Originally Posted by
AerialPerspective
Question - who won the war... who was the better leader when it counted the most. Lee's uniforms and deportment counted for zip when the rubber hit the road. Same with people like JB... like a mudguard, all shiny on top with not much more than rubbish underneath, certainly no substance it would seem.
Possibly not the best analogy as "who won the war" and "who was the better leader" are two entirely different questions. On almost every assessment Lee was a superior general and leader to Grant. When Grant assumed command of the United States Army in March 1864 he enjoyed a 3:1 superiority in troops over Lee which steadily increased to better than 4:1 as the war wore on. The Union's 3:1 advantage in finances and population together with its overwhelming industrial advantage were as much factors in their victory as anything Grant did on the battlefield.