Transcripts For CSPAN3 Union Command And Shenandoah Valley In 1864 20170513

Nixon can do. What can we do so that johnson and humphrey do appear for the victory. And then the talks will resume when i am president and we can make something happen. Powerful example of how our understanding of the past is always changing and new evidence can also introduce new interpretations and how perhaps some of the, some of the things we thought were true about what a president did and why he did it can change many decades after his death. Announcer watching the entire program at 8 00 and midnight on lectures in history. American history tv only on cspan3. Announcer monday on the communicators, a look at small town and rural broadband. Mrs. Bloomfield told him our organizations disaster for rural expansion to be a greater priority. She is interviewed by Communications Daily Senior Editor david account. What would you say your biggest priorities are in congress or the fcc . How do we make sure broadband is part of a package that is considered . I look at it and think are they the highways of the future . It is the ability to do the teleworking to bring jobs and public safety, education, telemedicine, all of the mission they keep our country robust. It can really be driven by broadband. How do we make sure policymakers see ever structure beyond a road or bridge . Announcer watching the communicators at 8 00 on monday on cspan2. Announcer next on American History tv, civil war historian and author Joseph Glatthaar on the political intrigues within the union armys high command in 1864 and the role the squabbles played in the unions response to jubal early the Shenandoah Valley campaign. And Joseph Glatthaar looks at what ulysses s. Grant learned from these events. This 40 minute talk as part of a conference hosted by the university of virginias center of civil war history. The first lecture is Joseph Glatthaar. I told joe and the others speaking i will keep their introductions very short printed i think it is safe to refer to that we invited her these people because they are really good and accomplish scholars and we do not wonder if we could do somebody mediocre because they were cheap. This is not what is going on. Joseph glatthaar is one of the leading historians of the air where of the civil war, military historian spring he holds the stephensons distinguish professorship in virginia at chapel hill where he also plays an active role in the curriculum in peace, war and defense. The cliche is soandso has published widely on the civil war. He has really published on the civil war and i want to mention three of his books for i will of mentioned the Civil War Alliance of black soldiers and why officers which came a the late 1980s. And partner in command relationship between civil war leaders which came out five years later and general lees army and that book is unique. Deployed and it deserves it, nothing else like that book that joe wrote in its term of statistical sampling and analysis on what of the civil war armies. Today joe stop it is the union high command during the first phase of jubal earlys 1864 campaign. Joseph glatthaar. [applause] thank you very much. Can you hear me ok in the back . Just checking. Look at that. My map is up. Just magically. Must have been my breath. 1864 was a president ial Election Year and as Abraham Lincoln and virtually everybody else know, no factors would have influenced the outcome of that election. Ther than progress on the war lincoln, of course, was very much a dissatisfied with the progress of the war. He had three previous commanding general who served and his fresno army in as east, the army of the potomac had endorsed five principal commanders. The current commanding general of the union army was hallock. He was a Major General and the regular army with a minimal actual field command experience. Lincoln was not very satisfied with hallocks performance and by the end of august 1862, he had come to the conclusion that hallock was not going to get it done. After the defeat of manasses, lincoln said of him he broke down, nerve and pluck all gone and he is ever since evaded all responsibility. Lincoln considered hallock little more sense than a first rate cleric. Thatwould not be my epic epitaph. At heart, hallock was a scholar and not a leader is the point you do not appoint scholars in these positions because we tend to be devoid of it. He was unwilling to resume a spell ability assume responsibility and make difficult decisions, he evaded the burdens. In 1864, lincoln decided he needed a new commanding general before he deported ulysses s. Grant at the deposition, he vetted grant. He had his friend, washburn, a member of the house of representatives and somebody whom great new well to ask about grants political aspirations and attitude toward politics. Grant gave the correct answers. That asthat eventually a general officer, i am not entitled to political opinions. I simply obey, all legal orders and that is the end of it. He made it clear through his chief of staff to washburn that the grant had no president ial aspirations and that the job he would most want is the one that would help the union when the war. Lincoln exactly what wanted to hear and he appointed grant and the senator ratified him as the commanding general of the union army and march 1864. Grant originally attended intended to go west bowl once he spoke with lincoln and secretary