Leadership and Command on Trial: Don Carlos Buell's Campaign to Chattanooga
Editors
Steven E. Woodworth.
Colleges and Divisions
Arts and Letters
Department
History
Document Type
Book Chapter
Description
Commanders who serve on the losing side of a battle, campaign, or war are often harshly viewed by posterity. Labeled as mere "losers," they go unrecognized for their very real abilities and achievements in other engagements. The writers in this volume challenge such simplistic notions. By looking more closely at Civil War generals who have borne the stigma of failure, these authors reject the reductionist view that significant defeats were due simply to poor generalship. Analyzing men who might be considered "capable failures"--Officers of high prewar reputation, some with distinguished records int eh Civil War--they examine the various reasons these men suffered defeat, whether flaws of character, errors of judgment, lack of preparation, or circumstances beyond their control. These seven case studies consider Confederate and Union generals evenhandedly. They show how Albert Sidney Johnston failed in the face of extreme conditions and inadequate support, how Joe Hooker and John C. Pemberton were outmatched in confrontations with Lee and Grant, how George B. McClellan in the Peninsula Campaign and Don Carlos Buell at Chattanooga faced political as well as military complications, and how Joseph E. Johnston failed to adapt to challenges in Virginia. An additional chapter looks at generals form both sides at the Battle of Gettysburg, showing how failure to adjust to circumstances can thwart even the most seasoned leader's expectations.
Publication/Event/Conference Title
Civil War General in Defeat
ISBN
9780700609437
Files
Download Full Text
Publication Date
1999
Edition
1999
Publisher
University of Kansas Press
Keywords
Civil War generals, military failure, leadership analysis, Union and Confederate, battlefield decisions, command challenges, Albert Sidney Johnston, George B. McClellan, Battle of Gettysburg, military leadership
Disciplines
Arts and Humanities | History | United States History
Recommended Citation
Engle, Stephen D., "Leadership and Command on Trial: Don Carlos Buell's Campaign to Chattanooga" (1999). Research Books. 7.
https://digitalcommons.fau.edu/faculty_books/7