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Meade's Headquarters 1863~1865
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This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.
Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface.
We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.
Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface.
We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
328 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 22, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 25, 2019
Theodore Lyman became an unpaid volunteer aide to General Meade in late 1863. He wrote many letters to his wife describing his life in camp and the officers he dealt with. Those letters are the basis for this book, with some added narration to fill in the gaps for the letters. Most of the letters are written after the events he describes, but a few are 'real time' which can be confusing at times.
Lyman has little real military knowledge, but he has definite opinions on what he sees. He tends to be a tad flippant in some ways such as referring to the enemy as 'Sir Reb' and other things. He particularly notices the many European observers who spend time with the Army of the Potomac. He even translates for some of them, but he doesn't seem to have the greatest respect for them.
Lyman discusses the battles of the Overland Campaign with an offhand air; probably because while he does serve, he doesn't fight or command. Despite this the reader does get a feeling for the horror of battle, mixed with his anecdotes about headquarters.
Lyman is committed to the Union cause, but not to all of its ideals. Most notably, he thinks little of Negroes, whether as civilians or soldiers. His references to them as 'nigs' may not please some readers. He also believes Germans do not make good soldiers although he does seem to favor the Irish.
I did find his descriptions of many of the officers to be of interest. He seemed to appreciate John Buford, but for some reason didn't even mention his death in December of 1863. If it doesn't touch him, he doesn't mention it. He obviously liked Andrew Humphreys, Winfield Scott Hancock, and Gouveneur Warren, about whom we hear much. He also seems to favor General Grant, who takes over in March of 1864, but says little about the well-known tension between Meade and Grant. He is not as subtle about Phil Sheridan, who arouses his ire at times.
Most of his admiration is saved for George Gordon Meade, who gave him his job and his trust. The two men seemed to get along well, even if they were not close friends. Lyman makes one of his most telling statements near the end of the book, illustrating his feelings about 'the General', (Meade) "What you (his wife) say of Meade's want of success is, as a fact, true; but what I don't don't understand is, that the successes are Grant's but the failures Meade's. In point of reality the whole is Grant's: he directs all, and his subordinates are only responsible as executive officers having more or less important functions." In fact, the last letter in the book is one from from Meade to Lyman thanking him for his assistance.
This is not a great book, but it does illiustrate a headquarters at war, and how it was fought.
Lyman has little real military knowledge, but he has definite opinions on what he sees. He tends to be a tad flippant in some ways such as referring to the enemy as 'Sir Reb' and other things. He particularly notices the many European observers who spend time with the Army of the Potomac. He even translates for some of them, but he doesn't seem to have the greatest respect for them.
Lyman discusses the battles of the Overland Campaign with an offhand air; probably because while he does serve, he doesn't fight or command. Despite this the reader does get a feeling for the horror of battle, mixed with his anecdotes about headquarters.
Lyman is committed to the Union cause, but not to all of its ideals. Most notably, he thinks little of Negroes, whether as civilians or soldiers. His references to them as 'nigs' may not please some readers. He also believes Germans do not make good soldiers although he does seem to favor the Irish.
I did find his descriptions of many of the officers to be of interest. He seemed to appreciate John Buford, but for some reason didn't even mention his death in December of 1863. If it doesn't touch him, he doesn't mention it. He obviously liked Andrew Humphreys, Winfield Scott Hancock, and Gouveneur Warren, about whom we hear much. He also seems to favor General Grant, who takes over in March of 1864, but says little about the well-known tension between Meade and Grant. He is not as subtle about Phil Sheridan, who arouses his ire at times.
Most of his admiration is saved for George Gordon Meade, who gave him his job and his trust. The two men seemed to get along well, even if they were not close friends. Lyman makes one of his most telling statements near the end of the book, illustrating his feelings about 'the General', (Meade) "What you (his wife) say of Meade's want of success is, as a fact, true; but what I don't don't understand is, that the successes are Grant's but the failures Meade's. In point of reality the whole is Grant's: he directs all, and his subordinates are only responsible as executive officers having more or less important functions." In fact, the last letter in the book is one from from Meade to Lyman thanking him for his assistance.
This is not a great book, but it does illiustrate a headquarters at war, and how it was fought.
April 16, 2019
Theodore Lyman: a Boston Brahmin who became an honorary Army of the Potomac Kashatriya.
Lyman, while serving as a volunteer aide to Army of the Potomac (AOP) Commander Major General George G. Meade from the fall of 1863 to the end of the Civil War in Virginia, wrote a lucid, illuminating series of letters which, combined with some selected diary entries, became one of the most frequently quoted of U.S. Civil War memoirs.
Obviously intelligent, born to wealth and properly well educated, Lyman matter-of-factly considered men of his class to be generally superior as volunteer officers. He referred to the service and the sacrifices of Harvard classmates and of other Massachusetts men, including Colonels Robert Gould Shaw of the 54th Massachusetts and Paul J. Revere of the 20th Massachusetts. Lyman generally shared the then prevailing opinion that Germans usually made poor soldiers. He observed, commented on, and occasionally provided character sketches of AOP and Army of the James Generals including Barlow, Birney, Buford, Burnside, Butler, Custer, Gibbon, Grant, Hancock, Humphreys, Meade, Sedgwick, Sheridan, Sykes, and Wadsworth.