of war edmonton stanton that they expected him to remain in a the east. And the east. Grant realized he needed to be near the district of columbia to fulfill his job and needed to get more out of the army of the potomac. Grant came up with a unique solution, the solution was that a grant would travel with the army of the potomac and placed tent next to that of can commanding general, george meade and he would be able to stay in touch with washington on a regular basis. Lincoln had very little faith in made since his lack luster pursuit of Robert E Lees defeated army. In fact, shortly after that battle, the president drafted a letter he never sent. A very valuable lesson when you are upset, write the letter, put it in your drawer, do not send it. That is why email so dangerous. And twitter is even worse. [laughter] anyway, after the battle, lincoln and drafted this letter criticizing meade for allowing lee to escape across the river. He felt meade squandered a chance to win the war. Your golden opportunity is gone, lincoln wrote and i am distressed immeasurably because of it. As stan the war will be prolonged indefinitely. Campaign inother 1863 and two months later, meade exhibited little aggressiveness. Meade possessed a vast knowledge of the workings and personnel of the army of the potomac, something grants lacked. He was a fine administrator. Grant traveled with the army, he could observe and supervise the army and his generals directly and compel meade to act more aggressively. It will lead meade in command with responsibilities for administering the army, freeing grant to think about strategy and operations. Stifled much of the hostility that a westerner coming in to take over the primary eastern army what has engendered. Like traveling with the army of the potomac, grant could avoid the continual barrage of a visitors and politicians who would distract him from the war effort. And at the same time, he could remain relatively close to the epicenter, washington, d. C. He also decided to keep pallet acid how as the chief of staff to ease much of the Administrative Burden of the job of commanding general and enable those laborers to free grant to think about problems and formulate decisions. Hallock would serve as a grants link to the field supervisors. A beaten man by the military pressures off the job of commanding general, hallock no longer had to shoulder the responsibility of important decisions and could perform the staff work at which he excelled. Usually, he would simply summarize their messages and relay them to grant for instructions. Sometimes he would issue orders or offer advice on his own. Commenth this structure, there were inevitable flaws like any command structure. It was an awkward situation for meade because of the commanding general of the army was in the tent next to him overseeing everything he did on a daily basis. For hallock, it was awkward because hallock was the former commanding general and now working for former subordinate. Further hallock had a pedantic side, has permit personality lacked into pettiness when his views. Egarded he had expectations when he advised the grant that his boss when he needed them. When grant decided to follow a different course, hallock sometimes group excellent. Without grants presence in washington and daily interaction between the commanding general and political leadership, a disconnect developed. That is what jubal early exploited. You arse, i will give little background. The union Army Launched the Overland Campaign and suffered 60,000 casualties are you to replace manpower, its a diluted to troops that were signed guard the district of columbia lost. Lacements for the with little to show other than enemy losses, grant decided to oriented more logistic a strategy. He slipped south of the james river to seize petersburg. If you look at the map, you can see where petersburg is located south of virginia, i guess i do not have to tell people where petersburg is. You cannot expect these sorts of things in new york. So, you do know where petersburg is and you can see were grant slipped south of it and the object was to sever railroad connections into richmond. Meanwhile, he had david hunter advance southward towards lynchburg and as you can see from the map, had he destroyed lynchburg, your severing more railroad connections. Lee, of course, needed to protect lynchburg so he detached jubal earlys said the cord to go after them. Hunter retreated. Are you ready for this, to west virginia, that is convenient. [laughter] and early proceeded down the explained onple television audience, that means north. Heading northward toward washington, d. C. And maryland, or early had only 14,000 troops with him. The union, from its perspective, had the very future and to defend washington, d. C. They had disabled veterans organized into what is called a veterans reserve. These were almost all experienced combat soldiers and actually, we underestimate them because they are largely serving in fixed fortifications and they would have performed very well. That is something people do not seem to realize and these are real combat veterans and the reservehey are in the is because they were badly wounded, often in able of walking. That is why they rotate them. They still could serve a purpose for the union army. In addition, a smattering of quartermaster troops and together these people would shield of the Nations Capital. These