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