Bruce Catton highlights many differences between two significant military officers, Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee, from the American Civil War in his essay, “Grant and Lee: A Study in Contrasts.” Although Catton compares the two generals and illustrates the disparity between their personalities and backgrounds, he allows the reader to see what Grant and Lee had in common. The two men were army generals who were also “marvelous fighters” with “fighting qualities” that “were really very much alike” (Catton 370). According to Catton, Grant and Lee had “the great virtue of utter tenacity and fidelity” (370). These two military officers also possessed this “indomitable quality” that showed how they both refused to give up during trying times
General Lee said, to be a good soldier you must love the army, to be a good general you must be prepared to order the death of the thing you love, and therein lies the great trap of soldiering. When you attack you must hold nothing back." Thomas J. Jackson was both a good soldier and a good general. In the Mexican War he fought with all his heart for his country. When the Civil War came, he was a general. He never hesitated to send his men forward. He held nothing back. George McClellan also fought with all his heart for his country in the Mexican War. When the time came to send his men forward in the Civil War, he couldn’t do it. He loved the army to much to order its death.
Grant and Robert E. Lee. Catton states, “Lee was tidewater Virginia, and in his background were family, culture, and tradition…the age of chivalry transplanted to a New World which was making its own legends and its own myths” (par.5). Here, Catton uses historical facts to describe the type of person Lee was, explaining that he was a traditional kind of man. Then Catton states, “Grant, the son of a tanner on the Western frontier, was everything Lee was not. He had come up the hard way, and embodied nothing in particular except the eternal toughness and sinewy fiber of the men who grew up beyond the mountains” (par. 7). The author describes the type of man Grant was; a tough man who had to earn everything himself. Bruce Catton uses historical facts about Lee and Grant so the reader can have a better insight about the variations between the two
“Their differing perceptions of the nature of war form the backbone of the difficult relationship between these two men.” Lee, an older soldier, values much of an offensive warfare approach, while Longstreet values a defensive warfare approach. Both men consistently argue about the best option for the Confederacy. However, “no matter how much he might disagree, Longstreet defers to Lee’s decisions.” In an argument as to who was right, none of the developed tactics provide clear evidence as to what was going to work, especially with a military of lesser men, considering the war in 1863. Although General Lee’s tactics did not work during the Battle of Gettysburg, there is no evidence that General Longstreet’s defensive strategy would have worked significantly better. Therefore, neither of the generals exceeded the other when it comes to military strategies, which rather debunks Shaara’s depiction of Longstreet’s advanced knowledge of modern warfare. Despite of the importance of the Battle of Gettysburg, often marked as the turning point of the war, General Longstreet should not obey an order that results in a significant loss of men that would be extremely difficult to replace at this time. Already limited by the amount of men still able to fight, pushing additional forces in an open battle would just nearly deplete the confederate soldiers completely, and
Wes & Wes Moore could’ve of easily ended up with the same fate. It is the choices they made, the environment they were provided with, the support and choices of their families and the mind set they chose to have the set them apart from each other. The two Wes Moore’s paths went different ways for many reasons but some were more significant than others.
Bix Beiderbeck and Louis Armstrong, both legendary jazz musicians and trumpet players, had quite a different career and life. They received different levels of recognition at the time. This is not because of their style, as they both are legendary complex stylists who are great at messing with the beat, but rather the changes they bring to the world of jazz. Bix Beiderbecke defined and performed great jazz music while Louis Armstrong revolutionized jazz and innovated numerous performing techniques that led to the jazz we love today.
The book ‘For Cause and Comrades’ is a journey to comprehend why the soldiers in the Civil War fought, why they fought so passionately, and why they fought for the long period of time. Men were pulling guns against other men who they had known their whole lives. McPherson’s main source of evidence was the many letters from the soldiers writing to home. One of the many significant influences was how the men fought to prove their masculinity and courage. To fight would prove they were a man to their community and country. Fighting also had to do with a duty to their family. Ideology was also a major motivating factor; each side thought they were fighting for their liberty. The soldier’s reputations were created and demolished on the battlefield, where men who showed the most courage were the most honored. Religion also played an important role because the second Great Awakening had just occurred. Their religion caused the men who thought of themselves as saved to be fearless of death, “Religion was the only thing that kept this soldier going; even in the trenches…” (McPherson, p. 76) R...
Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee are best known for their careers in leading the Confederate Army. Few people know anything about them beyond battles fought and wars lost. History is written by the victors, and the victors have essentially extinguished all perceived importance of these two fallen leaders. However, both were not only soldiers fighting for a lost cause, but also educators. Both taught many of those who would fight alongside and against them in the war that ripped the United States of America in half. While the two had similar backgrounds and military careers, their careers in education were vastly different.
In James McPherson’s novel, What They Fought For, a variety of Civil War soldier documents are examined to show the diverse personal beliefs and motives for being involved in the war. McPherson’s sample, “is biased toward genuine fighting soldiers” (McPherson, 17) meaning he discusses what the ordinary soldier fought for. The Confederacy was often viewed as the favorable side because their life style relied on the war; Confederates surrounded their lives with practices like slavery and agriculture, and these practices were at stake during the war. On the other hand, Northerners fought to keep the country together. Although the Civil War was brutal, McPherson presents his research to show the dedication and patriotism of the soldiers that fought and died for a cause.
“All up and down the lines the men blinked at one another, unable to realize that the hour they had waited for so long was actually at hand. There was a truce…” Bruce Catton’s Pulitzer prize winning book A Stillness at Appomattox chronicles the final year of the American Civil War. This book taught me a lot more about the Civil War than I ever learned through the public school system. Bruce Catton brought to life the real day to day life of the soldiers and the generals who led them into battle.
Katcher, Philip. The Army of Robert E. Lee. (New York: Sterling Publishing Co. Inc, 1994)
Fifteen months of tense relations between President Abraham Lincoln and General George McClellan resulted in the dismissal of the Union Army’s once promising leader of the Eastern theater. While McClellan believed that he did not have the support of the President, and therefore resisted orders, what were the underlying factors that led to this decision? Why did the general all but ensure the end of his military careen with months of ignoring orders and bantered correspondence with his Commander-in-Chief? This research discusses the army that McClellan built in the early stages of the war, but failed to use as the President commanded, as well as, provides insight into the final reasons for his removal.
They surrounded Lee’s army, putting them in a helpless position. Lee proclaimed, “There is nothing left for me to do but go see General Grant, and I would rather die a thousand deaths.” With envy in his eyes, he forced himself over to the village of Appomattox Court House. The Union general was there, coated with mud and a disgracefully crumpled uniform.
General Lee knows that we have inexperienced men and aims at improving the quality of the troops. He upgrades the quality by tightening command and discipline, improving morale, and convincing the soldiers that the confederacy was in full command of the situation. Lee knew that we are lacking, and devised initiatives to nullify the Union’s superiority in manpower, armaments, and supply by destroying their prearranged plans.
“William Wilson” is many of Edgar Allen Poe’s short stories as well as the “Black Cat”. Both of these two famous short stories are very similar in many of ways but can also be different. These two stories both portray figures of evil and self-loathing but have different ways of showing examples of each. “William Wilson” is a story about a boy who finds himself an enemy at a young age but later comes to find out that it was himself who was the enemy all along. The “Black Cat” is a short story about a guy who is not the best man and is practically insane.
In this newly written biography, General Ulysses S. Grant: the soldier and the man, Civil War historian, Edward G. Longacre, examines Grant’s early life all the way through to his time as a military leader. Longacre takes the time to carefully analyze Grant’s childhood and the type of kid he was. He also examines Grant’s married life and how important his wife was to him. He takes a look at Grant’s early military career and what made him the kind of general he became. A deep focus that Longacre discussed was Grant’s biggest weakness: alcohol. Alcoholism consumed Grant, in the most literal sense, and affected him during his military career. Longacre describes Grant in a new and fascinating perspective in his biography.