Wilderness & Cold Harbor.

This is coolbert:

From the Chicago Tribune today and thanks to Stephan Benzkofer:

"THE CIVIL WAR 150 YEARS LATER"

"Grant, Lincoln launch bloody campaign to end a bloody war"

That objective of the Army of the Potomac [Union] with Grant issuing the orders "Not to regain lost territory or capture secessionist cities but to hunt down and destroy Gen. Robert E. Lee's army [Army of Northern Virginia]."

First WILDERNESS and then COLD HARBOR.

The lead headlines from the Chicago Tribune from June 6, 1864, three days after the bloodiest  fighting at Cold Harbor.

"NEWS BY TELEGRAPH."

"GRANT ASSAULTS THE REBEL LINES ON TUESDAY AND DRIVES THEM INTO THEIR ENTRENCHMENTS."

"Our Loss Reported at 3,000 Killed and Wounded."

"BRILLIANT OPERATIONS OF OUR CAVALRY ON TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY."

"A Noble Letter from the President to the Grant Meeting at New York."

"THE SEVENTY-FIVE MILLION LOAN ADVERTISED FOR SALE AT SECRETARY CHASE."

"Capture of a Valuable Canadian Blockade Runner."

"OFFICIAL BULLETIN."

Battle of the Wilderness generally seen as A DRAW, neither side able to prevail.

Cold Harbor in contrast a definite Union defeat.

10,000 casualties in TEN MINUTES!!

Frontal assaults of clumped formations of Union troops advancing across open ground and opposed by entrenched and prepared Confederate unsuccessful!!

AND that form of combat not unique to the American Civil War.

Consider that during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 the use of such tactics [clumped formations of troops advancing across open ground against an entrenched adversary] resulting in even worse casualty figures.

* Mars-la-Tour. 5,000 Prussian DEAD in fifteen minutes.

* St. Privat. 8,000 Prussian casualties in twenty minutes.

Within context Iraq and Afghan more like festivities!!

From Trevor Dupuy that comparison between Grant and Lee:

"There is no comparable historical example of two great, evenly matched generals fighting each other to a standstill in operations marked on each side by wary caution, brilliant boldness, and sound estimates of the opponent's capabilities and intentions coupled with sincere respect for the other's ability."

coolbert.