A Comparison Of Lee And Colonel Chamberlain In Pickett's Charge

While commendable leaders obtain valuable intellect, and attentiveness, they also possess the ability to look past their setbacks with exemplary motivation, encouraging their soldiers to prevail. General Lee and Colonel Chamberlain are two prominent Confederate and Union leaders featured within the novel, that inspire their soldiers to persevere through the challenging situations that take place throughout the duration of the work. Both of these individuals, though different, contain the congruent belief that their soldiers are superlative, and therefore can win the war for their cause. In the novel, the author, Michael, depicts General Robert E. Lee as a commander who believes immensely in his soldiers, making them have confidence in him as

The connection formed between him and his men is why Lee is declared as a triumphant leader within the war. However, despite this, his overconfidence in his men ultimately leads to the Confederacy’s loss at Pickett’s charge when he refuses to retreat. In addition, he instills a similar attribute into his notable character, Colonel Joshua L. Chamberlain. Chamberlain is introduced to the reader, as a leader who is able to connect with his soldiers, and will them to fight through the challenges they face within the war. This motivation is seen within a speech, Chamberlain delivers to his dismayed soldiers. This speech demonstrates Chamberlain’s ability to inspire and bring out the best aspects of his men. It can be argued, that this ability is what defines a beneficial colonel. Overall, Lee and Chamberlain are considered two of the most prominent leaders involved within the Civil War as they contained a capacity to provoke determination within their armies. However, although they share many congruent characteristics that allotted them this position, they had different mindsets when deciding why they should

To further explain, Lee joined the Confederacy because he felt it was his duty, as opposed to Chamberlain who decides to fight for a cause that he believes the United States stands for, equality. To further elaborate, Lee displayed extreme patriotism for the South, and as a result he felt a sense of obligation to fight for the South, although he was abandoning his post in the army, as he could not fight against his people. This quote indicates that Lee did not agree with the Southern traditions he was fighting the war to keep, but he fight for his people, no matter how much he disagreed with them. He could see no other choice, but to abandon the Union and join the Confederacy. Overall, Lee was a admirable soldier, however, it could be insinuated that because of his weak motive for joining the cause, the confederacy suffered. In short, Lee’s irresolute motive for joining the Confederacy, accompanied with his pride, could have been a determining factor in who would be the victor of the war. In contrast, Colonel Chamberlain is certain of his stance, and as a result is aims to win the war for the equality of all people. To explain, before his involvement in the war, Chamberlain was a college professor who would teach everything besides