'Lee & Grant' provides leadership lessons from battle front

Lee & Grant: Profiles in Leadership From the Battlefields of Virginia, by Maj. Charles R. Bowery Jr., U.S. Army (Amacom, 272 pages, $24).

On May 5, 1864, at the height of the mayhem and maneuvering of the battle of the Wilderness, Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant sat on a stump on the bank of the Rapidan River and whittled on a stick.

In his book, Bowery joins scores of historians and commentators on Grant who have focused on the Union armies' general in chief's extraordinary behavior at that critical moment of the Civil War. Bowery uses that episode to illustrate the importance of leading by example in both war and business.

He quotes Grant's aide, Horace Porter: "While the most critical movements were taking place, General Grant manifested no perceptible anxiety, but gave his orders, and sent and received communications, with a coolness which made a marked impression on everyone around him."

The whittling appeared to calm Grant's subordinates, Bowery suggests, by conveying the impression that Grant was not worried about the situation.

During that same battle, Gen. Robert E. Lee, commander of the Army of Northern Virginia, gave an exhibition of leadership by example that has become the stuff of legend.

Lee intervened personally to try to prevent a total rout when his 3rd Corps was overwhelmed by Union forces. On his horse, Traveller, Lee rode among the retreating 3rd Corps soldiers and tried vainly to persuade them to stand and fight.

He finally fell in with the Texas Brigade. Bowery writes: "Lee asked the forming men to identify themselves. 'Texas boys,' they replied. 'Hurrah for Texas!' Lee responded, along with an entreaty to drive the Unionists back, and offered to lead them in person."

Inspired by Lee, the Texans charged and drove back the Union assault. Of the 850 members of that Texas Brigade, 550 were killed or wounded.

"Lee galvanized a retreating army in the Tapp Field and turned what looked like a significant defeat into a stunning reversal of fortune," Bowery writes.

This is ostensibly a book about leadership. Bowery does a splendid job of extrapolating advice from the actions and demeanor of the two most famous generals of the Civil War.

Lee & Grant is likely to be enjoyed most by Civil War buffs, who may or may not occupy leadership roles or aspire to leadership.

During this same battle, Confederate artillery began shelling the Union HQ.

When worried staff officers suggested moving the headquarters, Grant told them that it would be an even better idea to bring up some friendly guns to hold the position.

Grant then went back to whittling as the Union guns were deployed and put into action.

Evening Stainless,

Thanks for the ping and I'll have to add this book to my current "to read" list. Of course, if this list gets any longer I'll need 36hrs. in a day to ever catch up. ;^)

Lee's greatest leadership asset, as Bowery sees it, was his adaptability.

Unequivocally accurate. Meade was often criticized for not aggressively pursuing the Confederates after the defeat at Gettysburg. Tactically, they had their backs to the almost uncrossable Potomac and were highly vulnerable. But Meade had seen first hand what Lee was capable of in retreat when McClellan pursued Lee after presuming to have taken his measure at South Mountain. Also, Lee's retreat at Gettysburg was under heavy rainstorms. Lee was brilliant at feigning retreat only to turn and waylay his pursuers.

Grant's greatest leadership asset, according to Bowery, was his tenacity.

Indeed. Grant, always held fast to his old guideline of unconditional surrender. He had it very much in mind to destroy not only the means of resistance by his adversaries, but also the will. Sherman had once told Grant during the march to the sea, "War is cruelty . . . there is no use trying to reform it. The crueler it is, the sooner it will be over." No wonder Sherman was his right arm. According to Shelby Foote, novelist on the Civil War, Grant was guided by two principles of action: 1) to use the greatest number of troops practicable and 2) hammer continuously against the armed force of the enemy and his resources, until by mere attrition, if no other way, there should be nothing left to him . . ."

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.