D he gives grant basically a twopart requirement, first to Bring Organization to the union war effort. And secondly to defeat the army of Northern Virginia. And grant goes about making it possible to carry out that charge with a vengeance. First he put together a Program Unlike any the war has yet seen. He realized up to this point battles would last a couple of days and armies would pull apart for months. Grant would not let that happen anymore. They would fight them until they were destroyed. He also realized the old goal of capturing territory didnt make sense anymore. Hence the goal would be to destroy them and only by doing that could the rebellion be brought to a close. And finally he realized they had to move together so the confederates couldnt shift from one theater to the other. We are going to see opening campaigns in the east grant riding with the army and in the west under the direction of grants close friend and subordinate general sherman and these will be bat thals will
War, is the war in 1864. Good morning. If you could all take a seat, please. I am pete carmichael, professor of history here at gettysburg college. I am also the director of the civil war institute. It is my pleasure this morning to introduce brooks simpson, the Asu Foundation professor of history at Arizona State university. He is a historian of 19th century america. The american presidency as well as the civil war and reconstruction. He has written extensively about ulysses s. Grant. He is the author of let us have peace . S grant and the politics of reconstruction, released in 1991. He is also the author of u. S. Grant triumph over adversity. That earned distinction as a New York Times notable book of the year. Just recently, he has published and edited a boeing by the library of america a volume by the library of america, voices of the civil war. Sharesy brooks Stephen Brooks shares. He has given talks focusing on the war and the east and we know he is a superb battlefield guide. M
I appreciate it. As i told you folks i talked with his morning, it is an honor for me to be here. There is Something Special about the battlefield here at cold harbor. I came about my interest in the american civil war, im sure like most of you did. I got it from my father. My dad was born in 1901 and a little town on the tennesseealabama border that was only 35 years after the end of the american civil war. As you might imagine, most of those old men sitting around the Grocery Store were confederate veterans. He grew up listening to their tall tales and talking with them about their battles. I was born in 1945. When i grow up, what all of my friends were hearing fairy tales and stories from their parents, my dad was reading the books with names like lees lieutenants, stuff like that. We visited the battlefield. We did not make any trips to cold harbor, though, because there really was not that much here. The overland campaign, which is the campaign that brings grant and lead to where
Was more than just a state of mind, although it seems to take up space rentfree in the minds of many union civil and military leaders. The majoria was obstacle facing Union Military strategy for two reasons. The state contended the confederate capital, richmond, virginia, which soon became an obsessive point of attack for union planters. And because that capital was defended by none other than robert e lee and his army of Northern Virginia, the largest fighting force the confederacy had to offer, led by its most brilliant commander. Richmond,ons, lee and transfixed Union Military planners. Therefore poses a problem, and poses a problem. Ilitarily for Union Planners it is, after all, the home field of lee and his army. The army of Northern Virginia won all the big ones in virginia. If they left virginia, they might encounter a little difficulty, but in their home ballpark, they acquitted themselves exceedingly well against numerically superior union forces. How do you change that . Patt
Obsessive point of attack for union planters. And because that capital was defended by none other than robert e lee and his army of Northern Virginia, the largest fighting force the confederacy had to offer, led by its most brilliant commander. Richmond,ons, lee and transfixed Union Military planners. Therefore poses a problem, and poses a problem. Ilitarily for Union Planners it is, after all, the home field of lee and his army. The army of Northern Virginia won all the big ones in virginia. If they left virginia, they might encounter a little difficulty, but in their home ballpark, they acquitted themselves exceedingly well against numerically superior union forces. How do you change that . Pattern, inreak the the tennis parlance, of Holding Serve . In fact, that army was the primary target of an army with Serious Problems of its own. The army of the potomac, which today could be a fine reality show, at least in terms of its officer corps, its dysfunctionality i do not know who Kim K