:*They were "HUGE" mistakes. If the battle of Chattanooga had followed Grant's plan of depending on Sherman to win, it would have been much longer & bloodier. Had Thomas' plan at Snake Creek Gap been followed, Johnston's army would have been trapped & destroyed within a week. Union forces could have been shifted to Virginia, & that campaign ended before election day. Grant & Sherman DID have a somewhat bizarre personal relationship, but it is also a fact that the polilitcal power of Ohio played a large role in choosing western commanders. It didn't hurt that Sherman's brother was a powerful US Senator. What else had Sherman done during the war to warrant such a promotion? Have a nervous breakdown?  Achilles 04:27 7 Oct 2005