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Progressive Southerner
| Joined: | Sun Jul 13th, 2008 |
| Location: | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma USA |
| Posts: | 538 |
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Excellent post, Captain.That is indeed true ole. It is a source of constant amazement to me that we always seem to produce the perfect leader for the circumstance when the need is greatest.I must say though that had he been presented with the same situation that the south dealt with I have grave doubts as to the success he would have achieved.
But he wasn't and didn't. The right man, in the right place, at the right time. End of story. As a nation, we've been darned lucky to have had such men in leadership positions. Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Lincoln, Grant .... (Stops there because, after all, this is a Civil War Board.)
What the South dealt with is a problem of its own design.
ole
As I illustrated above each leader must be placed in a situation that suits their particular talents. Take Earl Van Dorne for example; in subordinate command of large formations ala Corinth=terrible, in independent command of smaller formations (Holly Springs) =solid commander. It all depends on wether we are evaluating the commanders record as it stands or if we are looking at overall attributes that could judged as liabilities in specific situations. In the later case I would put forth that given the same manpower and resources available to their northern counterparts, the Lee/Jackson team would have been almost unstopable. I realize this is not reality but merely conjecture...but the original question was which general would you have least liked to face. I took that to mean which one regardles of their record/circumstances would be the most difficult to face based on their different talents/personalities.
And again I must agree that the South in many ways made their own metaphorical bed and ended up lying in it.
Sorry if I appear to wax argumentative but I just wanted to make sure I clarified the perspective from which my original points originated.
Great discussion regardless!