Dear Bernard
You’ve always been a fan of Robert E Lee and his Generalship but for debates sake could he really be put on the same level as say a Napoleon or Wellington ?. In the 7 Days campaign, he did lose 6 of the 7 battles which seemed down to McClellan deciding to retreat after each one rather than Lee forcing him to. Even after Gettysburg he then lost battles at Bristoe Station and at Rappahonock Station.
JFC Fuller in his book Grant and Lee states that the Lee of Gettysburg was also the same Lee of Cheats Mountain.
Lee could be called a good general but could he really be called a great one ?
Yours sincerely
Geraint
P.s If you’ve not read it I can recommend Lee’s Last Retreat by William Marvel on the Appomattox campaign. Interestingly he puts Lee’s Army at 50’000 during the campaign rather than the commonly used 30’000.