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Subject: 1864 Overland Campaign Consequences
AlbanyRifles    2/2/2006 9:54:44 AM
The 1864 Overland Campaign consists of the Battles of The Wilderness, Spotsylvania, North Anna, Yellow Tavern, Haws Shop, Cold Harbor and assaults on Petersburg. At the end of this campaign, Lee was in the trenches at Petersburg and Grant was starting the 10 month siege which would decide the war. One of the greatest problems facing the Union that summer was a manpower shortage. Yes, the mighty Union never enjoyed more than a 1.5 to 1 advantage at Petersburg until almost Christmas of 1864. The main reason was that the 3 year enlistments for the Union soldiers who enlisted after 1st Manassas/Bull Run were running out by late summer. This resulted in the best soldiers leaving and those who were near the end not being as aggressive, particularly since the best leaders were buried in Central Virginia or in the hospitals around Washington. So, was the Overland Campaign a success in that Grant and Meade ended up pinning Lee into the trenches or was it a bad mistake which almost wrecked the Army of the Potomac. Please show all work.
 
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S-2    RE:1864 Overland Campaign Consequences-Great Minds   2/2/2006 11:14:24 AM
I'm clearly not endowed, though I've great regard for yours. You should express your opinion on this topic. I'd like to know. Some thoughts. Where is the AOP best served? I don't know Grant's orders upon assuming command, nor to what extent he had a hand in shaping his orders? Would Grant have preferred to hug Lee by the coattails, as more or less occurred, or should/could he go west? If he goes west, how does his significantly incremental addition to Sherman's weight improve matters? At what risk to Washington D.C. if Grant departs? Can he leave a covering force (in addition to the Washington D.C. defense garrison) adequate to the task without leaving so many forces behind to render his transfer pointless? How interested is Lee in transferring forces, given similar orders to protect his capitol from investment? Could Lee, in the absence of significant AOP elements sent westward, threaten Washington D.C.? Clearly, as Sherman crossed into Georgia, few advantages remained for the south. One that did was the presence of internal lines, facilitating the rapid movement of confederate forces along still-existing railways. Anyway, professor, those are my initial thoughts and questions. Hope that provides some foundation for our work. Tireless in our pursuit of historical truths and hearsay, I look forward to this project with great anticipation.
 
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Carl S    RE:1864 Overland Campaign Consequences-Great Minds   2/3/2006 10:42:42 PM
Grant was expecting Beutler to move on Richmond from the coast to the south and for two other corps to pass Lees left flank from the Shenandoah. With those two groups approaching Richmond Lee never could have stood against Meades army. But with Buetler refusing to move off the coast and after Early defeated Sigel Grants inital strategy fell apart. In his autobiography Grant passes lightly over Beutlers & Sigels failures, tho there is a bitter undertone there.
 
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