were dark days for the Lincoln Administration, if you could imagine. If early captured washington, d. C. , even temporarily, it would be difficult for the Lincoln Administration to make the argument that the war was progressing satisfactorily. Second problem by mid to late june, grant had suffered 60,000 casualties. People were losing cap at its immigrant and loot confidence in grant and the administration. As a reflection, the ratio of gold to greenbacks hit its worst level, one dollar of gold in greenbacks, paper notes which are reflection of peoples confidence in the union. A third problem that lincoln confronted was republicans were losing faith in him as well. Congress try to gain control of reconstruction and will lincoln vetoed the bill, the two sponsors drafted a manifesto in itsctually was nasty attacks on lincoln. Furthermore, that wonderful general officer and great he had aspirations for the presidency as did the secretary of treasury, salmon chase. Both wrangling from the republican nomination. These were difficult times for lincoln. As earlys columns approached washington, officials functioned as if they were in a fog. They had no good intelligence on the size of earlys column and little understanding of what to do. According to the secretary of the navy, wells, stanton exhibits none of the alarm and fright i have seen in him on former occasions. Stanton had no clue how to react. Varies bureau choose were alarmed and ignorant, noted wells and the chief of staff, hallock, the man whom grant supplanted is a perfect maze, bewildered without intelligence decision or selfreliance. Ethan allen hitchcock, a former retired general who was brought back to advise lincoln and stanton on military matters felt uneasy about earlys raid, operating under the belief earlier had 30,000 troops with him, he feared the capture of washington. Injuly 4, he visited consecutive order hallock, stanton m lincoln. He found hallock quiet. Said he wanted grant if the enemy did not make a move this way, it would show rest of the in the state of war of which they could not be accused. Hitchcock emerge great new nothing of the real state of affairs here and that authorities here had been content to send him advise but no orders leaving him to judge from a distance standpoint of what was required here. He then proceeded to stanton. Stanton was calm. Aimant of the grant had been informed of everything. Called informed of everything. The annoyed him more as if authority had nothing to do but report the capture of the capital when that fact should occur. He then went on to see Abraham Lincoln to get satisfaction. He found lincoln exceedingly depressed, more so i have ever seen him before. Hitchcock express his fears that the capital was in great danger. Lincoln replied we are doing all we can. Dissatisfied with our response, hitchcock tried to threaten grant and to threaten lincoln by suggesting if Stonewall Jackson were in charge, washington, d. C. Would be captured in 24 hours. D that lincolne had yielded too much control to grant. Critics had stoned to the president with accusations of interfering too much when it came to George B Mcclellan and now he was distancing himself too much from his duties as commanderinchief. Hitchcock believe grants proper place was in washington and not with a local army and had he had in the commanding general been he couldp proper post, handle the threat on the Nations Capital properly. But from the petersburg area, he done not grasp the full extent of the carol. Peril. Lincoln did not need her to act. It was great, not hallock who 5cided on the night of july to send and if a Tree Division and mt. Calvary, dismounted cavalry and he would forward the theinder of hoaratio from river. U. S. Grant saw opportunity, an opportunity to destroy earlys command. Lincoln approved. What i think you should provide to retain where you are and bring the rest with you personally and to make a vigorous effort to destroy the enemy force in this vicinity, Lincoln Council grant. I think theres really a for chance to do this if the movement is prompt. He offered this, lincoln emphasized as a suggestion and not a order. The president wanted to rent to take chart grant to take charge. After thinking it over, grant decided not to come personally. He had great faith in the union to generals and the Washington Area and he hated to leave petersburg because that would leave Benjamin Butler in charge of all the forces. The civilw much about war, that is a frightening proposition. Routed the force at manatt c and advanced on the outskirts of the district of columbia. Troops arrived just in time to help occupied the defenses and lincoln visited the front. The famous story reportedly Oliver Wendell holmes telling him to get it down, you idiot because lincoln was so curious to observe while people were shooting. The truth of the matter, it is not clear that was Oliver Wendell holmes but did but somebody did say that. Early gathered up supplies and retreated and federals did not cut them off. Ter had fled so far that that he completely marched himself out of the campaign for two weeks. It literally took him two weeks of marching to get back to the Washington Area that he went so far way. Meanwhile, to longer organizing to block earlys command. Lincoln, according to his clerk, disgusted. He grumbled that right pursued slowly for fear he might come across the rebels and cut and captures some of