Lee probably deserves his reputation as the war’s best tactician, but his success came at great cost. In every one of the Seven Days’ battles the Confederates attacked and consequently lost a higher proportion of killed and wounded than the defenders. The same was true in several of Lee’s subsequent battles. Even in 1864–65, when their backs were to the wall and they had barely strength enough to parry their adversary’s heavier blows, the Army of Northern Virginia essayed several offensive counterstrokes. The incongruity between Lee’s private character as a humane, courteous, reserved, kindly
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