...Bruce Catton's, “Grant and Lee: A Study in Contrasts” begins by painting a scene of the end of the American civil war at Appotomax. The author describes two American Generals, their contrasting beliefs and what was common between them. Robert E. Lee, was an aristocrat from Virginia. He embodied the ideals of the privileged upperclassmen, who had no desire for change. He believed that there should be inequality within America's social structure. The author mentions “In the end, it almost seemed as of the Confederacy fought for Lee; as if he himself was the Confederacy.” Lee, fought for the aristocratic concept to rule the country. Ulysses S. Grant, was a commoner from the rugged Western frontier. He was a man who came up in life the hard way....
Words: 275 - Pages: 2
...The Lee statue was approved by city council to be removed and several parks were to be renamed because they were named after confederate generals. Jason Kessler, who organized the rally at noon stated that “The statue itself is symbolic of a lot larger issue.” He claims that his protest was standing up for the preservation of American history and the interest of white people. Kessler believes that all groups should be allowed to stand up for their interest without being shut down by the government. As the day advanced, the battle became more intense and dangerous with a man eventually driving his Dodge Challenger into a crowd of anti-racist protestors injuring nineteen people and killing one. Heather D. Heyer was one of the 3 individuals killed during...
Words: 601 - Pages: 3
...English 394 Seeing the World Differently: An Analysis of “When the Light Gets Green” Robert Penn Warren’s short story “When the Light Gets Green” is full of interesting images and themes. We led by a young boy who is looking back at an important period in his life. It is time that a child loses his innocence. The critic Paul West put it best when he said that “Most of Warren’s best stories are painful, guilt-ridden commemorations of some young person’s rites of passage.” This story is no different. We see a kid return to the farm he loves, only to be met with questions. His grandfather, Mr. Barden, is not the same as he remembered. The grandson has trouble understanding his grandfather’s sudden flaws, and by reexamining his grandfather, is not capable of loving him anymore. At the beginning of the story we follow the grandson’s memory of what his grandfather looked like. The first line says “My grandfather had a long white beard and sat under the cedar tree.” This was how he imagined his grandfather while he was at school, but when he returned he was shocked to see that the beard was actually “gray and pointed.” This opening paragraph sets the tone for the entire story. The grandson had a majestic image of his grandfather in his mind, but the passage of time sheds light on imperfections that were previously unimportant. Paul Runyon says that “’When the Light Gets Green’ is a strongly autobiographical reminiscence of his grandfather Penn.” Runyon point helps...
Words: 1357 - Pages: 6
...--------------------------------------- This essay was downloaded from CheatHouse.com (c) Loadstone 1995-2003. More essays, papers, reports, study notes and more can always be found at: - http://www.CheatHouse.com - --------------------------------------- Within the last century, the scale of war has made necessary a different type of leader. We no longer fight for our farms, villages, and hunting lands. Our interests have shifted from straits and mountain passes. In our current world, as a result of technological revolutions and ever growing political instability, we live in the threat of a global war. Actions have the potential to resonate in many continents subsequently influencing the economies, policies, and war strategies of nations worldwide. For these reasons, leaders must study the past and integrate history's lessons learned with the new challenges of leading within a heightened threat. Military leaders must maintain their grasp and focus on the technical mastery of warfighting, personal courage, and the ability to inspire men to fight for a common cause. Victory will lend itself to the commander who can master the terrain and find new or creative ways to employ his weapons and men. Leaders must be technically proficient with the arms they use to wage war. In a broad example, the Spartans studied the natural tendency of phalanx formations to shift right and employed special tactics to break off part of their formation and bring it upon the flank...
