Controversies & Commanders: Dispatches from the Army of the Potomac - Hardcover

Sears, Stephen W.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0395867606 ISBN 13: 9780395867600

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1999

Synopsis

Controversies and Commanders of the Civil War might well be the most intriguing book ever published about the Civil War, for it focuses on the people and events that one of our best historians has found most fascinating, including: Professor Lowe's reconnaissance balloons; the court-martial of Fitz John Porter; the Lost Order at Antietam; press coverage of the war; the looting of Fredericksburg; the Mud March; the roles of volunteers, conscripts, bounty jumpers, and foreign soldiers; the notorious General Dan Sickles, who shot his wife's lover outside the White House, and the much maligned Generals McClellan (justifiably) and Hooker (not so justifiably). The book follows the Army of the Potomac throughout the war, from 1861 to 1865, painting a remarkable portrait of the key incidents and personalities that influenced the course of our nation's greatest cataclysm.

About this title

About the Author

STEPHEN W. SEARS is the author of many award-winning books on the Civil War, including Gettysburg and Landscape Turned Red. The New York Times Book Review has called him “arguably the preeminent living historian of the war’s eastern theater.” He is a former editor for American Heritage.

Reviews

The Army of the Potomac, the Union force that defended Washington and fought against Robert E. Lee, was often entwined in crisis throughout the Civil War. Sears (Chancellorsville) has taken the most important controversies and has crafted an intelligent, well-researched volume that brings order out of the chaos that surrounded the generals of this army. Seven of the 10 chapters are new; the remaining three are revisions of earlier articles. Sears examines the controversial George B. McClellan, creator of the army, beloved by soldiers but singularly unsuccessful on the battlefield. He argues convincingly that Charles P. Stone, arrested and imprisoned for alleged disloyalty, was a victim of a cabal of his subordinates. Fitz John Porter, too, fell victim to those who wished to rid the army of its "McClellanism." Sears follows the rising discontent of many of the army's generals, which culminated in outright revolt following Ambrose Burnside's debacle at Fredericksburg. Joe Hooker, who took a prominent part in the trouble, fell victim to the same sort of backbiting after he criticized his generals for defeat at Chancellorsville. Astute readers may well find that some of Sears's conclusions are controversial in themselves, but this book provides much-needed fresh insight into the operations of the North's primary field army. Photos.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Ten essays by an eminent Civil War historian profile the Army of the Potomac and its feisty generals, enmeshed in passionate criticisms of one another during a depressing period of successive defeats at the hands of wily Robert E. Lee. Sears (Chancellorsville, 1996, etc.) spins an accessible narrative as he draws close-up portraits of the succession of less-than- perfect generals who led the Union Army until the coming of Grant. George McClellan, not a favorite of the authors, is depicted as a pompous, self-promoting egoist whose distaste for combat (and the resultant overdrawn alibis) tried President Lincolns patience, though Sears admits McClellan was a good organizer, capable quarter-master, and popular figure with his men. Detailing the near-constant in-fighting among the generals, the author describes behavior that would astound a modern officer, including finger pointing, expressed criticism of fellow officers, and constant breaking of the chain of command to complain to the president. McClellans critics ran the risk of court-martial and suffered threats from Secretary of War Stanton; political generals, like Tammany hack Dan Sickles, short on military skill but long on connections, received high commands and were responsible for the loss of many lives; an outstanding general like Fighting Joe Hooker, hampered by a dubious personal life, was smeared as overambitious. Partisan politics between the radical Republicans and conservative Democrats grew increasingly petty and bitter, skewing justice in cases like the court-martial of General Fitz John Porter. McClellans personal dislike of John Pope, whom he failed to reinforce at the battle of Second Bull Run, may well have led to the Unions defeat there. The combination of military losses and incompetent leadership destroyed the morale of the army, and desertions grew alarmingly. Searss devastating account leaves no doubt that Grant was desperately needed. A well-researched, well-told, readable addition to Civil War history that explores the characters of famous officers and chronicles some little-known events. -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Edition details

• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
• Publication date: 1999
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0395867606
• ISBN 13: 9780395867600
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 300