Question of the Week: 6/10-6/16/19
In your opinion, what’s the key primary source or primary source quote for understanding the Overland Campaign?
In your opinion, what’s the key primary source or primary source quote for understanding the Overland Campaign?
Gotta start with the ORs . . .
And this from Grant: “I will fight it out on this line if it takes all summer.”
I agree Chris – “I propose to fight it out on this line if it takes all summer.” I actually found a couple of variations on this quote from Grant, but it demonstrates his resolve to defeat Lee.
Lee: We have to stop him before he gets to the James; otherwise it will just be a siege
Grant: No, not that way, this way dammit!
When Grant crosses the Rapidan and then says “There will be no turning back”–and then sticks to his vow–that pretty much sums it up. On Lee’s side, I agree with John, above. Lee realized once things devolved into a siege, it would just be a matter of time.
There are thousands of contemporary sources for the critical moment of the Overland Campaign. Soldiers of all ranks registered their wonder & renewed deiermination when they realized that Grant had ordered an advance after the confused fighting of the Wilderness. At last, they had a commander who knew how to fight to win.
“Lee’s army will be your objective point. Wherever Lee goes, there you will go also…”
That is a good one too. Up there with “Make all preparations for a night march on Spotsylvania Court House.”
Of course it wound up being, “where Meade went, Lee had to follow”.
I’d offer Rufus Ingalls’ statement about Spotsylvania – “The world never heard of war before.”
Lincoln: “Press the thing!”