Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Lee vs. Grant: Who is the Better One

This is probably the greatest contreversy of them all. Who was better, Lee or Grant. I've decided to do it an intresting way. I will compare the results throughtout the entire war.

Battles Won
Grant: 18 battles
Lee: 8 Battles

Captured (Cities, Forts, Armies)
Grant:2 Forts, 5 major cities, 3 Confederate Armies
Lee: Nothing

Time as Overall Commander
Grant: 1 year and 5 months
Lee: 3 months; lost

Men Lost
Grant: 136,000 men.
Lee: 168,000 men.

Overall, Grant proved superior in every aspect of the war. He captured more, won more and did everything more.

Now, I am not saying Lee was a bad general. Lee was a superb general. He outwitted army after army. But, in the end, Grant won.

As was once said: Lee was the best tatician in the war (even in his battles with Grant, Grant rarely broke the Confederate lines), but Grant was the best stratigist. Taticians win battles, strategists win wars.