them. In fairness to wright, he was nowhere blameworthy than the other. He received minimal instruction from hallock and not as bad as hunter who fled in the wrong direction. At least in the route, wallace had the good sense to fall back on baltimore which was the defensive task to bring to protect baltimore. The real problem lie in the high command of the union when grant s want below the james river, he was adopted a logistical strategy to sever lees supply line around petersburg. He was preoccupied with this plan of attack on the map, the welder well rolled. Railroad. It runs to petersburg. Link and not want to interfere nor did stanton. And hallock refused to take charge. Hallock is the secondhighest Ranking Union officer and he is not willing to take charge. Earlys raod affected troops in 4 separate military districts. No one coordinated their responses and no one combined their strength into unified whole. Great finally ordered wright to act as overall commander but by that time he got underway, it was too late. Hallock was the obvious officer to take chart based on his rank and the information that he possessed. He refused to issue any commands without receiving orders. Gossip claimed that he had a serious and jerking problem. Drinking problem. Powerful politicians had grown athe hallock. He failed to step up and take control of the situation. He over as they earlys stressed by 20000 and 30,000 troops. Truce100 and hallock leopold sending wright after early, until grant order arrived. Part of the problem lay in hallocks aggravation of grant who had not heeded his warning when the Lieutenant General swung the army to the potomac below the james river, hallock predicted as they would play the same game of shuttlecock but to washington that he did with mcclelland. Grant had stripped most of washingtons defenders as replacement troops with arranges casualties. His decision not only invited earlys raid but made a burdensome by forcing them to protect the Nations Capital with almost no effective troops. The raid the aggravation were grants problem and hallock wanted no part. When grants aid visited hallock to share his views, hallock spoke sarcastically about when grant was going to take richmond. Individuals like postmaster general Montgomery Blair who had nis home torched by earlys me place the blame squarely on whom the capital had been a peculiar charge, which was interpreted as hallock. Blairther version, claimed that officers in charge washington are poltrunes. Once again, the accusation would have covered the chief of staff. He refused to act in a military crisis but when its reputation was impugned, it badly ruffled his feathers. When hallock complained in a letter about the insult and demanded that at the president either dismissible layer from the cabinet post or strike those officers from the commission role, lincoln brushed aside the complaint. He did not endorse the remarks. He refused to dismiss a cabinet member for critical comments made in the passion of a great loss. Then, and for language that expressed his irritation with he concluded i propose continuing myself to be the judge as to when a member of the cabinet should be dismissed. You think that smart in the cell bestat smart in the civil imbecilein th that smart halleck would have caught on. After some backandforth, he much preferred to use them for an offense of against early. As he described it, a complete smashup of the enemies roads from gordonsville and charlottesville to having the same force here. Still, grant needed someone in charge on the scene. Someone who could draw on all military resources in the area and deal with any raids. Grants proposed that the administration create a military division which would encompass the departments of washington, west virginia, the middle, and the susquehanna. The real struggle came over the course of the commander. Right was out of the running having lost lincolns confidence. Grants preferred william franklin, a former Corps Commander in the army of the , but he was too tied to the democratic party, and the ministration considered an unacceptable. Auger, butposed reprimanded him. The Lieutenant General lee reached an impasse with stanton and halleck and immediately appeal to lincoln. Deliveredef of staff a letter and spoke on his behalf explaining the entire situation, proposing the creation of a military division. ,e recommended George G Meade the commander of the army of the potomac, as its head. Although grant liked him and respect his talents, virtually no one else among the highranking officers in the army of the potomac did. Meade had an irascible disposition. His explosive temper convinced others he had a shoot the messenger mentality. Few could work with him, and grants thought his transfer was an ideal solution. Ade was a talented administrator and a good army commander, especially on the defensive. A ready replacement in line for commander of the army of the stomach, specifically Major General Winfield Scott potomac, the specifically Major General Winfield Scott hancock. I would have every confidence that all the troops would be used to the very best advantage from a personal examination of the ground, and he would adopt means of getting the earliest information of any advance of the enemy, and would prepare to meet at. Lincoln rejected him and wanted a meeting with grant. Early what is advancing northward again, and lincoln want to be matter