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A review by socraticgadfly
The Training Ground: Grant, Lee, Sherman, and Davis in the Mexican War, 1846-1848 by Martin Dugard
fast-paced
2.5
I have of course heard of Dugard as co-author of all of Bill O'Reilly's "Killing (Your Brain Cells [Part X]) books and wanted to see what he did on his own.
And? He didn't do a lot.
First, he stretches the idea of "training ground," given that Sherman never saw a day of combat, despite his best efforts otherwise.
Second, his descriptions of the efforts of Grant, Lee, Davis and others who become famous in the Civil War is explicated in more detail in full-blown accounts of the Mexican War.
Third, his Epilogue of notes on post-Mexican War history of leading characters is sadly lacking, if not flat wrong.
First, Grant. He claims that drunkenness being the cause of his resigning his commission are highly exaggerated. Wrong. It's true it wasn't the only issue, but it WAS an issue. And, his claim that Grant "was known for his inability to drink more than a few sips of alcohol owning to his light weight and diminutive stature" is laughable. First, that would mean exactly he was more susceptible to hooch. Second, we know Tricky Dick Nixon got drunk on relatively low amounts of alcohol. Third, we know that John Rawlins was assigned to be his "sobriety security" during the Civil War. Fourth, we know he got drunk in the winter of 1862-63 when bogged down before Shiloh, and in turn, this was indirectly connected to Julia nearly being captured by Confederate raiders. Fifth, we also know that, out of boredom or whatever, Grant got snockered when Andy Johnson dragooned him into accompanying him in his "around the circle" campaign stump speech tour in 1866. He also never mentions Grant being a slaveowner, as reluctant as he may have been.
Second, Lee. He never mentions his post-Civil War hypocrisies on Reconstruction. (Lee claimed after the war to have "always been in favor of emancipation of the negros," despite the Army of Northern Virginia hunting down blacks in Pennsylvania in 1863, and not even caring whether they were escaped slaves or blacks born free. (See also the AoNVa's behavior at the Battle of the Crater, Lee's silence on Fort Pillow, etc.)
Sherman? The racism that he maintained basically throughout the entire Civil War (yes, even on his March through Georgia) never gets mentioned.
So, you can skip Dugard, folks.
And? He didn't do a lot.
First, he stretches the idea of "training ground," given that Sherman never saw a day of combat, despite his best efforts otherwise.
Second, his descriptions of the efforts of Grant, Lee, Davis and others who become famous in the Civil War is explicated in more detail in full-blown accounts of the Mexican War.
Third, his Epilogue of notes on post-Mexican War history of leading characters is sadly lacking, if not flat wrong.
First, Grant. He claims that drunkenness being the cause of his resigning his commission are highly exaggerated. Wrong. It's true it wasn't the only issue, but it WAS an issue. And, his claim that Grant "was known for his inability to drink more than a few sips of alcohol owning to his light weight and diminutive stature" is laughable. First, that would mean exactly he was more susceptible to hooch. Second, we know Tricky Dick Nixon got drunk on relatively low amounts of alcohol. Third, we know that John Rawlins was assigned to be his "sobriety security" during the Civil War. Fourth, we know he got drunk in the winter of 1862-63 when bogged down before Shiloh, and in turn, this was indirectly connected to Julia nearly being captured by Confederate raiders. Fifth, we also know that, out of boredom or whatever, Grant got snockered when Andy Johnson dragooned him into accompanying him in his "around the circle" campaign stump speech tour in 1866. He also never mentions Grant being a slaveowner, as reluctant as he may have been.
Second, Lee. He never mentions his post-Civil War hypocrisies on Reconstruction. (Lee claimed after the war to have "always been in favor of emancipation of the negros," despite the Army of Northern Virginia hunting down blacks in Pennsylvania in 1863, and not even caring whether they were escaped slaves or blacks born free. (See also the AoNVa's behavior at the Battle of the Crater, Lee's silence on Fort Pillow, etc.)
Sherman? The racism that he maintained basically throughout the entire Civil War (yes, even on his March through Georgia) never gets mentioned.
So, you can skip Dugard, folks.