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4.0 out of 5 stars
Grant in the West, December 24, 2009
This review is from: U. S. Grant: The Making of a General, 1861-1863 (The American Crisis Series: Books on the Civil War Era) (Hardcover)
Ulysses S. Grant (1822 - 1885) rose from humble origins in Ohio to become the commander of the Union Armies in the Civil War and the victor at Appomattox. Over the years, many students have struggled to understand the evolution of this rough, taciturn, and unlikely hero. Michael Ballard's short book, "U.S. Grant: The Making of a General, 1861 - 1863" (2005) focuses on Grant as a general and as a man during the first two years of the Civil War. As befitting its subject, the book is simple and spare. Ballard does not offer a comprehensive overview of the first two years of the war, or of the war in the West. Rather he concentrates on Grant and his development as a leader. Ballard, a native of Mississippi, has written earlier about the Civil War and about the Vicksburg campaign. He is professor and university archivist for Mississippi State University.
In the Foreword to the book, Ballard summarizes the lessons of his study. He writes: "[t]he most important Grant legacy is that he rarely complained, was unrelenting, and just kept on, even during times of extraordinary stress. His resilience, determination, humility, and refusal to accept anything short of victory are qualities that continue to make him an appealing historical figure." Ballard explains this legacy of Grant as he describes judiciously and even-handedly the General's strength, weaknesses, and maturation during the first two years of the war.
Ballard gives most of his attention to the famous victories of Grant: the capture of Fort Donelson in February, 1862, the narrow and controversial victory at Shiloh, Tennessee, in April, 1862, the long Vicksburg campaign which began in November, 1862 and culminated in the capture of this "Gibralter of the West" in July, 1863 after a lengthy siege, and the Battle of Chattanooga, Tennessee in November 1863. He also describes lesser-known actions, including the early battle at Belmont, Missouri in 1861, the capture of Fort Henry, which proceeded the more famous engagement at Fort Donelson, and the Corinth-Iuka campaign in Mississippi which followed the Battle of Shiloh.
Ballard's descriptions of these complex battles are clear and precise. Ballard shows the tenacity for which Grant became famous, but he shows other aspects of Grant as well. Thus he shows how Grant learned skills in politics and tact in dealing with difficult superiors such as Henry Halleck, how he formed a friendship and partnership with William T. Sherman, how Grant's strategic thinking developed, and how Grant on the whole showed an ability to learn from his mistakes. In the discussion of Vicksburg, Ballard shows how Grant learned to work with other leaders whom he, perhaps unfairly, disliked and denigrated, including the political general John McClernand, who had visions of displacing Grant as the conqueror of Vicksburg. For all the fortitude and persistence Grant displayed, Ballard emphasizes Grant's self-doubts and hesitations. Grant appeared to be on the way to marginalization following his controversial victory at Shiloh. His friend Sherman's intervention and support probably were crucial to Grant's decision to remain in the Army. Even in the midst of the Vicksburg campaign, Ballard shows, Grant continued to be plagued by indecision and self-doubt. Grant's doubts about himself emphasize the underlying strength of the man and the commander.
Ballard's book ends with Grant's victory at Chattanooga and his subsequent promotion, on March 9, 1863, to the rank of Lieutenant General and as commanding general of all the Union armies. Ballard offers a lengthy and perceptive evaluation of the qualities that Grant had displayed as a strategist, leader, politician and individual during the first two years of the Civil War. He summarizes his conclusions as follows (p. 177):
"The Grant who came to Virginia in 1864 had traveled a long, rocky road and survived. Descriptive adjectives such a strong-willed, tenacious, flexible, commonsensical, politically skilled, logistically astute, team-oriented, and determined all fit him well... His rise to general in chief of all the Union armies gave him a position long awaiting an appropriate leader; after enduring lesser men in the job, Abraham Lincoln had finally found the right fit. Ulysses Grant had turned the course of war decisively in the West, and now he had been asked to do the same in the East. He lived up to those expectations."
This book about Grant and his developing leadership will be of most interest to readers with a good background in the Civil War and a basic familiarity with the literature and controversies surrounding Grant.
Robin Friedman
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