Mine Run (part 2 of 2)

[James A. Landau]

I have a little quiz for people who like to talk about "winning" battles.

Who was the winner of the following battles?

1.  the Glorious First of June
    A.. the British fleet
    B.  the French fleet

2.  USS Bonhomme Richard versus HMS Serapis
    A.  John Paul Jones in the Bonhomme Richard
    B.  Captain Pearson of the Serapis

3.  Dien Bien Phu
    A.  the Viet Minh
    B.  the French

As for Mine Run, I could give a long lecture explaining why it was merely a
footnote to Gettysburg.  Just one observation---the battle was fought just
before the beginning of winter, in which season the mostly-unpaved roads of
the Conferederacy turned into bottomless mud.  If either side had won a
smashing victory at Mine Run, they would have been unable to do much with it,
do to the roads dissolving underneath their victorious feet.

    - Jim Landau