Let Us Have Peace: Ulysses S. Grant and the Politics of War and Reconstruction, 1861-1868 [Paperback]

Brooks D. Simpson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 5, 1997 | ISBN-10: 0807846295 | ISBN-13: 978-0807846292

Historians have traditionally drawn distinctions between Ulysses S. Grant's military and political careers. In Let Us Have Peace, Brooks Simpson questions such distinctions and offers a new understanding of this often enigmatic leader. He argues that during the 1860s Grant was both soldier and politician, for military and civil policy were inevitably intertwined during the Civil War and Reconstruction era.

According to Simpson, Grant instinctively understood that war was 'politics by other means.' Moreover, he realized that civil wars presented special challenges: reconciliation, not conquest, was the Union's ultimate goal. And in peace, Grant sought to secure what had been won in war, stepping in to assume a more active role in policymaking when the intransigence of white Southerners and the obstructionist behavior of President Andrew Johnson threatened to spoil the fruits of Northern victory.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Both of these Civil War commanders led the Army of the Potomac at separate times during the war; Burnside later served under Grant's command; and both entered national politics after the war. Marvel's book is the first full-length evaluation of Burnside's military career. Burnside has always been remembered as an incompetent leader who sacrificed thousands of lives in the Battle of Fredricksburg; however, Marvel shows a more capable Burnside who managed to acquit himself creditably. Burnside's major problem was not his lack of ability as a military strategist but his laissez-faire way of delegating authority and responsibility to his subordinates. His downfall as a military leader may have been his own honest, humble, and trusting manner. Politically, Grant has been depicted as the outstanding general of the Civil War and as one of the worst presidents. Simpson argues that during the Civil War, "Grant was both soldier and politician for military and civil policy were inevitably intertwined . . . ." The author studies Grant's political actions during the Civil War and during President Johnson's administration, but stops with his election as president. He devotes most of the book to Grant's relations with Presidents Lincoln and Johnson, Secretary of War Stanton, and the radical Republicans in determining the policies of war and Reconstruction as well as the policies of dealing with the freed slaves. Both volumes are well written and documented and help fill a void in our understanding of two people who played a major role in the Civil War. Academic libraries will need to purchase both.
- W. Walter Wicker, Louisiana Tech Univ. Lib., Ruston
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

Deserves to take a well-merited place in Civil War and Reconstruction literature. It is a fine work of scholarship.

Journal of Southern History

Other historians have touched on this aspect of Grant's career, but Simpson's work surpasses them all.

Choice

It stands as essential reading for all those interested in that pivotal era.

Eric Foner, Columbia University

Product Details

• Paperback: 359 pages
• Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press (February 5, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807846295
• ISBN-13: 978-0807846292
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,588,328 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent book for the serious student of Reconstruction, January 21, 2002

By 

Cecelia E Connally (Cleveland, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Let Us Have Peace: Ulysses S. Grant and the Politics of War and Reconstruction, 1861-1868 (Hardcover)

As a person with some knowledge of the Civil War and Reconstruction, I found LET US HAVE PEACE extremely well written, very readable and highly informative. However, I do not believe that it is for the casual reader. The book deals with a very specific time and a very specific subject: Grant's transition from general to president. The author shows Grant's involvement in Recontruction and the peace process before the end of the war and during the Johnson administration. For example, I was unaware that Grant was secretary of war after the removal of Stanton and his role in the controvery over the Tenure in Office Act. The book gives an interesting view of Grant's role in the impeachment of President Johnson and shows the interworking of the relationship between Grant and other generals, espcially William T. Sherman. I found the chapter on the rise of Grant as a presidential candidate extremely interesting contradicitng the general consensu that he was an shoe in for the nomination.

The epilogue which is historiographic in nature was very helpful in terms of putting Simpson's thesis in context.

Once again, for the student who already has knowledge of the cast of characters and the interworkings of the politics of Reconstruction, this is a must read. It was also refreshing to read a book on Grant that avoids references to his drinking. As I recall there are three references in the entire book and they are well placed and put in proper context.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Story Unknown to Many, March 21, 2006

By 

Cash (Western USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Let Us Have Peace: Ulysses S. Grant and the Politics of War and Reconstruction, 1861-1868 (Hardcover)

Most high school history classes skip over Reconstruction completely, leaving a gap normally filled by myth perpetuated by charlatans with a political agenda. Bruce Catton's completion of the Grant biography Lloyd Lewis began ended at the close of the Civil War. Most people who read about Grant never read about Grant between the Civil War and his presidency, and they assume Grant knew nothing about politics when he entered the White House in 1869. This book counters that misinterpretation. Simpson shows us clearly that Grant understood politics. He kept himself informed on political issues for most of his life, and as a general officer deftly treaded through several political minefields throughout the war. After the war he became even more involved in politics with his resistance of Andrew Johnson's attempts to make him a political pawn and his growing dismay over Johnson's mishandling of Reconstruction policy. Simpson shows an understanding of Grant's attitudes toward African-Americans that Grant's previous biographer, William S. McFeely sorely lacked. He brings to light Grant's attempts to protect the freedmen from violence and the efforts to resubjugate them by white Southerners and how Johnson moved to thwart Grant's efforts. This is an important contribution that fills a gap in understanding that many have.