Words: 2008 - Pages: 9
...The play Inherit the Wind by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee chronicles the trial of Bertram Cates—a school teacher in Tennessee who breaks the law by teaching Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution instead of creationism. Matthew Harrison Brady, the prosecuting attorney on the case, exhibits prominent characteristics which directly affects the way he conducts the trial. Brady displays various examples throughout the play of how his arrogance, insecurity, and intolerance influences the way he acts. To begin with, Matthew Harrison Brady’s arrogance is an aspect that altered his conduction of the trial. An example is when Brady learns Henry Drummond will be the defence attorney on the case. Regarding this piece of information, Brady says, “If...
Words: 755 - Pages: 4
...The Confederate invasion of the North in September of 1862 was an attempt by Robert E. Lee to swing the war in favor of the South. The main reason for the Confederate invasion was that the British were on the verge of recognizing the Confederacy if they could show it could hold its own, and Lee was anxious to provide a cornerstone for the Confederacy to build upon. The Battle of Antietam was the bloodiest day in American history and was a major blow to the Army of Northern Virginia and the morale of the south. This is the tableau against which our story unfolds. Stephen W. (Ward) Sears was born July 27th, 1932 in Ohio. He is a pre-eminent American historian specializing in all facets of the Civil War. He graduated from Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio and was an attendee of a journalism seminar at Radcliffe-Harvard. As a novelist, he has concentrated on the military history of the Civil War, primarily focusing his works on the battles involving and leaders of the Army of the Potomac. He was formerly employed as an editor for the Educational Department at the American Heritage Publishing Company. Sears currently resides in Norwalk, Connecticut. Some of the other books he has written on the Civil War are Gettysburg, Chancellorsville, To the Gates of Richmond: The Peninsula Campaign, and George B. McClellan: The Young Napoleon. However, it is his novel, Landscape Turned Red: The Battle of Antietam, that we are concerned with here. It is a fantastic book detailing the battle of...
Words: 2808 - Pages: 12
...Civil War creation of new supplies became a constant need for both sides of the conflict. The Union found advantage in that the Northern factories produced the majority of the ammunition. Not only did the Union army have the majority of the fire power they also possessed access to more ways of transportation through railroads, ships and wagons. Being able to transport supplies and soldiers over great distances gave the North great advantage. The Confederacy who lacked the same level of industry could not supply their troops and is part of the reason the South found defeat. The South held the benefit, at least at the beginning of the war, of more experienced military personnel. Robert E. Lee, commander of the Confederate forces had been originally beckoned by Lincoln to command the Union army. Lee, a Virginian,...
Words: 669 - Pages: 3
...The failure of Pickett’s charge By Adam Salas The third day of the battle of Gettysburg was on Friday July 3rd, 1863. On that day was Pickett’s Charge. This was known as the mistake of mistakes because it was so unbelievably unsuccessful. This battle was so unsuccessful because the confederates were bouncing off of 2 failed attempts at beating the union already in the battle, their artillery launch was not impressive by comparison, they faced what the union faced in Fredericksburg, and they lost too many men in the fight. All of these things put together made Pickett’s charge famous. The day began with the largest artillery fire in the history of the world up to that point, but the damage they did wasn’t as bad as the attack was. Many southern soldiers aimed their guns too high and shot above them. Also, the shots were off target, some landed in the dirt way up front, some were off to the side, and some exploded in mid air. When General Pickett and his army charged towards hill, they were greeted with severe return fire! In the return fire, Pickets army quickly diminished and the north had no problem defending the hill. In the middle of the field, was a large fence. The confederate soldiers had to climb over the fence to get past it, making them easy targets. Pickett lost over 2,000 of his men. Other generals and commanders lost a several men. All-in-all, the Southern army lost about 5,575 men in Pickett’s Charge, due to death, capture or being wounded. General Armistead...
