General Grant and the Verdict of History: Memoir, Memory, and the Civil War

by Frank P. Varney

General Ulysses S. Grant is best remembered today as a war-winning general, and he certainly deserves credit for his efforts on behalf of the Union. But has he received too much credit at the expense of other men? Have others who fought the war with him suffered unfairly at his hands? General Grant and the Verdict of Memoir, Memory, and the Civil War
explores these issues.

Professor Frank P. Varney examines Grant’s relationship with three noted Civil War the brash and uncompromising “Fighting Joe” Hooker; George H. Thomas, the stellar commander who earned the sobriquet “Rock of Chickamauga”; and Gouverneur Kemble Warren, who served honorably and well in every major action of the Army of the Potomac before being relieved less than two weeks before Appomattox, and only after he had played a prominent part in the major Union victory at Five Forks.

In his earlier book General Grant and the Rewriting of History , Dr. Varney studied the tempestuous relationship between Grant and Union General William S. Rosecrans. During the war, Rosecrans was considered by many of his contemporaries to be on par with Grant himself; today, he is largely forgotten. Rosecrans’s star dimmed, argues Varney, because Grant orchestrated the effort. Unbeknownst to most students of the war, Grant used his official reports, interviews with the press, and his memoirs to influence how future generations would remember the war and his part in it. Aided greatly by his two terms as president, by the clarity and eloquence of his memoirs, and in particular by the dramatic backdrop against which those memoirs were written, our historical memory has been influenced to a degree greater than many realize.

It is beyond time to return to the original sources—the letters, journals, reports, and memoirs of other witnesses and the transcripts of courts-martial— to examine Grant’s story from a fresh perspective. The results are enlightening and more than a little disturbing.

Genres: Civil War, Biography, American Civil War

240 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2021

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptional research and incredible account to understand why Grant sabotaged the reputation of not one, but many subordinates of the Union. Utilizing primary sources instead of “historians agree”, Varney determines why Grant wanted to remove or replace Thomas, Warren and Hooker and Resecrans. What other soldier testimony, writing, telegraph or God forbid re-writing of reports in the War Department following the war provides reason for Grant’s action?

If you like Civil War and you revere TRUTH, I recommend to read this new book. Dr. Varney lays it out. I appreciate most his welcome to criticism and being challenged. It’s not about what “historians agree”, it’s about what IS and what IS NOT. This was a great book.

[Mark Harden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Following up his earlier book which documented Grant’s vindictive destruction of William Rosecrans, Varney turns his analytical brilliance to Grant’s deliberate discrediting of Joe Hooker, George Thomas and Gouverneur Warren. His arguments are clear and compelling, as is the conclusion: Grant was a first rate hater, who despised any general who dared criticize him or rival him. Varney spends most of the book on a detailed dissection of the Warren case, proving from the official inquiry (which Grant had obstructed for 14 years) that it was not Sheridan who chose to remove Warren from command, but Grant who intended from even before the battle to use it as a pretext to remove Warren.

Given all the recent efforts to reintroduce Grant hagiography, this is essential reading to remind us of the ugly truth about Grant’s deceptions, personal jealousies and vanity.

[Joe Jacobs · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good read and a great sequel

I’ve been waiting years for this book to come out. I thoroughly enjoyed the first volume of this set, and was not disappointed when I finally got to read this one. He mostly picks up where he left off, at Chattanooga after Grant has taken over. He goes into great detail about Grant’s attempt to undue Joe Hooker, and Thomas. The final part about his ruination of Warren is very well written and researched. There’s no way I can ever see Grant the same way again. A must read.

[John Lomnicki, · Rating 2 out of 5]

Different Perspective

Well documented information, somewhat interesting, if I was a scholar writing about one of the individuals mentioned it may have value. My perspective is that the information is one-sided to reinforce the authors point of view.