Lincoln's political generals /
At the beginning of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln initiated a policy of granting politicians generals' commissions. The president's goal was to bind these influential men and the political and ethnic constituencies they represented to the war effort, thus ensuring national supp...
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| Format: | Thesis Book |
| Language: | English |
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[Place of publication not identified] :
[publisher not identified] ;
2004.
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| Online Access: | http://proxy.library.tamu.edu/login?url=http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=765928441&sid=1&Fmt=2&clientId=2945&RQT=309&VName=PQD |
| Summary: | At the beginning of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln initiated a policy of granting politicians generals' commissions. The president's goal was to bind these influential men and the political and ethnic constituencies they represented to the war effort, thus ensuring national support to restore the Union. This study examines sixteen of those political generals. They range from famous ones like Nathaniel Banks, Benjamin Butler, John FrmĚont, and John McClernand to more obscure commanders, such as James Denver, John Dix, James Shields, and James Wadsworth. Not all of them proved to be successful generals, but these men made unappreciated contributions toward Union victory. This study examines their impact by looking not only at their performance while commanding armies, but also by analyzing their influence on military administration, slavery policy, and national politics. Most of these generals performed credibly on the battlefield and a few were outstanding commanders, although some of them proved to be failures, especially those who held independent commands. Political generals made even greater contributions away from the battlefield. Many of them held administrative positions and helped to determine Federal policy in the South and Border States toward commerce, elections, Reconstruction, and civil liberties. Several generals exerted tremendous influence on Federal policy toward slavery, pushed the country toward Emancipation, and played a leading role in enlisting black soldiers. Finally, nearly all of these generals brought their influence to bear during Northern elections, giving speeches or writing letters encouraging their constituents to support the Lincoln administration and the war effort. Overall, these generals more than justified Lincoln's decision to put them into the high command of the Union army. |
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| Item Description: | Vita. "Major Subject: History". |
| Physical Description: | vi, 340 leaves : illustrations ; 28 cm. Issued also on microfiche from University Microfilm Inc. |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references (leaves 328-339). |