grant vs lee
Grant and Lee: the titans of the American Civil War. ... The cult of personality that has enveloped Lee frequently obfuscate his more mortal qualities. Such veneration Grant experienced in his own lifetime (in abundance), but his 21th century reputation is not of the caliber of Lees. ... A curious phenomenon is that the Confederates of the Civil War generation were virtually unanimous in their praise and admiration of Grant. ... The writings of Jefferson Davis, Lee, Longstreet, Alexander Stephens, John B. Gordon and dozens of other Southern leaders reveal unqualified praise for General Grant. ... Lee, specifically, spoke in glowing terms about his adversary. He was particularly grateful for the generous treatment he had received at Appomattox and that Grant threatened to resign his commission in the Army if Andrew Johnson continued to persecute Lee. In May of 1865, Lee spoke openly of his feelings on this issue: "As to my own fate, I know not what is in store for me. ... My sole reliance is on General Grant. ... " Joe Johnston, who happened to be Grants personal favorite among the Confederate generals, related his own opinion of this incident: "Lee was correct in trusting General Grant, because at that time, Stanton and President Johnson were intending to put Lee under arrest.