Why do people seem to underestimate the Civil War contributions of US Grant?

Question

Lee is often glorified, while Grant is called a butcher. What about Vicksburg? And wasn't Lee a butcher at Malvern Hill? Plus, Grant's story seems to be quintessentially American: he worked hard as a soldier to overcome his failures as a businessman. Yet no one seems to care for Gen. Grant.

Answer 1

Grant was one of those uncharismatic individuals that do the job well, but are not suited to the limelight. Grant was like a lot of people, in that he had failed at a number of things in life before he finally succeeded in the art of war. Even that was overshadowed by his plodding, harsh methods of waging war. He perhaps rightly understood that in order to win, he had to make the war as hard as possible on the Confederacy, to take horrible casualties in order to inflict horrible casualties on the Confederate forces. He probably understood best that the South would only capitulate when they were drained of manpower and their infrastructure was destroyed. Commanders like McClellan never grasped that the nature of the war had changed, and that trying to fight like a gentleman was only prolonging the conflict.

Answer 2

People look at the failure of the Grant Presidential years and judge him unfairly. He was a brilliant military leader who understood the concept of war, He was not glamorous or gaudy, war is ugly there is no glory to war, war kills, war destroys, war leaves scars. We want to glamorize the Civil War and talk of the glory. We should see it as the revelation of the future of modern war that it really was. Had the leaders of WWI studied the American Civil War they might have avoided mistakes.
We do not see Grant as that great general that he really was because he saw war for what it was and proceeded to win the war in the shortest possible time frame, it was not pretty it was ugly and people died. All leaders take the blame for the deaths, but remember the Union Veterans were the ones who overwhelmingly voted Grant into the Presidency for two consecutive terms. They new a leader.

Answer 3

First, what about Vicksburg and Butcher Hill? What misconceptions do you have about these? Secondly, Grant, while a brilliant strategist, was a corrupt drunk, who cared little to nothing about human rights. Read up on his communications with and condoning of top generals in regard to their treatment of civilians and slaves. A slave-owner, himself, he was reckless and heartless. Thirdly, it seems to me that the predicament is quite the opposite from what you would paint. Lee is revered simply because he was the greatest General this continent has ever seen, and possibly this globe. In fact, so great was his talent and genius, even the North, when they couldn't tear down his image, resorted to conscripting him as own of their own. The campaign to paint Lee as a reluctant nationalist and friend of the Union has overshadowed the truth of this patriot and advocate of liberty and self-determination. I think we hear too much about the great Grant who couldn't even provide for his family after his presidency, and not enough about the real Lee, patriot, military genius, and Southerner.

Answer 4

You may be interested in this new book coming out Monday, June 26th. Ulysses S. Grant: The Soldier and the Man By Edward Longacre. It seems to have a different persecptive on his career. Read the editorial review on Amazon (link in source below)

Answer 5

Grant in no battle field situation was ever outnumbered. His success in 1864 was in part due to Lincoln s call for 500,000 new Union troops. Grant could have never led the Confederates to victory if he had the resources of the South. Sherman or any other Union general could win battles when they had overwhelming odds.

Answer 6

How can he be underestimated, i thought he was the reason the North won the war. His sledgehammer tactics in the Wilderness, Petersburg, and other battles beat the rebels by attrition. His victory at Vicksburge split the confederacy in half. Without him and generals like Sheridan and Sherman, they would've ended up with the bunglers like Pope, McClellan and others.

Answer 7

Grant was a drunk.