A Book

Grant and Sherman:  The Friendship that Won the Civil War.  Charles Bracelen Flood ISBN-13 978-0-06-114871-2

This excellent book provides much insight to the crucial leadership of the Northern armies and navies that led to their victory.  Far too much attention in Civil War history goes to the early years of the northern Virginia sector and Lee's success in holding off the North.  The war was won, however, by Grant & Sherman and the western armies and the navy.

By covering the correspondence of Grant & Sherman and their early campaigns, this book illuminates crucial insights they had and how their knowledge developed.  One factor that is much underappreciated is Grant's use of the riverine Navy.  This resource let him move a hundred or more miles quickly with more supplies than any land movement could make.  Of all Civil war generals, Grant made the most effective use of the river Navy.  He developed good working relationships with key naval commanders and was fortunate in their quality and aggressiveness. The river Navy was Grant's special weapon and he used it well.

So far I am about 1/2 through the book and am enjoying it very much.  Give it a try!

Word of the Day

"Naiad" - noun [$10] (pl. naiads or -des)
Naiad means (Mythol.) a water nymph; the larvae of a dragonfly, etc.; 3. any aquatic plant of the genus Najas with narrow leaves and small flowers.
Sentence:  I wonder if the Epicurean canoeists will meet any naiads on our sojourn in the Canadian lakes?  Probably not. But I'll hear again about the time Big Al, etc. ran across a campsite of French models frolicking in the water :)