 Parzival  | 02 Jul 2023 6:46 a.m. PST |
link Although the letter is brief and functional, it does offer insight into the growing rift between Lincoln and McClellan that would lead to the latter's (well-deserved) sacking. |
| doc mcb | 02 Jul 2023 6:51 a.m. PST |
Fascinating, and Lincoln had to learn the hard way not to trust the "experts" and particularly the generals. |
| dBerczerk | 02 Jul 2023 7:25 a.m. PST |
And trusting the "experts' -- and particularly the generals; has proven disastrous through to the present day. |
| 35thOVI | 02 Jul 2023 7:44 a.m. PST |
|
| Grelber | 02 Jul 2023 9:35 a.m. PST |
Correspondence with Charles Ellet, Jr, later of the Army's flotilla of rams on the Mississippi. Listen to the experts, try to understand what they are saying and where they are coming from, realize when they are and are not speaking outside their area of expertise, but don't follow what they say blindly. Grelber |
| 79thPA | 02 Jul 2023 1:14 p.m. PST |
A great find. "Ellet's Brigade: The Strangest Outfit of All" is a good book on the Ram Fleet and the Mississippi Marine Brigade. |
| Frederick | 03 Jul 2023 7:34 a.m. PST |
Great find – and to be fair, look at what not trusting the experts got Putin/Hitler/etc. |
| donlowry | 03 Jul 2023 8:59 a.m. PST |
I couldn't find out what the letter actually says. |
| donlowry | 03 Jul 2023 9:00 a.m. PST |
An expert is someone who has a piece of paper that certifies that he agrees with other experts. |
| Lascaris | 03 Jul 2023 3:48 p.m. PST |
You mean like doctors, engineers, etc? |
| Bill N | 03 Jul 2023 4:14 p.m. PST |
The letter is interesting, but anyone else have problems with the accompanying analysis? By the time Lincoln wrote that letter Congress had already approved the navy building ironclads, the Navy had advertised for proposals for ironclad warships and Navy Secretary Welles had appointed an ironclad board. The next month the navy approved the Monitor, New Ironsides and Galena. The threat posed by Confederate ironclads was well understood and was being provided for long before the C.S.S. Virginia attacked the U.S. Squadron off Hampton Roads. Also IIRC McClellan had only been in Washington a couple of weeks when that letter was written and was only the commander of the troops around Washington. He probably had a great deal on his plate in the aftermath of Bull Run, plus who knows how many people wanting to see him. Do we know what Scott's response was? How about Totten's? |
completes his initial Union force in 1:72nd scale.
