Grant from the “seminal” biography by: Jean Edward Smith

1. Grantfrom the “seminal” biography by:Jean Edward Smith

2. “A generation of American officers had been schooled to believe the art of generalship required rigid adherence to certain textbook theorems.”/151 “The nature of Grant’s greatness has been a riddle to many observers. … did not hedge his bets … disregarded explicit instructions … nothing to fall back on … violating every maxim held dear by the military profession … new dimension: ability to learn from the battlefield … finished near the bottom of his [West Point] class in tactics … carried the fight to the enemy … maintain the momentum of the attack … military greatness is the ability to recognize and respond to opportunities presented.”/152-3 “Grant had an aversion to digging in.”/153 “Grant had an intangible advantage. He knew what he wanted.”/153 “Grant’s seven-mile dash changed the course of the war.”/157 “The one who attacks first will be victorious.”/158 “dogged”/159 “unconditional surrender”/162 “simplicity and determination”/166 “quickness of mind that allowed him to make on the spot adjustments … [his] battles were not elegant set-piece operations”/166 “[other Union general] preferred preparation to execution … became a friend of detail … suffered from ‘the slows’ …”/170 Message to Halleck from McClellan: “Do not hesitate to arrest him” [following great victory]/172 … “learned how to withstand attacks from the rear” [Army politics]/179

3. “This [adolescent] incident [of getting from point A to point B] is notable not only because it underlines Grant’s fearless horsemanship and his determination, but also it is the first known example of a very important peculiarity of his character:Grant had an extreme, almost phobic dislike of turning back and retracing his steps.If he set out for somewhere, he would get there somehow, whatever the difficulties that lay in his way. This idiosyncrasy would turn out to be one the factors that made him such a formidable general. Grant would always, always press on—turning back was not an option for him.” —Michael Korda, Ulysses Grant

4. “He never credited the enemy with the capacity to take the offensive.”/185 “tenacity [like Wellington]”/187 “I haven’t despaired of whipping them yet” [at avery low point]/195 “Both sides seemed defeated and whoever assumed the offensive was sure to win.”/200 … “inchoate bond [between Grant and soldiers]”/201 … “The genius of Grant’s command style lay in its simplicity. Grant never burdened his division commanders with excessive detail. … no elaborate staff conferences, no written orders prescribing deployment. … Grant recognized the battlefield was in flux. By not specifying movements in detail, he left his subordinate commanders free to exploit whatever opportunities developed.”/202 “If anyone other than Grant had been in command, the Union army certainly would have retreated.”/204 Lincoln (urged to fire Grant): “I can’t spare this man; he fights.”/205 “Grant turned defeat into Union victory.”/206 “moved on intuition, which he often could not explain or justify.”/208 “instinctive recognition that victory lay in relentlessly hounding a defeated army into surrender.”/213 Nathan Bedford Forrest, successful Confederate commander: “amenable to no known rules of procedure, was a law unto himself for all military acts, and was constantly doing the unexpected at all times and places.”/213

5. “The commanding general would be in the field”/228 Lincoln: “What I want, and what the people want, is generals who will fight battles and win victories. Grant has done this and I propose to stand by him.”/231 “retains his hold upon the affections of his men”/232 “Grant’s moral courage—his willingness to choose a path frrom which there could be no return—set him apart from most commanders … were [Grant and Lee] were uniquely willing to take full responsibility for their actions.”/233 “ … modest … honest … nothing could perturb … never faltered …”/233 “plan was breathtakingly simple but fraught with peril”/235 “demonstrating the flexibility that had become his hallmark”/238 “But like any West Point trained general, he had difficulty comprehending what Grant was up to …”/240 “recognized the value of momentum … throw off balance … blitzkreig … traveling light … headquarters in the saddle”/243 “acted as quartermaster”/243 [rushed away so that he couldn’t receive Halleck’s order] … “like Lord Nelson … telescope to his blind eye” … “pressing ahead on his own”/245 “focus on the enemy’s weakness rather than his own”/250

6. “Above all the troops appreciated Grant’s unassuming manner. Most generals went about attended by a retinue of immaculately tailored staff officers. Grant usually rode alone, except for an orderly or two to carry messages if the need arose. Another soldier said the soldiers looked on Grant ‘as a friendly partner, not an arbitrary commander.’ Instead of cheering as he rode by, they would ‘greet him as they would sddress one of their neighbors at home. ‘Good morning, General,’ ‘Pleasant day, General’ … There was no nonsense, no sentiment; only a plain businessman of the republic, there for the one single purpose of getting that command over the river in the shortest time possible.’” [Grant: 5-feet 8-inches with a slouch]/232 After the victory at Chattanooga: “The [Union senior] officers rode past the Confederates smugly without any sign of recognition except by one. ‘When General Grant reached the line of ragged, filthy, bloody, despairing prisoners strung out on each side of the bridge, he lifted his hat and held it over his head until he passed the last man of that living funeral cortege. He was the only officer in that whole train who recognized us as being on the face of the earth.’”/ 281 “Grant was unhappy about going into winter quarters. He saw no reason to keep the army idle, and the pause would give the rebels time to reorganize.”/282

7. “The [Union senior] officers rode past the Confederates smugly without any sign of recognition except by one. ‘When General Grant reached the line of ragged, filthy, bloody, despairing prisoners strung out on each side of the bridge, he lifted his hat and held it over his head until he passed the last man of that living funeral cortege. He was the only officer in that whole train who recognized us as being on the face of the earth.’*” *quote within a quote from diary of a Confederate soldier

8. From LEE KENNETT’s SHERMAN: “Grant tended to be a simple listener when these two strategies [for taking Vicksburg] were being discussed. His own preference may have been impelled as much by natural inclination as by any arguments he heard. He wrote afterward: ‘One of my superstitions had always been when I started to go anywhere or to do anything, not to turn back, or stop, until the thing intended was accomplished.’”/ 202

9. CWVA to MBWA:“In these days of telegraph and steam I cancommand while traveling and visiting about.”—U.S. GrantManaging by wandering around” —HP circa 1980

10. TP’s take: Intuition takes precedence (listen attentively but act on intuition) … Move today > perfect plan tomorrow [subsequent Patton line] … Great advantage: When moving, you know what you’re up to and you’re moving [the one sitting still is, thence, always reactive] [Boyd: quickest O.O.D.A. loops/Observe. Orient. Decide. Act. Disorient enemy]… Action! ... Keep moving! … Engage! … Offense! [weakness-strength: can’t even imagine enemy counter-attacking; little conception of defense] … Momentum! …. Keep ‘em off balance … … Adjust … Adapt … … Opportunism! … Constantly revise in accordance with conditions and opportunities in the field [life = excellence at “Plan B”] … Doggedness … Relentless!! [trait shaped in early childhood] … Never retreat … Simplicity! … Wide latitude for division commanders … minimum written orders, conferences, etc … keep his own council … HQ is Grant & his horse … no retinue! … commune with soldiers/exude quiet confidence/Approachable … decent … Self-accountability! … Evade orders (or ignore) … Share harm & hardship … total victory/ demand “unconditional surrender”—G’s first claim to fame [Nelson: other Admirals avoid loss, friend and foe as in Grant’s case vs Nelson’s seek victory] … [Life 101: politics between the Generals: E.g., Grant & Halleck]

11. Insubordinate (when it comes to delays)/NAction-oriented/Offense/Total victory/NRelentlessTroop Commander par Excellence/NLeeway to Commanders/N