Best Union General?

In the vein of my previous thread about the best CW Eastern Theater Brigade, I have decided to ask another CW question: Who was the Union's best general? To the avoid the obvious answers and instead get a wider range of less traditional responses, I request that these Union generals be excluded: Generals Ulysses Grant, William Sherman, George Thomas, George Meade, Philip Sheridan, and Winfield Hancock

For my personal opinion, I think I would go with John Logan, John Gibbon, William Hazen, James Wilson, and Gordon Granger. I am interested to hear what everyone else thinks.
 
Splitting my list of best Union generals by their level of command:

Corps:
  • Andrew Jackson Smith. Although his tenure as division commander suggested an uninspiring commander, his performance as corps commander as simply excellent. As the commander of the detachment of Army of the Tennessee sent to aid Banks' army in the Red River Campaign, his force was the only bright spot for the Union army in that dismal campaign. His most important act in the campaign was sweeping Richard Taylor's sledgehammer assault on Banks' Army at the battle of Pleasant Hill with a well-executed flank attack on the Rebels.. In the Tupelo campaign, Smith saw through Forrest's trap, successfully stole a march on Forrest and dealt a bloody blow onto Forrest at Tupelo. Although he failed to catch Forrest during his raid on Memphis, he continued to distinguish himself as Grant's de-facto strategic reserve.
  • Horatio G. Wright was an example of Grant's influence on the officer corps of the Army of the Potomac. Taking over the VI Corps after Sedgwick's death, Horatio G. Smith was at first a cautious infantry commander who was thrown into some of the toughest fights of the war (May 10 and May 12 at Spotsylvania Court House). As time went on, he became an aggressive corps commander (tho not a good independent commander). He had excellent tactical articulation and won the respect of Philip Sheridan and Grant for his actions at the Shenandoah Valley and Petersburg.
  • John A. Logan: Though a political general, Logan was present all the way from Belmont and impressed Grant as a fighter. His troops worshipped him and his presence convinced them to do anything. His presence rallied wavering troops at Dallas, inspired bloodied and routed XV Corps troops to launch a sweeping counterattack against Cheatham’s victorious Corps at Bald Hill and prevented S. D. Lee from shattering the thin and unprepared XV Corps line at Ezra Church.
Division:
  • Alpheus Williams and George S. Greene: These two never got their due for their achievements. Williams broke the Stonewall Brigade at Cedar Mountain, led the XII Corps after Mansfield's fatal injury and inflicted near-fatal damage onto Jackson's line at Antietam and stopped Jackson's flank attack at Chancellorsville. His distinguished performance continued at Gettysburg and at the Western Theater but he never received promotion to corps command due to politics. Greene was another excellent officer. He was more fit than Geary to command the division and was responsible for saving the Union hold at Culps' Hill after Slocum took the XII Corps from their positions at Meade's behest. His actions were far more important than Chamberlain's, but the old man never got his due and was left at brigade command.
  • Eugene Asa Carr: An especially forgotten figure of the Union Army. His handling of his division at Elkhorn Tavern was brilliant; he was pugnacious and refused to be demoralized by his desperate situation. His performance at the Vicksburg Campaign was also stellar. His tactics forced Bowen’s delaying force from his position on Magnolia Church at Port Gibson and crushed the Confederate rearguard at the Big Black River. In the Trans-Mississippi, his performance as cavalry commander remained distinguished and stands out in a theater with a lack of good cavalry officers.
  • John Gibbon: The best division commander of the Army of the Potomac. This man formed the Iron Brigade and performed admirably at Brawner’s Farm, South Mountain, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg and the rest of the war. I think the highlight of his career was his command of the II Corps at Gettysburg while Hancock served as the wing commander. Gibbon was very involved with personally positioning the II Corps' troops, and these positions would prove to be crucial to the Army of the Potomac's success. II Corps played a role in repulsing Lee's final assaults on July 2nd, and Pickett’s charge on the 3rd.
  • Joseph Mower: This man was considered by Sherman to be “the boldest young officer we have.” He was extremely aggressive, and capable. He was A.J. Smith's right hand man during the Red River Campaign and Tulepo Campaign. His constant flanking maneuvers and aggressive push successfully isolated and captured Fort De Russy. He led A.J. Smith’s flank attack which saved Bank’s Army at Pleasant Hill. His final action during the Red River Campaign was to defeat the pursuing Rebels at Yellow Bayou. He later went on to join Sherman in the Carolinas where he proved his worth once again (and came within a hair of cutting Johnston’s line of retreat at Bentonville) and was promoted to command the XX Corps. Had this man been in the Army of the Potomac, I have no doubt he would have seen action as corps commander much sooner.
  • John McArthur: Stand down AH forum, this is not Douglas McArthur's father. This man is a Scotsman and fighting is in his blood. He was a brilliant brigade and division commander. At Fort Donelson, his 3 regiments held off five Confederate brigades from attacking McClernand's right flank for three hours. At Shiloh, he distinguished himself for putting up a tough fight in support of Hurlbut's Division. At Second Corinth, he essentially usurped command from the inept General Thomas J. McKean and made excellent tactical decisions throughout the fight. He missed out on the Vicksburg, Chattanooga and Atlanta Campaigns, but proved himself as one of the premier Union generals at Nashville. He correctly judged that the Confederate guns at Shy's Hill was actually incapable of firing on the Union troops ascending the hill and devised a creeping barrage to cover his troop's ascent. The Confederate garrison on Shy's Hill was practically gutted by the ensuing charge, which triggered the collapse of the Confederate siege of Nashville.
 
