Context: right after the Battle of the Wilderness during the Overland Campaign many of General Lee subordinates expect Grant would retreat from the Wilderness and across the Rapidan River like how past Union generals like McClellan and Hooker did. But unlike his subordinates General Lee predicated that Grant might move to Spotsylvnia Court House. Few days later the Army of the Potomac under order of Grant, flank General Lee right flank and advance towards Spotsylvania Court House which forces General Lee to pursue the AoP. This then led to the bloody Battle of Spotslynnia Court House.
rip_cut_trapkun on
“You weren’t supposed to do that.”
Chumlee1917 on
The Army of the Potomac after the wilderness: well great another fruitless battle and now Grant will run away.
Grant: *turns south*
The Army: *morale shoots up 10000% and they start cheering*
Grant: Shut up! You’ll alert the enemy.
Successful_Gas_5122 on
“Oh-ho no. I say when we’re done!”
ikonoqlast on
“Fuck it. I can replace my losses. Lee can’t…”
Grant knew what the strength of his army was and used it. Good generalship 101.
Lootlizard on
One of my favorite anecdotes about the civil war was after the battle of the wilderness. The Union had taken heavy losses and moral was incredibly low. They all assumed they were going to retreat like all the other Union generals had done after losing a battle. When they were woken up at midnight and pressed into a night march they all assumed they were marching back north under the cover of darkness. When they discovered that they were actually marching south and that Grant was trying to take the initiative and steal a march on Lee several of the soldiers started weeping for joy and cheering. They finally felt like they had some initiative in the fight and they were being lead by someone who was actually trying to win and not just “not lose”.
They were marching into hell with fire and ash all around them but they were no longer lost souls damned to eternal suffering at the hands of Lee and his army, they were now the demons and they jumped at the chance to do the devils work.
Unlucky-Nectarine on
*”I am a damned sight smarter than Grant. I know more about military history, strategy, and grand tactics than he does. I know more about supply, administration, and everything else than he does. I’ll tell you where he beats me though and where he beats the world. He doesn’t give a damn about what the enemy does out of his sight, but it scares me like hell.” -* William Tecumseh Sherman
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Context: right after the Battle of the Wilderness during the Overland Campaign many of General Lee subordinates expect Grant would retreat from the Wilderness and across the Rapidan River like how past Union generals like McClellan and Hooker did. But unlike his subordinates General Lee predicated that Grant might move to Spotsylvnia Court House. Few days later the Army of the Potomac under order of Grant, flank General Lee right flank and advance towards Spotsylvania Court House which forces General Lee to pursue the AoP. This then led to the bloody Battle of Spotslynnia Court House.
“You weren’t supposed to do that.”
The Army of the Potomac after the wilderness: well great another fruitless battle and now Grant will run away.
Grant: *turns south*
The Army: *morale shoots up 10000% and they start cheering*
Grant: Shut up! You’ll alert the enemy.
“Oh-ho no. I say when we’re done!”
“Fuck it. I can replace my losses. Lee can’t…”
Grant knew what the strength of his army was and used it. Good generalship 101.
One of my favorite anecdotes about the civil war was after the battle of the wilderness. The Union had taken heavy losses and moral was incredibly low. They all assumed they were going to retreat like all the other Union generals had done after losing a battle. When they were woken up at midnight and pressed into a night march they all assumed they were marching back north under the cover of darkness. When they discovered that they were actually marching south and that Grant was trying to take the initiative and steal a march on Lee several of the soldiers started weeping for joy and cheering. They finally felt like they had some initiative in the fight and they were being lead by someone who was actually trying to win and not just “not lose”.
They were marching into hell with fire and ash all around them but they were no longer lost souls damned to eternal suffering at the hands of Lee and his army, they were now the demons and they jumped at the chance to do the devils work.
*”I am a damned sight smarter than Grant. I know more about military history, strategy, and grand tactics than he does. I know more about supply, administration, and everything else than he does. I’ll tell you where he beats me though and where he beats the world. He doesn’t give a damn about what the enemy does out of his sight, but it scares me like hell.” -* William Tecumseh Sherman