Throughout the civil war the Union suffered a plague of incompetent generals that would not use the men they had, nor use them in a way that could achieve victory in the field of battle. This begs the question what makes a good officer? A good officer demands the respect of his men and he should respect his own superiors. In addition, a good officer should use their tactics to lead their soldiers to victory. William Tecumseh Sherman was an officer during this time as the Union was going through generals’ right and left. Was he the last choice available or did he perhaps deserve the job? Major General William Tecumseh Sherman was a good officer because he was competent in the face of battle, was respected his leaders and demanded respect from …show more content…
“Sherman felt General Grant’s most valuable trait was, “simple faith in success… which I can liken to nothing else than the faith a Christian has in a savior” (Furgurson 15). Sherman compares General Grant to a savior which is mighty high praise and most people tend to worship their saviors. In communicating that General Grant’s most important assess was confidence in success, General Sherman is the best commander possible and the people should follow and praise him for the work that he is doing. Sherman respected Grant so much that he put faith in him even though Grant faced a very tough enemy. Sherman believed that Grant could inspire the Army of the Potomac to do its part in defeating the south even though they faced a tough enemy frequently (Furgurson 32). The task of motivating tired troops is definitely not an easy one, but Sherman regards Grant as a savior so if anyone can motivate that army Sherman believes that it is Grant. That demonstrates William Sherman’s high regard for his superiors. He respected his soldiers and his superiors so much that he started to think of them as family (anb.org). Regarding the army of family is one of the shows that he has the utmost respect for …show more content…
He leads by example. His soldiers hold his battle tactics in such high regard that an Iowa sergeant said that the only time they were outflanked was when they come back home, and they were outflanked by an enthusiastic crowd (Glatthaar 182). The sergeant is saying that Sherman would only allow himself to be outflanked if he so desired, which is a pretty pristine feat that not many commanders could claim. His soldier says this because he had the utmost confidence in his commander. One of his officers said, “His eccentricities disappeared, his grasp of the situation was firm and clear, his judgment was cool and based upon sound military theory as well as quick practical judgment,” (Davis 18). The officer who spoke this quote was describing the ideal officer in the face of battle. Grant also never had a doubt of whether Sherman would accomplish his missions (Davis 121). Both his soldiers and his commanders respected William Sherman. With respect from both of these parties, it is hard to imagine that Sherman was not right for the
General Lee said, to be a good soldier you must love the army, to be a good general you must be prepared to order the death of the thing you love, and therein lies the great trap of soldiering. When you attack you must hold nothing back." Thomas J. Jackson was both a good soldier and a good general. In the Mexican War he fought with all his heart for his country. When the Civil War came, he was a general. He never hesitated to send his men forward. He held nothing back. George McClellan also fought with all his heart for his country in the Mexican War. When the time came to send his men forward in the Civil War, he couldn’t do it. He loved the army to much to order its death.
General Richard Sherman’s march to the sea has just finished. After successful capturing Atlanta, Georgia, General Sherman directed his Union army to Savannah, Georgia. Along the way, northerners wreaked havoc on Southern cotton mills and destroy train tracks while completely uprooting 20 percent of Georgian plantations. This effectively halted the Confederate’s means of transportation and economic structure subsequently w...
Nevertheless, an attitude they show is their cause for engaging in the war. On page 110, Lee describes, “With every step of a soldier, with every tick of the clock, the army was gaining safety, closer to victory, closer to the dream of independence.” His words reveal that their reason for coming was to gain their long overdue independence. Without a cause worth fighting for on each side, the war would have no fuel or reason to continue. In like manner, another attitude of the South was their admiration for their commander general. On page 251, Longstreet proclaims, “Colonel, let me explain something. The secret of General Lee is that men love him and follow him with faith in him. That’s one secret.” I believe this clarifies that the bond of brotherhood and respect for each other in this army would allow for these soldiers to follow their leader blindly. The overwhelming amount of faith and trust among the Army of the Northern Virginia is inspiring. The Confederates prove in these appearances that they do indeed have an important cause that they are willing to die
At the end of his “March to the Sea”, MG William T. Sherman led Union forces from Georgia to the north through the Carolinas to unite with LTG Ulysses S. Grant in Virginia. By doing so, he believed he would be able to cut Confederate forces General Robert E. Lee’s supply lines. In February 1865, MG Sherman captured Columbia, the state capital of South Carolina. The commander of Confederate forces was LTG Wade Hampton who led the force under the command of General P.G.T Beauregard. MG Sherman succeeded in defeating Confederate on the basis of the principles of mission command.
General Sherman had several objectives in mind when setting out from Atlanta aside from reaching and taking Savannah. Important objectives included destroying any buildings that could assist the Confederacy. Other valuable targets to the Union included excess livestock, railroad tracks and depots, and cotton and tobacco fields. Perhaps most critical to General Sherman was to defeat the Confederate spirit. “When requesting permission to proceed with his campaign Sherman wrote to General Grant ‘I can make this march and make Georgia howl.’” (Woodworth) Sherman’s presence in the heart of the South was an insult to the pride of local residents, and the fact the Confederate Army could do little to stop it severely belittled national unity.
