Generals
Dick Durbin Pays Tribute to John Y. Simon in U.S. Senate
Tuesday, July 29th, 2008United States Senate July 25, 2008 Mr. President, in 1887, 2 years after the death of Ulysses S. Grant, William Tecumseh Sherman wrote in a letter to his old Army Chief of Staff, “Grant’s whole character was a mystery, even to himself.” Today, more than 120 years later, the world has a far [...]
Surrender at Appomattox
Wednesday, April 9th, 2008One of the most significant scenes in American history took place 143 years ago today. Why not let someone who was there explain what happened? The following account comes from the Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant (New York, 1885), 555-560. I had known General Lee in the old army, and had served with him [...]
Ready to be President on “Day One”
Monday, March 17th, 2008Hillary Clinton often says she will be ready to be president on “day one.” No need for a “week of orientation” or any “on the job training.” No, if elected, she will “hit the ground running.” The message is clear. She believes she has more experience than her Democratic rival, Barrack Obama. After all, while [...]
1864: “Clear Before My Own Conscience”
Tuesday, March 11th, 2008The president needed a general. Though he “never professed to be a military man or to know how campaigns should be conducted,” Abraham Lincoln was nonetheless frustrated by the inaction of Generals George McClellan, Ambrose Burnside, Joseph Hooker, and George Meade. Too often, these procrastinating generals forced him into issuing ill-conceived military orders. By 1864, [...]
2008 Lincoln Prize…A Split Decision
Friday, February 15th, 2008The results are in. The winner of this year’s coveted Lincoln Prize, the most prestigious (and generous) award in the field of Lincoln Studies, is… Wait a minute…we have a split decision! The award goes to two different books: The Radical and the Republican: Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, and the Triumph of Antislavery Politics [...]
“One of the Mysteries of the War”
Monday, October 29th, 2007Everything in his background pointed toward success. His mother came from a prominent Pennsylvania family, while his father was a talented surgeon. At the age of fifteen, he entered the United States Military Academy, where he graduated four years later, second in a class of 59. He served in the Mexican War, taught at West [...]
Lyman Trumbull & Robert E. Lee
Friday, October 12th, 2007Webster defines coincidence as “the occurrence of events that happen at the same time by accident but seem to have some connection.” Consider a couple of my favorite examples: Americans observed the one year anniversary of 9-11 on September 11, 2002. Print and broadcast media ran tributes to the victims, the nation observed a moment [...]
The American Civil War Comes to Southern Illinois
Tuesday, October 9th, 2007The American Civil War is coming to southern Illinois next week! John A. Logan Community College will be hosting their Third Annual Civil War Lecture Series on Wednesday, October 17. This year’s featured speaker is Steven E. Woodworth. His presentation is titled, “Black Jack’s Autumn Campaign: John A. Logan and the Election of 1864.” Woodworth [...]
“Take Responsibility and Act”
Monday, March 12th, 2007Abraham Lincoln was dissatisfied with his generals. Though he “never professed to be a military man or to know how campaigns should be conducted,” the president was frustrated by the inaction of Generals George McClellan, Ambrose Burnside, Joseph Hooker, and George Meade. Too often, these procrastinating generals forced him into issuing ill-conceived military orders. By [...]