Sunday, February 04, 2007

A study in contrasts

Low Contrast: the New York monument as I left work on Friday evening.

Robert E. Lee. Maryland Objectives:
a. Persuade Maryland to secede (not achieved)
b. Meet and defeat General George B. McClellan (not achieved)
c. Secure European recognition for the Confederacy (not achieved)

High Contrast: the Pry house as I drove to work on Saturday morning.

George B. McClellan. Maryland Objectives:
a. Drive the Confederates from Maryland (achieved)
b. Protect Washington D.C. (achieved)

...and McClellan is the one who was fired.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Uh oh, Mannie. Keep making logic statements like this and you'll get the apologist lable for sure. When it comes to evaluating McClellan, rhetoric is the way to go.

Anonymous said...

c. use "lucky" intelligence find to crush the rebel army as it split into 4 or 5 pieces (not achieved)
d. end Civil War (perhaps?) two years earlier (not achieved)
e. save countless Federal and Rebel lives (not achieved)

Sorry Mannie, I had to fire him. Regards, Abe

Anonymous said...

On the other hand, Mac's victory at Antietam enabled me to issue the Emancipation and give the war real meaning. So although many more thousands Rebs and Yanks died, millions were ultimately saved. Thanks, George. Perhaps it was best the war did not end at Antietam. How else could we have "nobly saved the last best hope on earth."
Abe