By William R. Mann ——Bio and Archives--March 29, 2020
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So, are we truly in a War with Corona Virus, Covid-19? If so, we need a man who will fight the Battles and not oppose the President at every turn. We need "Battlefield" Commanders like Sherman and Grant.
"The fog of war"... I heard mentioned the other day. This is a misapplication of terminology. It is being used there to protect timidity. We will win this war with bold actions, not inaccurate models, or unproven and inaccurate statistics."... History is replete with examples of military commanders who retreated when they did not have to after a disastrous, but not fatal, day of fighting. As with George McClellan on the Virginia Peninsula or Joseph Hooker at Chancellorsville, both of whom still possessed vast advantages in terms of numbers of troops, a lesser commander than Grant could have retreated during the night. Doing so would no doubt have given the Confederates a major victory much like they enjoyed at Chancellorsville in May 1863 and have blunted enthusiasm for the continual Union advance toward the important railroad town of Corinth, Miss., also buying time for Rebel Maj. Gen. Earl Van Dorn to arrive with new troops. Moreover, it must be noted that the idea was actually on many minds that night. John Rawlins later indicated that Buell came to Grant while he was at the landing and asked what preparations he had made for withdrawing.
"I have not yet despaired of whipping them, general," Grant replied. Although Buell later denied it, the mentality fits each of the actors. More believable were the accounts of Grant’s own officers. "Shall I make preparations for a retreat?" Lt. Col. James McPherson asked Grant. "Retreat? No!" Grant responded, "I propose to attack at daylight, and whip them." In particular, Sherman was man enough to admit he was thinking in terms of retreat. He came to Grant under his tree in the rain with the idea of broaching the subject, as "the only thing just then possible, as it seemed to me, was to put the river between us and the enemy and recuperate." At the last minute he became embarrassed and blurted out, "Well, Grant, we’ve had the devil’s own day, haven’t we?" A determined Grant, his mind already made up, responded, "Yes, lick ’em to-morrow, though."
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William R. Mann, is a retired Lt. Colonel, US Army. He is a now a political observer, analyst, activist and writer for Conservative causes. He was educated at West Point [Bachelor of Science, 1971 ]and the Naval Postgraduate School [Masters, National Security Affairs, 1982].