...didn’t over step his authority or attempt to subvert the army for his own purposes. Instead, George Washington sets the example of the military commander who was subservient to civilian political leadership. He also showed patience and coolness in the face of adversity. On many occasions in the book, the author cites Washington’s expressions of doubt and fears of failure, yet Washington never showed fear or doubt in action in front of his troops.
Lee had supreme confidence in his army, and believed that it could accomplish whatever he asked of it. This confidence sometimes led him to ask too much, such as in the case of Picket’s charge during the battle of Gettysburg. In Lee’s mind he was first and foremost a Christian, and a gentleman. These facts, although not bad, certainly caused Lee to be less aggressive, and to fight the war in a very old-fashioned manner. This was not so with Grant, who seemed to believe in a more modern type of total warfare. Perhaps because this war, as many contend, was the first modern war, it was impossible for the South, and it’s leaders to adapt to the situation.
GEN McClellan may not have been a great war time General but he excelled at training Soldiers, getting his men ready to fight and raising the morale of the Armies he commanded. Multiple historians and various political leaders agreed on this point about McClellan. In a statement, President Lincoln told John Hayes,” There is no man in the army who can man these fortifications and lick these troops into shape half as well as he” . As it can be seen from a statement from a prominent figure such as the President during the war, GEN McClellan was a Soldiers General, but the ability to get political leaders on his side was another story. His cautious attitude towards war soured his reputation with both congress. McClellan’s biggest political obstacle was Edward Stanton, the Secretary of War. He started to work on a petition that would end McClellan’s career.
It is April 1861; the Civil War has just begun with the first attack on Fort Sumter. The Southern states have already seceded from the Union and formed the Confederate States of America. Now the country is split, Union in the North and the Confederacy in the South. Both the Union and the Confederacy will soon be in need of resources especially since war is about to be declared by Abraham Lincoln. Leadership for the Union and the Confederate armies are given away mostly to those with seniority rather than to those who deserve it by merit. James Ewell Brown (“Jeb”) Stuart is among the Confederacy leaders to gain his position as general not only because of his age but also because of his experience with fighting the Indians and other whites on the frontier in Bleeding Kansas. Jeb Stuart along with thirteen other Virginian’s was part of the Confederate leadership which was made up of a total forty-four men. Jeb Stuart was given his position because of the seniority he had over the other men signed up for the war, but did he also earn the position by merit and if so, does he keep his merit throughout the Civil War?
The Union Army was able to match the intensity of the Confederacy, with the similar practice of dedication until death and patriotism, but for different reasons. The Union soldiers’s lifestyles and families did not surround the war to the extent of the Confederates; yet, their heritage and prosperity relied heavily on it. Union soldiers had to save what their ancestors fought for, democracy. “Our (Union soldiers) Fathers made this country, we, their children are to save it” (McPherson, 29). These soldiers understood that a depleted group of countries rather than one unified one could not flourish; “it is essential that but one Government shall exercise authority from the Gulf of Mexico to Canada, and from the Atlantic to the Pacific” (Ledger, 1861).
... by the war and fight more viciously. Lincoln was very careful not to underestimate his enemies in the South and sternly advised the American public not to get overconfident, “Let us not be over-sanguine of a speedy final triumph. Let us diligently apply the means, never doubting that just God, in His good time, will us the right result.” The siege of Vicksburg was in many ways the hardest blow to the South, because they lost their control of the river there, and lost communication with their western territories. In many respects, this was the day that I believe most of the southern soldiers believed the war had ended, and with Sherman making his march, the psychological impact was devastating. Without their beliefs, their way of life taken away, they had no reason to fight, and no reason to continue fighting because if Old Dixie could fall, so could anyone else.
Grant has an illustrious past. People talked about his being a drunkard but Catton says “He was simply a man infinitely more complex then most people could realize.” Grant, even though he was a West Point graduate, never wanted to be a soldier or to have a life in the military. He wanted to be a teacher. What Grant did bring to the Army of the Potomac was his ability to relate to the soldiers and made them his army. He completely retrained and re-organized the armies, and re-enlisted troops that were going to go home. They all realized that under Grant the Army of the Potomac changed which meant now that the entire war would change.
General John Pershing was arguably one of the most creative, tactical commanders and of the last century. His commitment to his troops, his duty, and his loyalty to the United States and his sense of honor fashioned one of the greatest leaders our country has ever seen. His contributions to the modern army is beyond reproach (Perry, 2011).
Famed Confederate General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson’s legacy is hardly easy to define. His is most remembered for cunning speed and brutality in battle and many consider him without equal. The same strategies Jackson used in the Shenandoah Valley campaign were scrutinized by both Rommel and Patton for inspiration in WWII. Jackson’s personal discipline carried over into his command. Although his men were often barefoot and near starvation, he pushed them forward into battle, not wishing to sacrifice the element of surprise. Many of his battles were actually waged on Sundays which contradicts Jackson’s steadfast devotion to Christianity that many attribute to fanaticism.
General Lee knows that we have inexperienced men and aims at improving the quality of the troops. He upgrades the quality by tightening command and discipline, improving morale, and convincing the soldiers that the confederacy was in full command of the situation. Lee knew that we are lacking, and devised initiatives to nullify the Union’s superiority in manpower, armaments, and supply by destroying their prearranged plans.