"General Grant - master strategist, or simply used all the" Topic

…advantages in his favour?.

"I quite admire Grant and I've heard a lot of people say he was a brilliant commander, but I'm yet to begin any extensive research on him so I can't qualify this for myself*. His Vicksburg campaign was certainly quite masterful, but I have heard some people argue that the only difference between him and his predecessors was that he wasn't afraid to use the North's vast advantages in resources and manpower, and had no need of any complex strategy because of these. What do you think of Grant's ability as a strategist and tactician?"

From here
link

Amicalement
Armand

He was a trained Quartermaster specialist. So that would help him on the campaign end of campaign planning.
His willingness to spend life's to achieve his objectives was an advantage.

A) Master Strategist
B) Commander who capitalizes on his advantages.

Any "A" who doesn't make a priority of being a "B" won't turn out to be much of an "A" in the end.

Grant was very pragmatic; he even kept his uniform simple. His understanding of warfare went beyond the operational level; he was a strategic thinker. He knew that in order to defeat Lee, you had to not just attack his army, but hold onto it and not allow Lee to slip away. Better to sacrifice ten thousand men today, then let the war continue on for another year which would have meant even more casualties.

He was A and B and also C: not afraid to take chances.

(smile)

Amicalement
Armand

He also gets an "A" for persistence to achieve his goals. If you look at all the ways he tried to get at Vicksburg and failed, it becomes more evident that the way he finally succeeded was one of the few options left to try. The 100 Days Campaign in 1864 also exemplifies this trait. It is fortunate for the Union that his other abilities plus the means available to him meant his persistence was not wasted.

He also understood the difference between a setback and a defeat.

He may not have been the most brilliant tactician in the war, but he certainly was the master strategist. Lincoln had it right when he said of Grant "He fights!" He picked good subordinates and gave clear orders, he went for the enemy's center of gravity and never let go. He was also quite matter of fact and modest as well as courageous in a low key way. John Keegan has an excellent chapter on Grant's "generalship" in the book The Mask of Command. His memoirs, written when he was dying from throat cancer, are an American literary and historical classic. In short, Grant was a great general despite the vituperation he has received from certain quarters.