War, politics, and poular opinion

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Growing up in the South, I often heard lists comparing Northern and Southern assets at the beginning of the Civil War. One of the items on the pro-side for the South were military leaders.

As I've studied the Civil War this summer, I've realized that this isn't quite correct. Instead was most important early in the war for the South was a president who understood war and tactics and who was willing to do the correct thing militarily over the politics and popular opinion.

I learned for instance that the general I most think of when I think of the South, Robert E. Lee, was sent to South Carolina for perceived faults early in the war. Later, Davis brought him to Richmond to help him coordinate war materials and tactics. It was only later that Lee received command of the army of Northern Virginnia.

Eventually Lincoln became both savvy enough to understand military tactics and could overcome the unwillingness of his public to (or built his and the army's public capital to a point where they could) understand that sometimes victory came through slow protracted events and would not be accomplished by a head on engagement.

Even in the final year of the war, Lincoln still struggled with incompetent and yet politically connected generals.

The mythical better generals vanish as I contemplate how the same forces of politics and public perception were at work during the Civil War as in modern conflict.

Nelly

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The Civil War seems to me to be filled with characters and contradictions. It was a time when soldiers were known for their dedication to one leader and sometimes when there was a transition in leadership the ongoing support of those under and above the new leader would be less than what in our modern armed forces. At the same time military punishment could be harsh. General Bragg is reported to have a young solder court martialed and executed for eating a few apples [1]. But the opposite is equally true as well. Soldiers were on occasion unexpectedly informal.

Which brings me to the story of Nelly. Nelly had been courted by and engaged to A.P. Hill, but shortly before their wedding, she broke it off. Some years later she became reacquainted with another West Point graduate George McClellan. She eventually married McClellan. During the conflict between north and south at one of the Battles of Seven Pines, Hill clashed with McClellan. Hill was known to be a tough and energetic fighter. McClellan's men who came in his way were sure that his energy was in part due to his desire for vengeance on McClellan for the loss of Nelly. They are said to have cried out in battle, "God's sake Nelly -- why didn't you marry him?"

Salt 2

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After the Civil War, Sherman compared wagon supply to rail supply. During the war 160 train cars a day supplied his 100,000 men and 35,000 animals. He estimated that it would have taken 36,000 wagons of six mules to provide an equivalent amount. (1)

It's hard to even imagine what level of effort it must take to supply an army fighting on another continent nor what the cost of such supply might be.

Interestingly, at the time of the Civil War few civilians, even those who wrote of the war, understood this monumental task and how vital it was and how easy it was for an opposing force to disrupt it.

Vocabulary

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For the last 30+ years, I've not been reading enough variety. This summer as I've engaged in my Civil War studies, I've been bombarded with new words.

• enfilade
• roll up a line
• brevet
• wirepuller (from)
• double envelopment
• Cannae maneuver
• Interior Lines
• Exterior Lines

I'm sure I'll have more after I read some more.

Salt

As I've been reading How the North Won: A Military History of the Civil War,

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I've learned how the details of a campaign that seem small to us on the side lines can be vitally important to those fighting. Take salt in the Civil War.

The CSA estimated that it needed a cup and half of salt per soldier in the army per month. Through out the war there was an ongoing struggle over salt and its production and distribution. You might wonder why this would be so or why each soldier would need a cup and a half a month which seems a huge amount of salt. At the time food and meat in particular was preserved with salt so the salt ration would have been vitally important to each army.

Contrast this to Mel Gibson's Mad Max movies where individuals are shown fighting over gasoline. Although I can understand a global war beginning over gasoline or other energy supplies, it's less understandable that after that war individuals would fight for gasoline. Instead they would fight for water, food and shelter.

Like most science fiction readers, I'm left to ponder what things we would need to continue. What items our culture would fight for.

Success

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To go with my two generals is here is an Emily Dickinson poem

Success is counted sweetest
By those who ne'er succeed.
To comprehend a nectar
Requires sorest need.

Not one of all the purple host
Who took the flag to-day
Can tell the definition,
So clear, of victory!

As he, defeated, dying,
On whose forbidden ear
The distant strains of triumph
Burst agonized and clear!

We don't have a time line with her poetry but this poem certainly calls to mind the Civil War which was fought during her lifetime.

Final Tactics

At least two Civil War generals were considered to be safe from going to hell due to their battle strategies.

Bill Arp said of Stonewall Jackson, "I do not know whether Jackson is a Christian or not, but this I do know, if he decides to go to heaven, all hell won't be able to stop him."


Of William Sherman it was said, "That man Sherman will never go to hell. He’ll outflank the devil and get past Peter and all the heavenly hosts.”

I'm pretty sure this doesn't quite line up with the Bible.