Category: Book (non-fiction)  |  Rating :

eReview: Civil War Generals in Defeat

by Steven E. Woodworth, editor Hardcover-248pp / University of Kansas Press / April 1999 / ISBN: 0700609431

Review by Molly Nash

One might think reading about unsuccessful generals might be less exciting than studying those who were victorious, but the reverse is true in this book. In a series of essays by some well-known and some lesser-known authors Woodworth has provided us with superb discussions of the two Generals Johnston, of Little Mac, of Don Carlos Buell, of Fighting Joe, and of Pemberton. The final essay deals with the command relationships at Gettysburg.

More than merely a defense of a particular general whose reputation might need rehabilitation, the authors have delved into motivations and political considerations. In the essay on McClellan, author Ethan S. Rafuse pleads a well-argued case that his strong Whig background tempered Mac's war aims away from conquest to negotiation. For those who desire to achieve a glimmer of Mac's complexities and his treatment of Stanton and Lincoln, there is a powerful argument that McClellan may have had presidential aspirations before he was relieved of duty.

Each essay could be separately reviewed; as a group the essays are fresh and sometimes startling. These are not turgid, ponderous essays, but rather concise, logical discussions of generals about whom it is frequently said, "How could he have been so _____ (fill in the blank with any descriptive phrase such as stupid, arrogant, or blind)."

The essay on Buell covers his campaign from Pittsburgh Landing to Chattanooga. It was enlightening to me as a perfect study in what a commander must not do. Perhaps this essay will become required reading at military colleges and at the Pentagon. I felt I had learned more about campaigning from Buell's march than from all the books I have read on Grant's masterpieces.

If Woodworth, as editor, had substantial impact on the style and readability of these essays, I can't wait to read to read a book he has authored. If he only solicited and selected the contributors, I am still in awe.