Lee's Army During the Overland Campaign: A Numerical Study

The initial confrontation between Union general Ulysses S.Grant and Confederate general Robert E. Lee in Virginia during the Overland Campaign has not until recently received the same degree of scrutiny as other Civil War battles.The first round of combat between the two renowned generals spanned about six weeks in May and early June 1864.The major skirmishes-Wilderness, Spotsylvania, and Cold Harbor-rivaled any other key engagement in the war.While the strength and casualties in Grant's army remain uncontested, historians know much less about Lee's army.Nonetheless, the prevailing narrative depicts Confederates as outstripped nearly two to one, and portrays Grant suffering losses at a rate nearly double that of Lee.As a result, most Civil War scholars contend that the campaign proved a clear numerical victory for Lee but a tactical triumph for Grant.Questions about the power of Lee's army stem mainly from poor record keeping by the Confederates as well as an inordinate number of missi