re: On this day in 1866, Ulysses S. Grant became the first 4-star general in U.S. Army history

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There are many historians who believe he was average; some even believe him to be below average and believe he was a primary cause of the South losing the war. Heck, entire books have been devoted to the topic.

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I am aware of these books and have even read a few of them. I am quite privy to their arguments about how Lee's actions helped hasten the end of the Civil War and I respectfully think those historians have lost their damn minds. I 100% believe Ulysses S. Grant was the best overall general of the war. No question. But many of these historians which you talk about share this belief and feel as if they need to denigrate Lee's reputation to elevate Grant's. I disagree wholeheartedly with this logic.