American History Hit

Episode: America's Bloodiest General

Host: Don Wildman
Guest: Major Jonathan Bratton, Maine National Guard
Release Date: January 5, 2026

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode explores the controversial and sobering legacies of the “bloodiest” generals in U.S. history—those whose command decisions resulted in exceptionally high casualties among soldiers and, in some cases, civilians. Host Don Wildman, joined by military historian Major Jonathan Bratton, examines four notable generals: Robert E. Lee, John Bell Hood, John J. Pershing, and Douglas MacArthur. Their military strategies, willingness to spend lives for perceived advantage, and the moral weight that comes with command are dissected, culminating in a discussion of what defines true greatness—or infamy—in a general.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Moral Weight of Command

• Introduction to the Concept (00:02–02:45)
  • Don Wildman sets the stage: the “bloodiest day” of Antietam raises the question—does the deadliest battle define the nation’s bloodiest general?
  • Emphasis on “the capacity to send others into mortal danger, to trade lives for military advantage, and then carry forever the price of those decisions.”
• Not all generalship is about tactical brilliance—sometimes it’s about how one carries the responsibility for immense loss.

2. American Military Obedience and Dissent

Don: "When soldiers are trained to go into battle, are they also trained not to question the decisions of those above whose choices put them at such risk?" (02:47)
Jonathan Bratton:

"Americans have the trait of not knowing when to shut up and not keep our opinions to ourselves... But generally speaking, in American military history, there are rare, very rare moments of orders not being obeyed because of fear of a leader making a poor decision." (03:10)

• Despite the tradition of argumentativeness, Americans generally obey even fatal orders, finding work-arounds or minor delays only rarely.

3. General Robert E. Lee—Aggressive At All Costs

Background & Approach [(06:05–09:28)]

• Lee’s tactics were marked by repeated high-casualty, high-risk offensives.
• Compared to Washington’s preference for maneuver and attrition, Lee actively sought decisive, bloody battles.
• Influenced by Napoleonic-era thinking—“spends lives as if they are almost nothing.”

Bratton:

"He spends the lives of his troops at an insanely high rate… He is fighting his own war of attrition on himself. It is almost stunning." (08:14)

Contrasts with Grant [(09:28–12:19)]

• Grant is also offensive-minded, but whereas Lee “was prolonging [the bloodshed],” Grant “was seeking to end the bloodshed.”
• Lee’s optimism about the next battle perpetually led to more losses:

"Always there's this idea in Lee's brain that if he just does this next thing he will win, whereas Grant is like, I am just trying to cause this bloodshed to end." (11:36)

Notable Quote on Lee’s Tenacity

• “Lee's decision to continue fighting after the fall of Petersburg and the fall of Richmond… That is a fanaticism that kills so many Americans on both sides that I just, I cannot reconcile that with this idea of a great general." (34:35)

4. General John Bell Hood—A Tragic, Relentless Figure

Hood’s Leadership [(13:14–16:12)]

• Renowned for his “brave, aggressive, personally led charges.”
• Suffered catastrophic losses (e.g., lost 75% of the Army of Tennessee over six months).
• His physical wounds (losing an arm and a leg) and dependency on laudanum reflected his reckless style.

Bratton:

“He doesn’t have that thing in his brain that says, hey, this is a bad idea, maybe we shouldn’t do this.” (13:14)

Tactics and Consequence

• Believed frontal attacks would restore discipline, but this led to repeated disasters (e.g., battle of Franklin, 23,000 Confederates thrown at entrenched Union positions).
• “The man was relentless.” (16:12)

5. The 20th Century: Technology Ramps Up Casualties

Broad Changes—Machinery and Morality [(16:59–18:20)]

• Greater technology (air power, strategic bombing) vastly expanded the destructive potential and raised new questions of responsibility.

Bratton:

“With the addition of technology creates a new scale and a new precedent for what we consider as acceptable in killing that we're still very much dealing with to this day.” (17:44)

• Brief reference to Curtis LeMay’s firebombing, setting scale for 20th-century lethality.

6. General John J. Pershing—World War I and the “Meuse-Argonne Meat Grinder”

Doctrine and Willingness to Spend Lives [(19:14–22:23)]

• Pershing’s “open warfare” doctrine ran counter to the established realities of trench warfare.
• Designed divisions specifically larger (28,000 men) to be able to “take casualties and keep on rolling.”