Words: 569 - Pages: 3
...when they did they had seized the opportunity and attacked from the rear, and the point of contact was led by Davout, who had been following Napoleons plan. Leadership plays a prominent role in motivating men, even when the chances of victory seem unlikely. Napoleon maintained this position within his army, and inspired his soldiers to not see defeat as an option. This had help in many of their battles, having the morale high had maintained their goal and had won several battles against the odds. However, although Napoleon was able to achieve success in several battles, he was unable to win the war. Additionally, another great battlefield commander is Robert E Lee. Lee had always been in the disadvantage when it came to manpower, as well as resources. Like Napoleon, he had worked against the odds and had won several battles. Lee had faith that his army could achieve anything, because the balance of morale...
Words: 1061 - Pages: 5
...Civil War Ranked as the deadliest war in American history, the Civil War tore America apart and took the lives of atleast 600,000 citizens. The war sparked mostly from the dispute over the rights of individual states. It lasted from 1861 until General Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia surrendered at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865. The American Civil War could have swung in either direction, but many factors suggested that Union Victory was inevitable.55 First off, the manpower on the Union side was much larger and outnumbered the Confederate army strength. There were 20 Northern states fighting against 11 Southern states. When the war broke out, the Confederate Army had an estimated 750,000 soldiers, whereas the Union Army had about 2 milliion soldiers. The Confederate soldiers had many odds against them. A Yankee stood a 1 in 18 chance of dying due to illness and a 1 in 8 chance of dying in battle. A Rebel faced a 1 in 5 chance of dying from disease and a 1 in 8 chance of dying in battle. Military officers such as P.G.T. Beauregard, Stonewall Jackson, and Robert E. Lee brought major victories for the Southern Army. Their military strategies were efficient and powerful, but then again, so were the actions of the Northern Army. Some of the best military officers on the Union side were Ulysses S. Grant, William T. Sherman and Winfield Scott. It is said that the Union Army had much better teamwork and respect towards their officers, when in fact the Confederate...
Words: 743 - Pages: 3
...The Civil War is a dark mark on America's History, that helped define who we are today. Brothers fighting brothers, fathers fighting sons, and families devastated over a fear of change and compromise. Change, compromise, and leadership are all needed for a nation to succeed, but is bloodshed necessary to achieve success. Our land is stained with fathers and sons who believed that bloodshed was necessary to achieve greatness. The Civil War is a blemish on the history of the United States of America, but a necessary blemish. Historian Shelby Foote said, "Any understanding of this nation has to be based...on an understanding of the Civil War...The Civil War defined us as what we are, and it opened us to being what we became, good and bad things. It is necessary if you're going to understand the American character in the 20th century to learn about this enormous catastrophe of the mid-19th century. It was the crossroads of our beginning." (Burns & Burns, 1990) Any American can look at her words and instantly see a meaning, the meanings may differ but each American relates. The words "It was a crossroads to a beginning", show that America was divided and the war reunited America as a unified nation. Without the bloodshed and sacrifice, America would look quite different. Many nations or none at all could have been the result, but the truth is that the North and the South needed each other for survival. America was founded in freedom, which came in many forms. Her...
Words: 725 - Pages: 3
...Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee are two of the most famous generals of the American Civil War. These generals grew up very differently, but turned out to be similar in their courage, leadership and their ability to turn war into peace (Catton 405). Lee represented family and tradition, where as Grant stood for change, and moving forward. Although, tradition is very important and something I admire, I believe that in circumstances such as the Civil War, Grant and his position on looking toward the future is what was important. Based on Catton’s essay, “Grant and Lee: A Study in Contrasts,” I admire Grant and what he stood for. Lee grew up in Virginia (Catton 405). His family was devoted to tradition, family and culture (Catton 405). Lee believed that their should be “pronounced inequality” among the people, this way the leaders would rise to the top (Catton 406). Grant was very different on the other hand. He was born on the Western frontier (Catton 406). Growing up this way taught Grant to be more self-reliant and to look toward the future instead of the past (Catton 406). Both Grant and Lee would fight with as much tenacity as the other, but Grant was fighting for society, where as Lee fought for tradition (Catton 407). Lee refused change. This is where I believe he went wrong, and why I support Grant. In my eyes, I view America as a place of freedom, independence, and equality. Lee believed that there was an advantage to having inequality among the society...
