached force was destroyed by Sheridan over the course of the autumn. __________________ "Always with the negative waves Moriarty, always with the negative waves." TSGT Oddball, Tank Commander Last edited by Albany Rifles : 04-14-2008 at 13:27 PM.