After firing numerous generals and getting a resounding “no” from Italian hero Garibaldi, President Lincoln finally found the commander he could trust to defeat the Confederacy once and for all. Grant was also the only officer who didn’t suffer any serious setbacks through his campaigns further west of the main theaters around the east coast.
Note something about the title. I state how Grant was put in charge of the US (or Federal) Army, not the Union, a term I won’t use any further for the post. Why?
- The Confederacy’s secession was illegal and a demonstration of what sore losers the South were, and still are as per 2009-2017; 1993-2001; 1961-1969; so on.
- By giving US force’s a different label loans legitimacy to the Confederacy which it doesn’t deserve. General Lee, Jefferson Davis and their traitorous cohorts chose to abandon their pledge to the country as they started the conflict via Ft. Sumter.
- Lastly, Lincoln’s side being given the inaccurate name gives in to the “both sides” bullshit you will hear from Confederate apologists and spineless centrists.
Grant turned out to be the man to do the job. He told Lincoln what it was going to take to defeat Lee, attrition and destroying the Confederacy’s capacity (resources) to fight back. As the expression goes, if you’re going to kill a snake, kill it once and for all.
Today the general is incorrectly remembered as a drunk and ineffective president. The Republicans continue to let this lie persist because they’ve transformed into the preferred political party of the South; a region rife with bullies and morons. If Grant was awful, how did he win two terms? Why is he on the $50 bill? These questions I hope to have answered in the near future when I read Ron Chernow’s biography of him. It will be a while though. I’ve only accomplished Washington and Adams, Jefferson should be starting soon.
Meanwhile, suck it Confederacy. Lincoln, Grant and us Yankees kicked your ass and we’ll do it again should we need to.