Words: 831 - Pages: 4
...Confederate States of America in a very optimistic situation. Continued success by General Robert E. Lee and the seemingly invincible Army of Northern Virginia had the Confederate high command wanting to push there winning streak with an invasion of the North. Many people on both sides of the conflict where starting to believe that Lee could not lose. Lee himself was quoted saying, “If properly organized and officered The Army of Northern Virginia would be invincible.” He had time and again out generald his northern counter parts leaving a slue of Union Generals unable to muster up the courage to even face him on the battle field. With President Davis’ approval, Lee set the army in motion which would ultimately end with an epic 3 day conflict, changing the fabric of the war and the course of American History. On the 3rd of June 1863 the Army of Northern Virginia left there positions near Fredericksburg to begin their long march north. Right from the start the topography of the area played a huge roll in the campaign. In order to screen his movements Lee moved his army west, over the Blue Ridge Mountains and into the Shenandoah Valley. After entering the valley, Lee ordered J.E.B Stuart and his Cavalry to ride along the eastern edge of the army to further help screen his movements. The tactics and lay of the land that Lee utilized was very successful in keeping the Union Army in the dark. While Lee was moving, the Union commander, Joseph Hooker, was waiting. Unsure of Lee’s intentions...
Words: 1581 - Pages: 7
...he conventional wisdom concerning the comparative generalship of Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant was established almost immediately after the War of the Rebellion. Despite his role as, in the words of Frederick Douglass, “the rebel chieftain,” Lee has been portrayed as surpassing all others on both sides of the conflict not only in soldierly virtue but also in magnanimity and humanity. Indeed, for decades, no Civil War figure, not even Abraham Lincoln, has exceeded the reputation of Robert E. Lee. Lee has been described as the perfect soldier—a Christian and a gentleman as well as a peerless commander who led his renowned Army of Northern Virginia to a spectacular series of victories against overwhelming odds. For three years, he and his army provided the backbone of the Confederate cause. But though his adversaries were far less skillful than he, they were able to bring to bear superior resources, which ultimately overwhelmed the Confederacy. In the words of Gary Gallagher, the conventional wisdom held that “In defeat, Lee and his soldiers could look back on a record of selfless regard for duty and magnificent accomplishment.” Grant, on the other hand, has been described as a “butcher.” According to the conventional wisdom, Grant lacked strategic sense and tactical competence and was able to achieve victory only by taking advantage of the manpower and material superiority of the Union to bludgeon his opponent into submission. John Maynard Keynes, discussing the transmission...
Words: 295 - Pages: 2
...The emancipation proclamation basically took a huge chunk of what could have been Lee’s army of African Americans and welcomed them to the free Union army. The slaves were tripping over themselves at the opportunity to escape north and become free. The confederates stayed on the defensive most of the time; rarely did they go into union territory, because most of the times they did it turned out to be a big loss for the confederates. After being beaten down so many times, the confederates lost their will to fight and so started the way the south lost the war. In June of 1863, confederate general Robert E. Lee took his army of northern Virginia into the north for the second time. The union commander George Gordon Meade was in pursuit, they would ultimately bump into each other at Gettysburg. The battle of Gettysburg started by accident, literally troops bumped into each other. General Lee heard that Meade was pursuing him and mead concentrated his army. The union vanguard is already there as well and they bang into each other north and west of town on McPhersons ridge, it’s an intense fight and ultimately the fight will grow until north of town, your had the union 11th corps, fighting against a corps under a man named Richard Uell. In the end you’re going to have 30,000 confederates out flank and whip 18,000 union troops who retreat back through town to Cemetery hill and to Culp’s hill. For the next 24 hours both sides bring the remainder of their troops here until the Union has...
Words: 1436 - Pages: 6
