I read somewhere From my understanding of Grant he was a mediocre General in the field but realized that the North had the numbers and industrialization so was good with loosing more men in order to grind the South down over time.
Grant a mediocre field commander? Dunno where you would have read that.
Washed out of the Army for drinking and a failure at everything he tried, given a commission almost as a fluke. Once back in the service he proves to be a natural leader of armies.
This poorly dressed borderline alcoholic prone to fits of despair wins a steady string of victories in the West that earn him promotions despite his many detractors. Fortunately for him, Abe Lincoln was his President and not Jeff Davis, else Grant might have remained in obscurity.
But for the fortunate arrival of Buell, Grant’s career might have ended with the Confederate surprise attack at Shiloh but even there he displays a coolness under fire, retrieving a situation that woulda had many generals conceding a defeat.
Grant’s Vicksburg campaign was brilliant, the best in that war. Defying military convention he severs his army from its supplies, lands below Vicksburg and marches East to defeat a Confederate force to his East, and then leaving that shattered force to his rear, turns around to besiege Vicksburg.
Comes East against Lee and a couple of bloody missteps but wars of attrition are by definition bloody, meanwhile unleashing Sherman to run riot in the South.
