The Encyclopedia of Confederate Generals

[Draggingtree]

The Encyclopedia of Confederate Generals 

Regnery History, 2022) by Samuel Mitcham

The valor of the Confederate Army is one of the greatest stories in American history. Southerners needed brilliant leaders because they faced such overwhelming odds. They were outnumbered four to one and outgunned a hundred to one.

The author’s purpose of the book is to make the reader feel as if they came to know every Confederate general, who he was, what he did, and how well he did his job.

I found it insightful to read of generals who performed well at certain command levels but not as well as they advanced through the ranks. Some carried through skillfully as regimental commanders but not as brigade commanders. Others engaged in duties competently as brigade commanders but poorly as division commanders. Certain generals served well as division commanders but not as corps commanders.

A good many generals were credible commanders but couldn’t get along with others.

One hundred thirty generals practiced law before and after the war. One such general, Leroy Pope Walker, was a fine attorney who successfully represented several celebrities; his most recognized case was winning an acquittal for his client, outlaw and bank robber Frank James, in 1883.

The health of some generals was shattered by four years of arduous service.

On July 21, 1861, President Jefferson Davis was on the field of battle in the First Battle of Manassas and wanted to pursue the Union Army after it was routed. General Joseph E. Johnston advised against it, and Davis did not overrule him – a huge blunder. Davis later said it was the worst mistake he made during the war.     https://www.abbevilleinstitute.org/the-encyclopedia-of-confederate-generals/