Splitting my list of best Union generals by their level of command:

Corps:
  • Andrew Jackson Smith. Although his tenure as division commander suggested an uninspiring commander, his performance as corps commander as simply excellent. As the commander of the detachment of Army of the Tennessee sent to aid Banks' army in the Red River Campaign, his force was the only bright spot for the Union army in that dismal campaign. His most important act in the campaign was sweeping Richard Taylor's sledgehammer assault on Banks' Army at the battle of Pleasant Hill with a well-executed flank attack on the Rebels.. In the Tupelo campaign, Smith saw through Forrest's trap, successfully stole a march on Forrest and dealt a bloody blow onto Forrest at Tupelo. Although he failed to catch Forrest during his raid on Memphis, he continued to distinguish himself as Grant's de-facto strategic reserve.
  • Horatio G. Wright was an example of Grant's influence on the officer corps of the Army of the Potomac. Taking over the VI Corps after Sedgwick's death, Horatio G. Smith was at first a cautious infantry commander who was thrown into some of the toughest fights of the war (May 10 and May 12 at Spotsylvania Court House). As time went on, he became an aggressive corps commander (tho not a good independent commander). He had excellent tactical articulation and won the respect of Philip Sheridan and Grant for his actions at the Shenandoah Valley and Petersburg.
  • John A. Logan: Though a political general, Logan was present all the way from Belmont and impressed Grant as a fighter. His troops worshipped him and his presence convinced them to do anything. His presence rallied wavering troops at Dallas, inspired bloodied and routed XV Corps troops to launch a sweeping counterattack against Cheatham’s victorious Corps at Bald Hill and prevented S. D. Lee from shattering the thin and unprepared XV Corps line at Ezra Church.
Division:
  • Alpheus Williams and George S. Greene: These two never got their due for their achievements. Williams broke the Stonewall Brigade at Cedar Mountain, led the XII Corps after Mansfield's fatal injury and inflicted near-fatal damage onto Jackson's line at Antietam and stopped Jackson's flank attack at Chancellorsville. His distinguished performance continued at Gettysburg and at the Western Theater but he never received promotion to corps command due to politics. Greene was another excellent officer. He was more fit than Geary to command the division and was responsible for saving the Union hold at Culps' Hill after Slocum took the XII Corps from their positions at Meade's behest. His actions were far more important than Chamberlain's, but the old man never got his due and was left at brigade command.
  • Eugene Asa Carr: An especially forgotten figure of the Union Army. His handling of his division at Elkhorn Tavern was brilliant; he was pugnacious and refused to be demoralized by his desperate situation. His performance at the Vicksburg Campaign was also stellar. His tactics forced Bowen’s delaying force from his position on Magnolia Church at Port Gibson and crushed the Confederate rearguard at the Big Black River. In the Trans-Mississippi, his performance as cavalry commander remained distinguished and stands out in a theater with a lack of good cavalry officers.
  • John Gibbon: The best division commander of the Army of the Potomac. This man formed the Iron Brigade and performed admirably at Brawner’s Farm, South Mountain, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg and the rest of the war. I think the highlight of his career was his command of the II Corps at Gettysburg while Hancock served as the wing commander. Gibbon was very involved with personally positioning the II Corps' troops, and these positions would prove to be crucial to the Army of the Potomac's success. II Corps played a role in repulsing Lee's final assaults on July 2nd, and Pickett’s charge on the 3rd.
  • Joseph Mower: This man was considered by Sherman to be “the boldest young officer we have.” He was extremely aggressive, and capable. He was A.J. Smith's right hand man during the Red River Campaign and Tulepo Campaign. His constant flanking maneuvers and aggressive push successfully isolated and captured Fort De Russy. He led A.J. Smith’s flank attack which saved Bank’s Army at Pleasant Hill. His final action during the Red River Campaign was to defeat the pursuing Rebels at Yellow Bayou. He later went on to join Sherman in the Carolinas where he proved his worth once again (and came within a hair of cutting Johnston’s line of retreat at Bentonville) and was promoted to command the XX Corps. Had this man been in the Army of the Potomac, I have no doubt he would have seen action as corps commander much sooner.
  • John McArthur: Stand down AH forum, this is not Douglas McArthur's father. This man is a Scotsman and fighting is in his blood. He was a brilliant brigade and division commander. At Fort Donelson, his 3 regiments held off five Confederate brigades from attacking McClernand's right flank for three hours. At Shiloh, he distinguished himself for putting up a tough fight in support of Hurlbut's Division. At Second Corinth, he essentially usurped command from the inept General Thomas J. McKean and made excellent tactical decisions throughout the fight. He missed out on the Vicksburg, Chattanooga and Atlanta Campaigns, but proved himself as one of the premier Union generals at Nashville. He correctly judged that the Confederate guns at Shy's Hill was actually incapable of firing on the Union troops ascending the hill and devised a creeping barrage to cover his troop's ascent. The Confederate garrison on Shy's Hill was practically gutted by the ensuing charge, which triggered the collapse of the Confederate siege of Nashville.
Great thoughts! I have always been partially to A.J. Smith, John McArthur, and Alpheus Williams and am glad that they were brought up. To add another general, I have also thought James B. Steedman to be a good general, even if he had a lower-standard for his personal affairs. For lower officers, Charles Harker, Samuel Carroll, and Emerson Opdycke are certainly among the greats.
 