Bratton:

“Literally, his intent is to take casualties. His favorite division commanders… would famously say, we took more casualties than any other division in the AEF. And you've got a whole bunch of other officers who are like, that's not a thing to be proud of.” (19:14)

The Meuse-Argonne Offensive

• Bloodiest and longest American battle (26,277 dead, September–November 1918).
• Pershing started with inexperienced troops; the offensive nearly collapsed, required reorganization and learning.
• Victory was achieved, but the cost shocked America.

“But it comes at such a shocking cost that... only because of Pershing's popularity with the success of winning the war ... he doesn't have to face congressional inquiry, but only just.” (24:14)

• He did, however, face questioning for ordering attacks even on the morning of the armistice.

7. General Douglas MacArthur—Image vs. Reality

A Career Marked by High Losses [(25:19–30:11)]

• Known for “high casualty actions”—not just on the battlefield, but even against American veterans (the Bonus Army).
• The Battle of Manila alone saw massive civilian and military losses.

Bratton:

“I like to say that MacArthur made only three good decisions in his military career. One was ending hazing at West Point when he was the superintendent. The other was his island hopping campaign in the Pacific, and the other was his Incheon Landing. And at every other point in his career… he almost always went with a bad decision.” (28:00)

• Defends MacArthur’s campaign style in the Pacific as more measured than many realize—but indicts his tendency to confront rather than maneuver.

"He was very well known... He was one of the first American generals to understand what publicity is, and he sought it and he catered it throughout his entire career. And he also sought casualties early." (26:54)

8. Other Contenders & The Psychology of Command [(30:26–34:07)]

• Other generals noted for bloody records: Patton, Mark Clark (“He just sort of ruefully said, well, they both knew how to die well. And I was like, oh my God, that's dark.” (30:51)).
• Sometimes, generals who maneuvered to avoid battle were criticized for “weakness.”
• Rare moments of reflection:
  • Lucian Truscott at the dedication of the American cemetery in Italy apologizes directly to his fallen soldiers:

    “If any decision I made brought you to where you are laying here in this cemetery, I am truly and exceedingly sorry... And I did my best to try to keep as few of you here.” (32:10)

9. The Verdict: Who Is America’s Bloodiest General? [(34:07–35:54)]

• Consensus: Robert E. Lee
  • For his relentless pursuit of offensive action, his willingness to “spend lives” for the slim hope of victory, and refusal to acknowledge the inevitability of defeat.
  • Willingness to risk everything until “the alternative is extermination.”

Wildman:

“I think this qualifies him for bloodiest general scaling, of course, to the times he lived in. But the fact that he was willing to go that route and spend lives in order to be more offensive than the Union says a lot to me. And I'm going to put him at the top of my list.” (34:07)

Bratton:

“That is a fanaticism that kills so many Americans on both sides that I just, I cannot reconcile that with this idea of a great general. That's where I'm sticking my flag.” (34:35)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Pershing’s World War I Philosophy:

  “But the most important thing is that the American rifleman with the bayonet is what's going to win this war … just sort of brushing away three years of that being the worst possible thing to do.” (19:14)

• LeMay (Strategic Bombing):

  “It’s a good thing we won this. Otherwise I would probably be tried for war crimes.” (17:43)

• Truscott’s Apology:

  “If any decision I made brought you to where you are laying here in this cemetery, I am truly and exceedingly sorry…” (32:10)

• On the Culture of American Generalship:

  “It's so much harder to marshal the forces needed … to find another way of winning.” (31:15)

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:02: Opening context and the moral weight of command
• 03:10: American military tradition of question vs. obedience
• 06:05: Lee’s strategic aggressiveness and his body counts
• 09:28: Grant vs. Lee: bloodshed for purpose vs. prolongation
• 12:19: Aftermath of Gettysburg and Lee’s costly invasions
• 13:14: John Bell Hood’s tragic commands and reckless charges
• 16:59: How technology magnified 20th-century casualty rates
• 19:14: Pershing’s WWI doctrine and the Meuse-Argonne
• 24:44: The psychological and public fallout for Pershing
• 26:54: The paradox of Douglas MacArthur’s leadership and legacy
• 30:26: Honorable mentions and the psychology of generals
• 32:10: Lucian Truscott’s moving apology at the cemetery
• 34:07: Host and Guest final verdict—Robert E. Lee as “bloodiest general”

Summary

This episode is a powerful meditation on the tragic cost of military glory and the personal burden borne by those who command in war. Through candid, expert analysis, the legacies of America’s “bloodiest generals” are laid bare—not to celebrate their accomplishments, but to question the price of their fame. Ultimately, Don Wildman and Jonathan Bratton agree: Robert E. Lee’s relentless offensives, disregard for his troops’ survivability, and refusal to end the fight make him the bloodiest general in American history—a cautionary tale rather than an example to emulate.