Part 2, Lee (May 1864): Chapter 8 Summary

J.E.B Stuart, Confederate cavalry commander, delivers messages to General Lee. Lee observes Grant's army from a vantage point on the other side of the Rapidan River. He asks General Longstreet about how Grant might think. Longstreet, who had fought with Grant in Mexico, describes Grant as an uncomplicated and stubborn man. Lee thinks that this will make defeating Grant easier by waiting for him to make a mistake and then taking swift advantage of it. As he watches Grant's army, he detects that it is breaking camp and going on the move. Lee expects to confront Grant in the Wilderness, an area of thick growth located a few miles southwest of Fredericksburg.

Part 2, Lee (May 1864): Chapter 8 Analysis

General Lee's assessment of Grant is based on very little information. He may have fought with Grant in...