Quote Originally Posted by drone
Pickett's charge was a foolish move, but there were not many Union leaders who could have gotten his men anywhere near as far up the hill.
I disagree about that. Despite a lot of bad press about their valour, the Union soldiers made plenty of truly hopeless frontal assaults: Fredericksburg, Cold Harbor, etc. When men are pinning their name to their uniform before an assault, so that their grave marker might bear their name, you have to admire their courage (they did so at Cold Harbor and elsewhere.)

I wouldn't say Grant was exceptional, he just knew how to use his strategic advantage. He could afford a war of attrition, and forced Lee into fighting it that way. Sort of like the endgame of a TW campaign...
Agreed. He understood what must be done, and like a pit bull, would not deviate from it.