The Battle of the Wilderness is a perfect case study for assessing the military skill of the two commanders. It’s the first time they faced each other on the battlefield. And even though Lee was outnumbered, he still possessed talented & experienced senior officers. #Grant 2/8 
Let’s start with Robert E. Lee. He surprised Grant by pinning him down in the Wilderness instead of halting at his Mine Run works. Lee also skillfully oversaw the fighting on the Plank Road on May 5 and pivoted quickly to the offensive after a near disaster on May 6. #Grant 3/8
Lee made two big mistakes, however. He allowed A.P. Hill’s men to sleep on the night of May 5/6 without reorganizing. And Lee’s assault at 4 pm on May 6 at the Plank Road was wasteful of troops, who couldn’t be replaced. #Civilwar 4/8
Lee had fewer men and resources in the Wilderness. Yet, he almost destroyed Grant’s left wing right before Longstreet was shot. And he created more havoc by turning Grant’s right on the evening of May 6. Lee was audacious, but not flawless, in the Wilderness. #Grant 5/8
Grant’s performance was equally mixed. He successfully got his large army into place and nearly destroyed Lee’s right wing during the early morning of May 6. But he also made many poor decisions throughout the two days. #Civilwar 6/8
Warren was urged to attack prematurely. Burnside’s corps was a non-factor for most of the battle. Hancock’s left and Sedgwick’s right were almost turned on May 6. Yet Grant’s decision to head to Spotsylvania Court House was one of the most crucial decisions of the Civil War. 7/8
The battle was a draw. Neither Lee nor Grant clearly outperformed the other. Lee’s inability to win a decisive victory after Longstreet’s successful flank attack marked the beginning of the end for the Confederate States of America. In that narrow sense, Grant won. 8/8 #Grant
It’s fascinating that in three of the greatest showdowns in human history between celebrated commanders—Hannibal vs. Scipio Africanus; Napoleon vs. the Duke of Wellington; and Lee vs. Grant—the losers (Hannibal, Napoleon, and Lee) are more highly regarded by posterity. #Grant
