Above all other Confederate generals, the most well known was Robert E. Lee. Lee was considered by most to be the most significant individual in the entire Confederate Army, and he was a military genius. His military prowess was well known throughout the Civil War and was proven time after time again during his battle against the Union. Even though Lee sometimes made mistakes, he was, even then, able to adjust to his environment and use the correct tactics in order to pull out a victory. However, despite his genius, Lee made serious tactical errors that would cost him entire battles. One of these most famous errors shows itself in the Battle of Gettysburg, which took place from July 1 ...view middle of the document...
The wounds would cost Jackson his left arm; and he died from complications of pneumonia eight days later on May 10, 1863. Seeing as how Jackson was one of Lee's most competent offensive generals, fighting the battle without Jackson was a difficult task. A few moments before his death, Jackson cried out in delirium, '"Let us cross over the river and rest under the shade of the trees "'. Several soldiers took this as a great morale boost, but still felt the loss of their most beloved general, and some even dared to admit that they would probably never cross the river of which Jackson spoke.This disadvantage only expanded when inexperienced commanders, such as Neither Hill or Ewell, who had never commanded a corps before this battle, became enlisted in Lee's army. Also, Lee's method of giving out generalized orders and then leaving it up to his lieutenants to work out the details heavily contributed to his defeat. Although this method may have worked immensely with Jackson, it proved inadequate when dealing with corps commanders who were unfamiliar with Lee's style of command. Their lack of proficiency became evident during the battle, and it would cost them lives.One last downfall would be Lee's strategies themselves. Although Lee performed magnificently...