Great thoughts! I have always been partially to A.J. Smith, John McArthur, and Alpheus Williams and am glad that they were brought up. To add another general, I have also thought James B. Steedman to be a good general, even if he had a lower-standard for his personal affairs. For lower officers, Charles Harker, Samuel Carroll, and Emerson Opdycke are certainly among the greats.
Steedman is a good choice. I also just remembered two other lower ranking officers that impressed me:
Brig Gen Manning F. Force. The man was the brigade commander of the best division of the Army of the Tennessee. He earned a Medal of Honor for seizing Bald Hill from Wheeler’s cavalrymen and withstood a counterattack by a Texan brigade of Cleburne’s Division. The man went out of his way to inspire the troops by staying mounted on his horse under the deadly hail of canister and rifle fire.

On the next day, July 22, he found himself in a predicament: to his front, there was a division of Confederate forces at Atlanta and to his rear, an entire Confederate division was about to assault. When asked what to do, he calmly told his subordinates to turn their backs to the Confederates at Atlanta and his division commander, Mortimer Leggett, ordered the rest of the division to do the same.

His men were charged by Cleburne’s men and his skirmishers reported movement from the rebels at Atlanta. He called for one of his staff officers to fetch him the colors. His staff officer brought back a piece of white cloth. Gen. Force furiously yelled, "Danm you, sir! I don’t want a flag of truce! I want the American flag!" He was later wounded in the battle but his brigade held itself together and later repelled another attack by Cleburne.

Charles C. Walcutt was also an excellent brigade commander. He was distinguished himself in the Atlanta Campaign and was crucial to winning the Battle of Atlanta on July 22. When the rest of the XV Corps had been routed by Cheatham, Walcutt’s brigade came under severe fire and was ordered to fall back. But Walcutt knew that retreating meant leaving the XVII Corps encircled by the rebels. When Leggett, the senior division commander of the XVII Corps, came to ask Walcutt not to go, Walcutt told the division commander that he was going to accept the responsibility of ignoring orders. Walcutt ultimately served as a rally point for the rest of the XV Corps, which had been rallied by Logan, and he thus arguably made the decision that won the battle.
 
Nelson Miles also had his moment of greatness as a junior officer. While leading one of the fateful assaults the Battle of Fredericksburg, a bullet ripped into his neck and tore it up pretty bad, but he able to get back down the hill, find his superior officer, brigade commander General John Cadwell, and request he lead the next assault before passing out from blood loss.
 
Speaking of potential star officers lost at Fredericksburg, George D. Bayard’s death as a result of a random artillery shell really hurt the Army of the Potomac’s Cavalry Corps. He was the senior cavalry division officer at the time and had performed well during Pope’s invasion of Virginia. He proposed what would become Stoneman’s raid after Antietam and won a number of cavalry engagements before his untimely death at Fredericksburg.

Speaking of cavalrymen, I can’t believe I forgot about John Buford, Wesley Merritt and Robert Minty. The first was a brilliant cavalryman, the second learned from the first and basically ran Sheridan’s cavalry in the invasion of the Shenandoah Valley and the Appomattox campaign and the third routed an entire division of rebel cavalry with just 1000 cavalrymen.
 
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