handled properly. Unfortunately, grant could not get to d. C. Until late july. Toetheless he ordered wright merge with hunters command and take charge. He said the rest of the 19th corps from louisiana and six more cavalry regiment. Grant wanted one person to be in charge overall. Lincoln, therefore, directed innton to place halleck charge of all troops and direct him to take all military measures necessary for defense against attack of the enemy, and for his capture and destruction. They are now ordering him to be in charge. Good luck. [laughter] despite a unified command under halleck, the rubble raiders reached more havoc the rebel raiders reached more havoc. They gathered more military supplies and torched chambersburg, pennsylvania. They also extracted ransom from various communities. For the second time in a few weeks, early made his escape. Attorney general edward bates sized up the mood well when he recorded in his diary we are disgraced. When lincoln and grant finally met, the president rejected meade. That theant explained committee on the conduct of the war, the congressional body that monitored and criticized the Union War Effort and military personnel, had attacked need, need c attack me attack meade. Most likely, lincoln still harbored resentment for the lack of effective after gettysburg and didnt want me to their instead, they settle on phil of Sheridan Philip sheridan. Sheridan had been an outstanding combat officer, and upgraded the cavalry of the army of the potomac demonstrably. Grant with sheridan, neutralized the strength of earlys horsemen. Grant and then botched the orders. Rather than place sheridan in to go after earlys troops, grant notified halleck unless general hunter is a the field personally, i want sheridan put in command of all the troops in the field with instructions to put himself out of the enemy and follow him to the death. The instructions then were ambiguous at best, and there the matter rested. No one took charge to see that u. S. Grants wishes were executed. Stanton wanted hunter replaced, not in charge of the field. Lift a refused to finger, even though he had been placed in charge, informing grant petulantly have you asked my opinion in regard to general hunter and sheridan, it would have been freely and frankly given. Im not little kid, going to give you my ball. [laughter] really shocking, childish behavior. For two days, lincoln observed from the sidelines as the War Department years grounded. Yet nothing emerged. After 3. 5 years in the white house, lincoln learned how to could stifle or circumvent carefully conceived plans and directives. Now the president s coach is commanding general. Thatant, he telegraphed the orders placing Sheridan South of early with instructions to pursue the confederates until his comments destroy them is exactly right as to how our forces should move. He warned grant that directives and implementation were distinct matters. Please look over the dispatches you may have received from here, even since you made the order, and discover, if you can, that there is any idea and the head of anyone hear of owning an army south of the enemy or of following him to the death in any direction. Earned fromf wisdom nearly four years of political battles in washington, lincoln counseled i repeat to you, it will neither be done nor attempted unless you watch it every day and hour, and force it. Two hours after receiving lincolns advice, grant ordered heading for the north. He consulted with hunter, who requested that grant replace him. Sheridan finally assumed command with specific instructions. Subordinated his extensive powers, including authority to remove incompetent or uncooperative officers regardless of rank. This time the Lieutenant General demanded results. What we want is prompt and active movements after the enemy. By the time sheridan assumed command, early and his raters slip th early and his iders slip back across the potomac. When lee recalled a portion of the command, grant in person at sheridans headquarters, endorsed the plan of action. Sheridan delivered a powerful blow at fishers hill. Sheridan began to withdraw his army, gobbling up food and live scott livestock. Yet early was not done. Now upcements from lee to 21,000 men enabled the confederate general to attack once more in midoctober at cedar creek. In the Early Morning hours, early with the federals. By afternoon, sheridan, absent from the command that morning, rallied his troops, and a late afternoon, struck with fury. The confederate mind crumbled under the weight of sheridans horsemen armed with repeating carbines. Not only had sheridan reversed the days fortunes, he had captured much of earlys artillery and wagon train. But sheridan failed to fulfill grants goal of destroying charlottesville and gordonsville and the Virginia Central railroad. For month after month, sheridan concocted lame excuses. Finally, in late february 1865, he executed grant costs orders grandpas orders. Grants orders. Coupled with the fall of atlanta in september, the triumphant over early in the valley secured lincolns reelection. Earlys raid was one of the critical moments in grant cost grants unique commandnt system failed him badly in the late summer and fall of 1864. When it was over, he wanted no further part of halleck, who had undercut him badly. Grant attempted to get halleck transferred to the pacific coast. [laughter] for the remainder of the war