He later fought Union General George Meade to a stalemate around Mine Run. General Lee successfully defeated the Army of the Potomac or evaded capture in 18. His objective was to end the Confederacy, but that meant the end of the Army of Northern Virginia under the command of General Robert E. Lincoln appointed Grant as general of all armies given his military record out west. President Abraham Lincoln saw only one man that possessed such a comprehensive view of the war. No other Union general could match Lee’s ability to repeatedly beat them with fewer men and resources. Lee proved to the American public he possessed such an indomitable trait. By the end of winter 1864, General Robert E.

Carl von Clausewitz includes the coup d’oeil as one of the many traits needed for a military genius. They could quickly analyze a battlefield or map and determine the next action. He claimed that great captains possessed the coup d’oeil, or comprehensive view.

After Napoleon Bonaparte’s exile, Jomini began writing a series of works that dealt with the principles of war. It can be found on the third floor in the Drexel Library at E470.2.C36S.Emerging Civil War welcomes back Nathan Provost…Īntoine-Henri Jomini was a general in the Napoleonic Wars who served under various generals, including Napoleon himself. It is the final volume of Catton’s The Army of the Potomac trilogy, but can be read on its own. Stillness at Appomattox won the Pulitzer Prize for History and the National Book Award for Nonfiction.

Not being one who normally reads military history, I found that I couldn’t put it down and could not help but be moved by the raw courage of these men. I felt that I could taste the dust that was kicked up by thousands of marching feet, enjoyed the camaraderie of the troops, and shared in their longing for victory. You were immediately drawn into the conflict and the conditions that the soldiers had to endure, the constant marching, hunger, and lack of sleep. The research was based on journals, letters, diaries, and other documents so that much of the story is from the perspective of the soldiers involved in the struggle. This well-written recounting of the final year of war for the Army of the Potomac was mesmerizing. In honor of the 150th anniversary of the end of the Civil War, my book club chose A Stillness at Appomattox by Bruce Catton as one of our selections. A monthly offering from Drexel Library’s staff about the books we’ve read.

A stillness at appomattox