US History

U.S. History Study Guide

©2018 of 194 13.9 Confederate Generals Between fighting the Mexican-American War, and knowing how to live off the land, many Southern soldiers were better equipped with the skills necessary to survive a war of attrition. Even though the South lost the war, it had at its disposal more generals who had better skills in forming battle tactics, military knowledge, and good decision making under pressure. The best military minds belonged to the Confederates, the list of brilliant Southern generals is very long. Some of these generals included Robert E. Lee, Thomas "Stone Wall" Jackson, James Longstreet, Nathan Bedford Forest, A. P. Hill, and Jeb Stuart. 13.10 Union Generals Lincoln saw many gifted officers resign to serve the Confederacy, more specifically their state. He faced the fact that his commanding general, Winfield Scott, was simply too old and out of shape to direct the Union armies to victory (although Scott’s “Anaconda Plan” would prove to be the plan they used for a Union victory by 1865.) Lincoln had to constantly search for military leaders who could win victories. No one frustrated Lincoln more than General George B. McClellan, commanding General of the Army of the Potomac (the main Union army in the East). McClellan’s approach to the war was very slow and at many times he overestimated the enemy's size not attacking when he could have easily won. Lincoln experienced frustration with other Union generals who would replace McClellan, but it was McClellan’s lack of aggressiveness that drove the President into a rage. Lincoln elevated various generals to command: such as, John Pope, Ambrose Burnside, and Joseph Hooker, but they proved incompetent. Achieve Page 168