Lyman's view of Lincoln generally improved during his service, to the point that, in spite of Lincoln's unfortunate appearance and tendency to western gaucheries, Lyman considered Lincoln to be a better than plausible leader. The opinions he expressed on other civilian leaders were, with the exception of Secretary of State Seward, less complimentary.
As one of the more-travelled members of Meade's staff, Lyman seems to have been lumbered with the care and keeping of many of the foreign dignitaries (more or less) who visited the AOP: His descriptions of these visitors are often interesting and nearly always humorous. Lyman was, it seems, often exasperated by this entertainment-of-foreigners duty.
The development of Lyman's 'soldier's eye' for ground and for tactical possibilities and his understanding of the capabilities of Civil War soldiers seem to have occurred so gradually that Lyman did not particularly remark upon it; he merely commented with increasing perspicacity and granularity on events from the abortive 1863 Fall Campaign near the 'Rapid Ann' River, through the 1864 Overland Campaign's clashes in the Wilderness, at Spotsylvania, and at Cold Harbor (called by Lyman 'Cool Arbor'), the crossing of the James, and the initial disappointment at Petersburg. Lyman's take on the failed assault at the Crater is substantially in agreement with historians' consensus view of that mismanaged opportunity. His account of the 1865 fighting up to Five Forks and, after that, the chase to Appomattox, is a worthy recounting which might well be read in parallel with Chamberlain's 'Passing of the Armies.'
Lyman generally offered a self-deprecating view of his contribution as a volunteer aide to General Meade, at one point likening the value of his contribution to that of a fly who assisted a vehicle to make forward progress by pushing against a spoke of a wheel.
Lyman, while serving as a volunteer aide to Army of the Potomac (AOP) Commander Major General George G. Meade from the fall of 1863 to the end of the Civil War in Virginia, wrote a lucid, illuminating series of letters which, combined with some selected diary entries, became one of the most frequently quoted of U.S. Civil War memoirs.
Obviously intelligent, born to wealth and properly well educated, Lyman matter-of-factly considered men of his class to be generally superior as volunteer officers. He referred to the service and the sacrifices of Harvard classmates and of other Massachusetts men, including Colonels Robert Gould Shaw of the 54th Massachusetts and Paul J. Revere of the 20th Massachusetts. Lyman generally shared the then prevailing opinion that Germans usually made poor soldiers. He observed, commented on, and occasionally provided character sketches of AOP and Army of the James Generals including Barlow, Birney, Buford, Burnside, Butler, Custer, Gibbon, Grant, Hancock, Humphreys, Meade, Sedgwick, Sheridan, Sykes, and Wadsworth.
Lyman's view of Lincoln generally improved during his service, to the point that, in spite of Lincoln's unfortunate appearance and tendency to western gaucheries, Lyman considered Lincoln to be a better than plausible leader. The opinions he expressed on other civilian leaders were, with the exception of Secretary of State Seward, less complimentary.
As one of the more-travelled members of Meade's staff, Lyman seems to have been lumbered with the care and keeping of many of the foreign dignitaries (more or less) who visited the AOP: His descriptions of these visitors are often interesting and nearly always humorous. Lyman was, it seems, often exasperated by this entertainment-of-foreigners duty.
The development of Lyman's 'soldier's eye' for ground and for tactical possibilities and his understanding of the capabilities of Civil War soldiers seem to have occurred so gradually that Lyman did not particularly remark upon it; he merely commented with increasing perspicacity and granularity on events from the abortive 1863 Fall Campaign near the 'Rapid Ann' River, through the 1864 Overland Campaign's clashes in the Wilderness, at Spotsylvania, and at Cold Harbor (called by Lyman 'Cool Arbor'), the crossing of the James, and the initial disappointment at Petersburg. Lyman's take on the failed assault at the Crater is substantially in agreement with historians' consensus view of that mismanaged opportunity. His account of the 1865 fighting up to Five Forks and, after that, the chase to Appomattox, is a worthy recounting which might well be read in parallel with Chamberlain's 'Passing of the Armies.'
Lyman generally offered a self-deprecating view of his contribution as a volunteer aide to General Meade, at one point likening the value of his contribution to that of a fly who assisted a vehicle to make forward progress by pushing against a spoke of a wheel.
August 20, 2014
This book is a collection of letters written by a volunteer member of Maj. Gen. George Meade’s staff to his wife. Lyman met Meade while traveling before the war and when he asked to join his staff, Meade welcomed the assistance. The result of this collection is a great first-hand account of the Army of the Potomac from just after Gettysburg to the end of the war. Not only are military battles and life discussed, but the relationships between Grant, Meade, Butler and the other generals are explored in great detail. A great book for anyone interested in American Civil War history.
August 26, 2019
I think George Meade is frequently over looked in Civil War history, so I think it’s really great that this kind of “behind the scenes “ account of life on his staff exists. This book was both informative and frequently entertaining (I laughed out loud several times). It was also a pretty easy read.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews