good post.
Stonewall Jackson
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stonewall_Jackson
Jackson won battle after battle after battle with a smaller number of troops and inferior equipment and supplies. He never had a clear loss in battle, some he battled to draws. The march at Chancellorsville is legendary, as his Valley campaign. He was brilliant at Antietam. He was great at Friedricksburg. He earned his nickname at 1st Bull Run, and won at 2nd Bull Run as well.
Jackson rates ahead of Patton as Patton always have numerical and equipment advantages. A. Jackson was great but had few battles. Washington was great, but he was more of a a manager and missed several important battles such as Saratoga and Bunker Hill.
There is also ample evidence that Stonewall was the real brains behind the Lee/Jackson operation. Lee won few battles after Stonewall died. Gettysburg was a disaster, it happened only a month after Jackson died.
The South had three military schools of thought, the auperior one was by Stonewall and was never fully adopted.
1)
Jefferson Davis wanted to defend every inch of southern soil - this was impossible to do.
2)
Lee wanted to confront and defeat the North in open battle - this did not work because it cost too many casualties the South could not afford, even if they could win the battle.
3)
Jackson wanted to use lightning tactics to march around and hit 'em where they ain't. Jackson did this in the Valley when he had independent command and was absolutely brilliant. Jackson wanted to invade the North and terrorize key targets, rather than get into it like at Gettysburg. Jackson would have gone into Washington and chased Lincoln OUT, for example. Then ransack Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, etc. In my opinion, Jackson was like a cross between William Wallace and Napoleon.
