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Process Essay: What Makes A Great Civil War General

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Making a Great Civil War General The age old question of what makes a great Civil War General is not an easy one to ask.. I don’t want to address the reasons why or the causes of the Civil War because depending on your geographical location they tend to lean in favor of our statehood and education in where you grew up from. In my opinion, Generals are not made in a class room environment. They are taught by experience in the battle fields where enlisted men are sent to defend and fight to the death. This leadership and trust in the General is earned only by blood from his troops. There is no going back from beaning wrong or underestimating your opposition. Generals must possess Leadership, Commitment, and Honor. I think these three thing in a general will win the trust and support of any enlisted men. Many young students of a Military University while attending may never use what they have learned in the class room environment. Understanding a leadership role and learning what makes a great leader is not that easy. They also never would have thought that one day they would have to pick a side against a former classmate that they sat together in class learning the same tactics! Robert E Lee and Ulysses S Grant both went to United States Military Academy. Both men learned about leadership and leading men into battle. …show more content…

Robert E Lee set the bar high on this trait. He was from his home state of Virginia, he had to pick a side and stay with that side no matter what. I am sure that it wasn’t an easy task to turn down the job of leading the Union troops from President Abe Lincoln. That was a symbol of his southern honor to his state and country men. He had a sense of honor a duty and believed that he fought for the right side and never once discredited his actions after the war ended. His ability to understand his men and lead them into battle was amazing. His sense of honor even follows him after his death

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Another way he helped the outcome of the war is by winning at Vicksburg and Petersburg. One confederate leader was General George Pickett. He helped the course of the war by leading “15,000 men in a daring charge against the center of the union line” (Stoff 506). This was known as Pickett’s charge but it was an easy win for the union. To get to the union army “Pickett’s men would have to march 1,000 yards across

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During the American Civil War, General Ulysses S. Grant was a more successful general and was able to win many of the battles and was able to switch the War from Confederate dominance to Union dominance. Robert E. Lee was ranked 2nd in his class at Military college West Point in 1849. He had no demerits and was a very studious man. Not one to go to parties or to drink, while most did, including Future General Ulysses s. Grant. While Lee was studying and working hard to keep his grades up and learn as much possible, Grant would go out and drink at bars and have a fun time doing things he should not be doing.

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From a broad perspective, the Republican Party nominee for President in 1868 was Ulysses S. Grant. Evidence from the text that further bolsters this claim is shown when the authors state, “Wrangling between Congress and President Andrew Johnson had soured the people on professional politicians in the Reconstruction era, and the notion still prevailed that a good general would make a good president. Stubbily bearded General Grant was by far the most popular Northern hero to emerge from the war” (Cohen & Kennedy 488). The quote above sheds light upon how the Republican Party embraced the notion, pertaining to how victorious military leaders translate into effective presidents. It can thus be deduced that General Grant, who, in turn, proved his

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First of all the geography forced the Confederates to switch from offense to defense. The Battle of Gettysburg was the first and last battle fought in the North. All the other battles were fought in the South so the Confederate’s people and towns were constantly in danger. Document A illustrates that the General Lee were tired of being on the defense and wanted to be on the offense for a change. Document A states that even though the Confederates tried their hardest they were pushed back onto the defensive and ultimately lost the war (273).

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Abraham Lincoln was the president of the Union during the Civil War. Lincoln was a marvelous war planner. Stated

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He chose to be a general for the Confederates because of his Georgia background. Robert E Lee was a fantastic general who won lots of battles, but made one mistake in a battle, that shaped the whole turn out of the Civil War. If Lee would of listened to Longstreet maybe it could of saved Lee from making that mistake. Longstreet’s plan was to not charge and fight another day and if Lee would've listened the war might still be going on

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Even though the Union won the war, it was not inevitable because of the South’s political and military leadership. Superior leadership is often seen as the main reason for the Union victory. However, the Confederacy was well led. Although President Lincoln was more superior to Jefferson Davis, General Robert E. Lee thought Davis was a good fit for the South. Davis worked hard and did his best to motivate Southerners.

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Lee, John Pope, Franz Sigel, Nathaniel Banks, George McClellan and many more. Robert E. Lee was the Confederate General. He was very powerful. John Pope was the Union General. Pope was good with his words.

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Grant joined the military as a soldier but he very quickly advanced to a four-star general status, a position exclusive to Presidents Grant and Washington until this time. Grant became the first general to defeat Robert E. Lee. Grant had quite a driven personality! He would never consider retreating from a battle. He used his knowledge of maps and topography to defeat some of the best generals

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When South Carolina seceded from the nation, he stated that leaving the Union was “illegal” and chose to go to war against the South in 1861. One more reason Abraham Lincoln was so important was because of his deliverance of the Gettysburg Address. One very famous line Lincoln used in his speech went like this: “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, concieved in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” Robert E. Lee was the most important General in the Confederate army. As commander of the Northern Virginia army, he served from September 11, 1861 until the surrender of the Confederate army in 1865.

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In order for a president to have the most possible success in executing his powers as Commander in Chief, that president must first understand how the military operates. The best way to understand this operation is by experiencing a position in the military firsthand. Andrew Jackson had this very experience as he served as a major general in the war of 1812. “Old Hickory’s” ability as a leader brought him to lead his troops into victory against the British in New Orleans in 1815. This win would eventually give Jackson the title of “National War Hero”.

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General Robert E. Lee, the General-in-Chief of the Confederate army was one of the greatest generals in history because he was an expert in traditional warfare, showed innovation and tact on the battlefield, and remained an honorable man. Through protecting his troops, using successful military tactics and his desire to communicate with his commanders, Lee outshined all opposing generals. Lee brought new views and tactics into the militay world. Although success was not always the outcome, Lee was an expert at understanding the abilities of his own force. Robert E. Lee demonstrated many traits and actions of a successful american general through his strategies, expertise and ideals.

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Different people make different leaders and will all have different qualities to make them leaders. Frederick Douglass was one of many great leaders during the civil war time. Frederick Douglass like other leaders possessed different qualities that made him a great leader. He had the qualities of being a problem solver and having competence. Competence is the determination to grow and learn.

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The civil war redefined what it meant to be an American because the nation was divided. The civil war redefined to be an American because it changed laws and american’s were also divided over slavery. Nobody ever helped Sojourner Truth get into carriages,over mud puddles or even gives her any best place. Frederick Douglass told others that they would be free when you are twenty-one during the civil war, but he said that he is a slave for life. Paul Revere quotes said On a shadowy something far away,where the river widens to meet the bay,a line of black,that bends and floats on the rising tide,like a bridge of boats so it basically has something to do with the civil war or the fact that he feels bad for the people who are slaves and need help.

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You should do your duty in all things. You can never do more, you should never wish to do less.” Said General Lee. General Lee was an excruciatingly hard opponent and proud general of the South. The Gettysburg Battle was a major turning point because of the loss, even the proudest, most ambitious general they seem to have is trying to give in and be replaced.

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