Underappreciated generals: the vote

Posted By Thomas E. Ricks Friday, September 24, 2010 - 10:30 AM Share

I'll close the polls on early Monday morning and post the results that same day.

Extra points for the fellow in Jamestown, New York, who sent an e-mail write-in vote for Galusha Pennypacker, the youngest general of the Civil War, too young to vote at the time he made brigadier. And what a great name!

If you haven't yet cast your vote, please post a comment, or e-mail me.

library.marshallfoundation.org

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JBMOORE61

9:38 PM ET

September 24, 2010

Here's my vote

Most underappreciated contemporary general would be William Lendrum "Billy" Mitchell. A lot of battleship sailors in Germany, Japan, Britain, and the US, suffered because his evidence of their vulnerability to air attack was ignored.

 

SOLDIERSDIARY

2:08 PM ET

September 25, 2010

final take

My final vote will go to John Reynalds from the Civil War, runner up to Don Starry.

 

JPWREL

10:32 PM ET

September 25, 2010

Well, for an Army that could

Well, for an Army that could usually not get out of its own way Reynolds was without a doubt a star. However, I think his performance at Fredericksburg might make his selection more problematical. Reynolds failed to support Meade’s division on its penetration of the Confederate right (the only real Federal success of the day) and left Meade hanging and without the reinforcement of the balance of Reynolds Corps that was unengaged and thus driven from the field by counterattack.

 

SOLDIERSDIARY

7:23 PM ET

September 26, 2010

no change

exactly what you said makes him underrated...not the greatest ever, but Ike and Patton had North Africa and Grant had Cold Harbor. I'm sticking with my choice.

 

WHISKEYPAPA

6:13 AM ET

September 27, 2010

Patton

Patton did fine in North Africa.

Late in the war Eisenhower said to Patton, "Every time I get promoted I get attacked."

Patton said, "And every time you get attacked, I bail you out."

Walt

 

Thomas E. Ricks covered the U.S. military for the Washington Post from 2000 through 2008.

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