AHC: Create Your ACW Dream Team

This challenge is to create your American Civil War Army Dream Team. You can use officers from both Union and Confederate forces from any theater. The main sticking points are that for every level below Army you follow the Rule of Three at least until the Division level, and that you only focus on officer performance during the Civil War and not what they did after the war (so if an officer was army level after the war but only division level during the Civil War he can only be used as a division commander).

Requirements:
Army Commander: 1
Corps Commanders: 3
Division Commanders: 3 per Corps

Cavalry: Corps or Division level (same rules apply)

It's entirely your choice to list Brigade commanders once you get to that level, but I ask that you continue to use at least three from that point on.
 
Army commander: Ulysses S. Grant

Gotta go with the architect of Union victory. Grant displays an excellent grasp of strategy and is at least on par with Lee in terms of operations. The surrender of three Confederate forces, I feel, justifies his place among the best. He does, however, have the flaws of being somewhat impulsive and sometimes reckless on the attack, and being over optimistic.


Corps commanders:

James Longstreet is undoubtedly the best Corps commander of the American Civil War. As a tactician, he orchestrated some of the most hard hitting assaults in the war: the counterattack against Hancock's II Corps in the Battle of the Wilderness; the attack at Second Manassas that swept Pope's army from the field; and the attack at Chickamauga, which routed a third of the Army of the Cumberland. He does, however, show a lack of ability in independent command: Knoxville and Suffolk were not exactly good signs.


Richard Taylor was actually quite competent and did a nice job during the Red River Campaign, he's probably second-best to Lee as an independent commander. Although he had plenty of reverses in his career, I am considerably impressed by his boldness and aggressiveness.


George Thomas is a choice no one can go wrong with. Thomas was a nearly perfect subordinate, always reliable. A good tactician and battlefield commander, Thomas had the love and affection of his troops and succeeded in defending Snodgrass Ridge at Chickamauga and routing John Bell Hood's army at Nashville.


Division commanders:
Robert E. Rodes: A good brigade and division commander in the army; I would say he and his division are underrated as far as the history of the Army of Northern Virginia is concerned. The fact that he rose to division command by catching Stonewall Jackson’s eye speaks volume for his conduct. Rodes was also largely responsible for the act to raise sharpshooter battalions in the army.

John B. Hood: Regardless of his poor performance as Corps/Army command, his tenure as brigade and division commander was excellent. He was an inspiring figure for his command and led his brigade and division in sweeping attacks during the Seven Days’ Battle, Second Manassas and Antietam.

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.
Patrick Cleburne: As a division commander, he was almost unparalleled in the Army of Tennessee, with arguably only Alexander P. Stewart being his superior in tactical articulation on the offensive. In terms of competence, he was demonstrable superior to such colleagues such as Loring, Bate, Stevenson, and Walker. Only Cheatham came close to Cleburne's ability both as a leader and in tactics on the defensive and offensive.

A.P. Stewart. One of the army's finest tacticians. His column of brigades at Chickamauga was a smart and sustained formation that allowed him to drive into Rosecrans' center on September 19. His defense at New Hope Church was dogged and ranks with the actions of Cleburne's and Cheatham's divisions during the Atlanta Campaign. It is saying something that Stewart was the only division commander of ten who Johnston felt able to command a corps. My only reservations were his yielding to S.D. Lee's poorer impulses at Ezra Church and his poor judgement at Spring Hill.

Joseph A. Mower: An ironic choice given how Mower was, on many occasions, a thorn on Taylor’s side. Joseph Mower was considered by Sherman “the boldest young officer we have.” He was extremely aggressive, and capable. In the Red River Campaign he was the constant bright spot for the Federal. His tactics from Fort De Russey to Mansura were impeccable. 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.
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.

John A. Logan: The best division commander of the Army of the Tennessee. 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.

Alpheus Williams: Williams broke the Stonewall Brigade at Cedar Mountain, led the XII Corps at Antietam after Mansfield’s mortal wounding and achieved the deepest penetration of Jackson’s lines before a lack of support pushes him back. Williams continued to serve with distinction at Chancellorsville where he stopped Jackson’s flank attack and at Gettysburg before being transferred west. Despite Williams’ distinguished service he was never promoted to corps command due to politics.
 
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