Underrated and Under Appreciated Generals

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Jered
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Underrated and Under Appreciated Generals

Post by Jered »

Who are some of the generals that history has overlooked?

I've been on a Civil War (US) history kick lately, and on Amazon, I found General Philip Sheridan's memoirs. From what I've read of it so far, he seems like one of those commanders who gets lost to history. His first battle was a success and from what I've seen, he had an admirable leadership philosophy of earning the trust of the troops under his command.

Unfortunately, he gets overshadowed by Lee, Grant, and Sherman, among others.

Any other generals like that that anyone can thing of?
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First Shirt
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Re: Underrated and Under Appreciated Generals

Post by First Shirt »

Can think of a couple from the other side, but don't want to start a sh!tstorm.
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Jered
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Re: Underrated and Under Appreciated Generals

Post by Jered »

I mentioned Lee. :lol:

So, consider it started.
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Re: Underrated and Under Appreciated Generals

Post by First Shirt »

Forrest, Wade Hampton (who took over after Stuart was killed), Stuart himself, and maybe Wheeler.
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Windy Wilson
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Re: Underrated and Under Appreciated Generals

Post by Windy Wilson »

Civil War Union Major General James Harrison Wilson? And not just because of his last name. He was one of the few commanders to have beaten Nathan Bedford Forrest.
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Re: Underrated and Under Appreciated Generals

Post by Langenator »

Winfield Scott Hancock, "Hancock the Superb." Commanded the II Corps of the Army of the Potomac from shortly after Chancellorsville through the end of the war. II Corps repulsed the edges of Longstreet's attack on the second day at Gettysburg, then threw back the Confederate main effort at the Stone Wall the next day. Throughout the Overland Campaign of the summer of 1864, II Corps was Grant's go-to unit, always given the toughest tasks, to the point that by the time they reached Petersburg, the Corps was burned out.

I think McClellan is actually a bit underappreciated. He was a superb planner, organizer, and trainer, and his strategic-operational level vision for the entire Union Army in 1862 would be copied almost exactly by Grant two years later. His sadly lacking battlefield leadership has left him, justifiably, with a poor reputation. Had the Army in 1861 possessed a modern staff organization, I think McClellan would have made an excellent G3 or J3, assuming his massive ego would allow him to work for someone else.

Finally, I'll add the namesake of my first nominee: Winfield Scott. He was a winning general during the War of 1812, and his Mexico City campaign 30 years later was toasted by even famous generals of Europe as a shining example of the military art, and is still studied today. He remains the Army's longest serving Commanding General.
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Jered
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Re: Underrated and Under Appreciated Generals

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Langenator wrote: Finally, I'll add the namesake of my first nominee: Winfield Scott. He was a winning general during the War of 1812, and his Mexico City campaign 30 years later was toasted by even famous generals of Europe as a shining example of the military art, and is still studied today. He remains the Army's longest serving Commanding General.
Don't forget his Anaconda Plan.
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Re: Underrated and Under Appreciated Generals

Post by PawPaw »

There are ranks of underappreciated general officers from t the Civil War. Back then, a brigadier general commanded a brigade, so there were several general officers in each division.

There's Thomas Devin, who commanded a brigade of Buford's cavalry. Excellent officer, from all accounts.

Then there's Lew Armistead, who commanded a brigade under Pickett. Also a good general who is generally unknown.

There were a lot of good men, on both sides of the line.
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Re: Underrated and Under Appreciated Generals

Post by Langenator »

PawPaw wrote: Then there's Lew Armistead, who commanded a brigade under Pickett. Also a good general who is generally unknown.
At the start of the war, Hancock and Armistead were both officers (captains, IIRC) in the 6th Infantry (my parent regiment - Regulars, by God! [a motto which comes from Winfield Scott]) in California.

As to the Anaconda Plan, it was interesting, but I think is given too much credit. The blockade part was good, and was carried forward by the Navy (who probably would have done it anyway.) The rest of the plan consisted entirely of gaining control of the Mississippi River - by marching troops down its length from Cairo to New Orleans - then waiting it out as the CSA slowly died, economically. While it might have saved lives, the lack of active military operations on land to end the rebellion was a political impossibility.
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Re: Underrated and Under Appreciated Generals

Post by toad »

Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, finished the war a brevetted Major General. Won the Medal of Honor at Gettysburg. Wounded numerous times, served as the Governor of Maine after the war. Perhaps one of his most significant deeds was not in combat.
"Chamberlain's Salute"
He might have averted a guerilla war with that act.
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