"Character is destiny" wrote Greek Philosopher Heraclitus more than twenty-five centuries ago. Douglas Southall Freeman, the Army of Northern Virginia's preeminent historian, echoed that view when he wrote, "Further study . . . may prove both more profitable and more interesting when it deals with men and morale than where it merely described in new terms the familiar strategy and battles." Better than any historian of his age, Freeman appreciated the impact character played on Gen. Robert E. Lee's judgment and actions. ...
Read More
"Character is destiny" wrote Greek Philosopher Heraclitus more than twenty-five centuries ago. Douglas Southall Freeman, the Army of Northern Virginia's preeminent historian, echoed that view when he wrote, "Further study . . . may prove both more profitable and more interesting when it deals with men and morale than where it merely described in new terms the familiar strategy and battles." Better than any historian of his age, Freeman appreciated the impact character played on Gen. Robert E. Lee's judgment and actions. Indeed, the foundation of his Pulitzer Prize-winning Lee biography is constructed around this theme. Most writers of military history stress strategy and tactics at the expense of the character of their subjects. Larry Tagg remedies that oversight with The Generals of Shiloh, a unique and invaluable study of the high-ranking combat officers whose conduct in April 1862 helped determine the success or failure of their respective armies, the fate of the war in the Western Theater and, in turn, the fate of the American union. Tagg's new book, which is modeled after his bestselling The Generals of Gettysburg, presents detailed background information on each of his subjects, coupled with a thorough account of each man's actions on the field of Shiloh and, if he survived that battle, his fate thereafter. Many of the great names tossed up by civil war are found here in this early battle, from U. S. Grant, William T. Sherman, and Don Carlos Buell, to Albert S. Johnston, Braxton Bragg, and P. G. T. Beauregard. Many more men, whose names crossed the stage of furious combat only to disappear in the smoke on the far side, also populate these pages. Every one acted in his own unique fashion and in a manner worthy of study. This marriage of character ("the features and attributes of a man") with his war record, offers new insights into how and why a particular soldier acted a certain way, in a certain situation, at a certain time. Nineteenth century combat was an unforgiving cauldron. In that hot fire some grew timid and listless, others demonstrated a tendency toward rashness, and the balance rose to the occasion and did their duty as they understood it. Each of their stories are found within these pages. The Generals of Shiloh will be hailed as both a wonderful read and an outstanding reference work for the general student and scholar alike.
Read Less
Larry Tagg's new book, "The Generals of Shiloh: Character in Leadership, April 6-7, 1862" combines a study of the Civil War Battle of Shiloh with an exploration of the lives and leadership capabilities of the high-ranking combat officers engaged in the battle. As Tagg writes in a critical if muddled metaphor introducing his book: "character is both the archer and the bow that gives flight to the arrow whose arc describes a human life. Storytellers instinctively know the importance of character. Character is the engine of every great story." The book includes brief biographies of 66 leaders in the battle from each of the three armies: the Union's Army of the Tennessee, commanded by U.S. Grant, the Union's Army of the Ohio, commanded by Don Carlos Buell, and the Confederacy's Army of the Mississippi, commanded by Albert Sidney Johnston and P.G.T. Beauregard.
The book aims to fill a gap in battle histories which generally focus on issues such as strategy, tactics, logistics, weaponry, and sometimes underplay the human factor. Tagg, a teacher, musician, and author, tries to emphasize the role in the battle of those who participated in and led it. He used a similar approach in his earlier book, "The Generals of Gettysburg".
The organization of the book makes it difficult to follow at first, but it works effectively as the book moves on. Tagg takes a top-down approach. With respect to each of the three armies, he begins with a biography of the commanding general and then moves to discuss the division commanders and then the brigade commanders. (There are usually between 2 and 4 brigades in a division.) In Grant's Army of the Tennessee, for example there were six divisions engaged at Shiloh and 18 brigades.
The biographies are short and discuss the subject's earlier life and background, the extent of his prior military experience, and the course of his life following participation at Shiloh. Following each biography, Tagg presents a section describing the military action for which the subject was
responsible. This discussion covers both the battle of Shiloh and the military actions which led to Shiloh in the Western theater of the war. Thus the book moves between biography and a more traditional description of military action. Within each of the three sections of the book (arranged by the three armies) the focus gradually narrows. For example, Grant had responsibility for his entire army, and thus the book gives a broad view of his army's activity following the biographical discussion. Brigade commanders obviously had a smaller role, and the discussion of their activities thus is more focused.
Besides focusing on the military leaders at Shiloh, the organization of this book presents three different perspectives on the battle from the standpoints and roles of the three armies. This procedure creates a degree of repetition. But it also allows for showing the different points of view of the participants and ultimately results in a view of a complex, confusing Civil War battle from the vantage points of each of the participants.
The biographical sections are good, if brief. Many of the major figures, including Grant, Sherman, Johnston, Forrest, have been the subject of extended biographical treatment. The division and regimental commanders are much less known. Tagg's book does a service in writing about these individuals and helping to preserve their memory.
The understanding of character is difficult. While this book is insightful, it falls short of showing how the character of the leaders at Shiloh led to the result of the battle. Too much is left unsaid and there are too many unknowns. Still, Tagg writes perceptively about Grant, Johnston, and Beauregard and he suggests how the virtues and flaws of these leaders came into play at Shiloh.
Other than the broad epigrammatic claim that "character is destiny" the book has valuable things to say about Civil War leaders and leadership. The generals on both sides of the line were a diverse group reflecting, at least in part, the diversity of the United States. Of the 66 individuals Tagg examines, 14 had been career soldiers, 13 were lawyers, 13 politicians, 5 businessmen, 4 plantation owners, two professors, a bishop, and a variety of people from other walks of life. Some of the leaders had issues with alcohol. There were scholars, and people from high society backgrounds as well as more swashbuckling characters. It is important to see the diversity of the leaders at Shiloh even though it is difficult to establish a clear correspondence between the subject's prior background and his efforts on the battlefield.
The depiction of the battle and of the campaign leading up to it is well done and presented differently than in most books on the subject. Focusing on each army and moving from the commanding general through the division and brigade levels enhanced my understanding of the battle of Shiloh. It was valuable to see Buell and the Army of the Ohio receive their due. They arrived to fight on the second day of Shiloh and their contribution sometimes is overlooked.
I enjoyed this book a great deal after I understand its method of presentation. This book will appeal to readers with a good background knowledge of Shiloh and of the Western theatre of the Civil War. It probably is not the best book for newcomers. Endnotes and bibliographical references are not included in the book because it "is not intended as a new definitive battle or campaign history." The book ends with a brief critical bibliography of some of the important studies of Shiloh and of the participants in the battle. Savas Beatie, the publisher, kindly sent me a review copy of this book.
