Civil War Generalship: The Art Of Command

by W.J. Wood

In this unique examination of Civil War leadership, W. J. Wood looks at the tactical and strategic problems that threatened to overwhelm untried Civil War generals and the pragmatic strategies, born of necessity, that they developed to solve them. Focusing on three decisive battles involving six generals, Wood provides the background necessary to understand the problems confronting commanders on both sides of the war, then looks at the campaign of Cedar Mountain, directed by Stonewall Jackson and Nathaniel Banks; the battle of Chickamauga, where Confederate Army leader Braxton Bragg and Union General William Rosecrans faced each other; the battle of Nashville, where Jon Bell Hood led his Southern troops against George H. Thomas and his Union army. Deftly describing the art of war these men developed, an art that provides paradigms for military leaders to this day, Wood demonstrate why Civil War remains a topic of never-diminishing interest.

Genres: History, Civil War, American Civil War, Military History

288 pages, Paperback

First published April 9, 1997

Reviews

[Gerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was quite an interesting read. The meat of the book is in its examination of three Civil War battles: Cedar Mountain, Chickamauga, and Nashville. No, I can’t tell you why those three were chosen, but I found the reading to be highly interesting and informative—wish there were more. I appreciated how Colonel Wood seemed to be able to get inside the head of the commanders to explain just what and how things happened as they did. My favorite was the detailed (almost thought-by-thought) explanation of why Union General Wood’s division got moved as it did, bringing on the disaster at Chickamauga.

[Steven Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting work on, as per the subtitle, "The Art of Command." The Civil War had armies and corps of a magnitude that had not previously existed in the United States. General officers had to learn how to handle such large masses--with no prior experience in this art. As the author notes (page 6): ". . .the generals that we have observed, like their officers and soldiers, had to learn their trade in the hard school of war."

Three case studies follow, in which the commanding generals on each side competed with one another. Based on the outcomes, lessons can be learned, according to Wood. The pairings: Stonewall Jackson and Nathaniel Banks at Cedar Mountain (prelude to Second Manassas), William Rosecrans and the irascible Braxton Bragg at Chickamauga, and John Bell Hood against George Thomas at Nashville. In each instance, we can see failures and successes by each general and how well they exercised their art of command.

Cedar Mountain: This was part of the run up to Second Manassas. Jackson was ordered by Robert E. Lee to "suppress" John Pope's Union forces. At an early stage in the pr4ocess, Jackson faced off against Banks, an amateur political general, with lots of bravery and doubtful skills in military command.

Chickamauga: The unpleasant Bragg, who never quite mastered the art of war despite his undisputed bravery and training (e.g., not his performance at Stone's River), against the clever and masterful, but excitable, William Rosecrans.

Nashville: The rash Hood against the stolid, capable Thomas, who slowly learned the art of command to become one of the best general officers on either side by the end of the Civil War. One-sided to begin with at the level of the two commanders; this was followed up by one of the most complete victories by one side over the other during the course of the war.

At the conclusion of the book, Wood draws a number of lessons from his three case studies of command in the Civil War. Inevitable questions come up: How could a Hood or Banks (later on in the war) have been entrusted with full armies under their command? What sets a Thomas apart from others, in that he continued to learn and grow as an officer throughout the war?

This is not a great book, by any means, but it is a nice study in leadership during the Civil War.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Superb in its clarity, good in its analyses, somewhat underwhelming in its overall conclusions. Still, an excellent book for students of the Civil War or just military history in general. The author is restrained in his presumptions and thoroughly grounded in the literature of his field, so this book compares favorably to Buell's similar but ultimately amateurish "Warrior Generals." Academic in its rigor but accessible to the lay audience, I highly recommend this volume.

[Joseph · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very boring. I thought it was going to be info behind the Civil War Generals or even their strategies behind why they were doing what they were doing...no.

DON'T READ.

[Andrew Stotz · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite books on the Civil War. You learn about the showdown between generals. I have reread Jackson vs Banks many times.