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| General Grant - Gets The Last Laugh http://www.wargame.ch/board/acwgc/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=18865 |
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| Author: | Mr. Lane [ Sat Apr 20, 2013 8:43 pm ] |
| Post subject: | General Grant - Gets The Last Laugh |
History records General Grant was caught off guard at Shiloh. Troops sleeping in. No sentries. No trenches. No line of retreat (swamp & river on two sides). History also records Grant won the first major engagement for the North at Shiloh. Come to think of it, counting the capture of Fort Henry and Fort Donelson Grant won some of the first minor engagements too (if you count taking 10,000 prisoners and two forts minor). Grant's boss Halleck was none too pleased with him. We can only imagine the tongue lashing for being so unprepared for the unexpected attack. Halleck was an engineer by profession, methodical, disciplined, detail oriented, and like so many Northern senior officers over-cautious. To Halleck (and many other observers with the exception of Lincoln) Grant was seen as lazy, sloppy, possibly a drunk, and half-asleep in broad daylight. After Halleck arrived at camp Shiloh and took over the army he decided to move on Corinth, which was 40 miles away. After taking due caution and waiting for Pope's reinforcement, Halleck advanced on Corinth. As he advanced, every night he carefully entrenched the troops. It took Halleck a whole month to cover those 40 miles. And when he got there...he found Corinth had been evacuated by the Confederates. General Grant must have chuckled. |
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| Author: | Blake [ Sat Apr 20, 2013 8:54 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: General Grant - Gets The Last Laugh |
I dont think he was laughing - probably swearing under his breath and kicking a few doors. But I get your meaning, lol. Halleck was never much good in my opinion. He always asked Grant to slow down and wait for help. Now, in his defense, Grant very nearly got his butt kicked at Fort Donelson (but the stupidity of Pillow saved him) and he very nearly lost at Shiloh. So maybe Halleck was right - and only History has treated him unkindly given all that Grant ended up doing. It just seems Halleck so often was 'wrong' that we forget how nearly 'right' he was a few times. |
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| Author: | Dwight McBride [ Tue Apr 23, 2013 8:40 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: General Grant - Gets The Last Laugh |
"Nearly right" counts for something? What? Nada. Zero. Zilch. Zippo. Nuttin' honey. Maybe 'Old Brains' played horseshoes . . . ? |
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