The art of command in the Civil War

the long version

The military history of the Civil War has tended to focus on such issues as tactics, courage under fire, and which leader was capable of the bold stroke (Lee) and which one wasn't (McClellan). Overlooked in these important issues is the matter of command itself: mastery of the resources required for successful military action. In this work seven experts examine particular instances of command problems - such as supply, military discipline, and effective relations with subordinate commanders - and show how a general's handling of the problem illustrates an important feature of Civil War leadership.