Editor in Chief Bill | 24 Feb 2012 5:43 a.m. PST |
Gideon Welles was Secretary of the Navy during the American Civil War. On a scale of 1 (poor) to 10 (excellent), how would you rate his performance? |
Sane Max | 24 Feb 2012 5:51 a.m. PST |
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epturner | 24 Feb 2012 6:32 a.m. PST |
Elven Safety beat me to it. Drat. Well, he helped get rid of the rum ration, so boo hiss to him for that. Eric |
Ed Mohrmann | 24 Feb 2012 6:33 a.m. PST |
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Sane Max | 24 Feb 2012 6:46 a.m. PST |
More seriously, he had a major hand in steadying the cabinet on some pretty shakey days. Was it Chase and ?Cameron? who he stood up to and prevented what was in effect a Cabinet Coup? Pat |
Sundance | 24 Feb 2012 7:01 a.m. PST |
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MahanMan | 24 Feb 2012 7:21 a.m. PST |
My really major quibble with him is his penchant for truly bizarre "American" names, either New England rivers or American Indian tribes. |
epturner | 24 Feb 2012 7:44 a.m. PST |
I think it was both Chase and Cameron. Eric |
Who asked this joker | 24 Feb 2012 8:28 a.m. PST |
9! I am sure he is not perfect so that is the best I will give anyone. |
Patrick Sexton | 24 Feb 2012 8:41 a.m. PST |
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McKinstry | 24 Feb 2012 8:58 a.m. PST |
9 A little less crusty a personality may have made him just a tad more effective and he failed to court marshal that idiot who nearly caused a war with Great Britain over the Confederate envoy's. |
Sane Max | 24 Feb 2012 9:08 a.m. PST |
Would it have gained you anything? The Public were mostly in favour of the seizure, Lincoln and Seward managed to smooth things over with us Brits, while rubbing in the 'Neutrality of the seas' thing to please home opinion. A Court-Martial might have upset people needlessly. Pat |
MahanMan | 24 Feb 2012 9:09 a.m. PST |
Actually, Wilkes *was* court-martialed, as he and Welles did NOT get along at all. It was just in 1864, after a little "tiff" between the two men (to be somewhat understated ). The problem with a court-martial after the Trent Affair was that the American public thought Wilkes was the bees' knees, whatever the American government thought. |
Ed Mohrmann | 24 Feb 2012 10:21 a.m. PST |
Well, Cameron resigned and was appointed Ambassador to Russia (leaving in December for his post – an appropriate 'sentence' for his possible embezzlement !) Wilkes – there is a persistent story to the effect that he and Slidell had been rivals for the same woman and she chose Slidell. Supposedly, that sparked his interception of RMS Trent and removal of the diplomats. True or not, it makes a good story. |
wminsing | 24 Feb 2012 11:02 a.m. PST |
8 or 9 – made perfectly solid decisions during the course of war. -Will |
John the Greater | 24 Feb 2012 11:16 a.m. PST |
A solid 8, maybe sliding into a 9. Just a few years before the Civil War the US Navy had to rent ships in order to send a fleet to Paraguay. That was the navy Welles had to build up to blockade the entire coastline of the southern US as well as to find and destroy commerce raiders. Put in context, his achievements are astounding. Oh, and he did have a great beard. |
religon | 24 Feb 2012 11:42 a.m. PST |
8. His Confederate counterpart, Stephen Mallory, was no slouch either, scoring a 7 with meager resources and many political distractions. |
Shagnasty | 24 Feb 2012 1:33 p.m. PST |
Competent, unfortunately for the South. Great beard. |
Grand Duke Natokina | 24 Feb 2012 1:37 p.m. PST |
My name is Gideon Welles, A dealer in steam and sails, In rigging and guns, In Ironclads, whale boats, And anything that floats. In Coal, tar and ships' bells. |
The G Dog | 24 Feb 2012 5:44 p.m. PST |
9 with Gustav V. Fox to support him. 7 without Fox. |
Gaying | 24 Feb 2012 5:46 p.m. PST |
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