"Best Confederate General?" Topic

Who asked this joker.

Thank you, I have never seen that.
I will read it.

Never said I was a fan of Forrest, (and IMHO, he probably was responsible for it), but then again, I get very tired of folks like 138th jumping in with bs statements against people like he did to me simply because I asked a question.

Best at what?

Best army commander -- Lee (not perfect, but who is?)

Best corps commander -- Jackson (ditto)

Best division commander -- Cleburne (ditto)

Best cavalry commander -- Hampton (once he learned the ropes under Stuart)

Best cavalry raider/counter-raider -- Forrest

Best artillery commander -- Alexander (but then, who else left lots of memoirs?)

Best quartermaster -- none

Patrick Cleburne, is only downfall was he spoke truth to power, and paid for it a Franklin.

Stonewall seems to have been one of the most consistent.

Lee got better press though, despite his "lol, we can definitely charge a mile into yankee fire" decision.

Army: Lee

Corps: Jackson

Division: A P Hill

Robert E. Lee

not a wide field of choice once you get past the top end

I don't see how you come to that conclusion. General-Lee: Lt. General-Longstreet, Jackson, Taylor, Forrest and Hampton: Maj. General-Cleburne, Mahone and Gordon.

Those were the "top end" I was talking about!

I'd back Don's list – breaking this question down by categories makes far more sense.

of course if we just forget about the army command part…Hood

I agree Cleburne was probably one of the best, if not the best division commander in the Confederacy. Its a tough call between him, A. P. Hill and Hood at the division level.

However, I'm not sure he would have prospered at higher command. William Hardee himself, Cleburne's longest serving corp commander, said that Cleburne lacked the independent thought that is necessary for corp command. Hardee relate that Cleburne never or rarely offered opinions at command meetings, never expressed how he would handle tactical situations. He was great at following orders and figuring out the best way to accomplish his mission. Maybe the best at the division level. But let's not hold him on too high of a pedestal. Even if he is my favorite.

What would have happened in 1861 if Lee had accepted President Lincoln's offer (at the insistence of Winfield Scott) to command the Union army?

Lee was extremely popular due to his connection to Washington. Some considered him to be his heir. Lee's wife, Mary Custis, was Washington's great grand-daughter and his father, Light Horse Harry Lee, was a famous cavalry officer who was one of Washington's favorites. As I said, a most interesting case of "What if?"

Jackson.