GDG- BMI

[Alice J. Gayley]

Thank you, Bill!

Bill Gower wrote:
> Esteemed GDG Member Contributes:
>
>
> Bureau of Military Intelligence.
>
> Bill
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: gettysburg-bounces at arthes.com [mailto:gettysburg-bounces at arthes.com]
> On Behalf Of Alice J. Gayley
> Sent: Monday, October 30, 2006 7:23 PM
> To: GDG
> Subject: Re: GDG- BMI
>
> Esteemed GDG Member Contributes:
>
>
> Coming out of lurking status to ask a question...I know you're talking 
> about military intelligence operations, but what does the acronym "BMI" 
> mean?
>
> Thanks.
>
> Back to my corner...
>
> Richard M Kadas wrote:
>   
>> Esteemed GDG Member Contributes:
>>
>>
>> Fishel's book is excellent in style and content. Fishel is an intelligence
>>     
> wonk who is exceedingly careful about making assertions that he didn't
> corroborate through use of multiple sources. From reading his review of
> BMI's role in the GB campaign, it can be argued that Gb was as much an intel
> victory in the ACW as Midway was in WW II. IMHO telling the AoPs generally
> unaggressive group of corps commanders that they outnumbered the ANV
> probasbly woildn't have sold as they were convinced of the opposite and
> didn't wish to be confused by the facts.
>   
>>   Dick
>> James Cameron <cameron2 at optonline.net> wrote:
>>   Esteemed GDG Member Contributes:
>>
>>
>> << ""I wish that someone would write a book that would discuss this
>>     
> subject 
>   
>> in
>> more detail.>>
>>
>> There are two books that deal with BMI operations. Edwin C. Fishel's "The
>> Secret War for the Union" and William B. Feis' "Grant's Secret Service."
>> Fishel covers the BMI up to and including the Gettysburg Campaign, and
>>     
> Feis
>   
>> picks up from there and describes BMI activities until the end of the war.
>>
>> Tom Ryan >>
>>
>> Fishel's book is by no means a light read. It's the kind of work where you
>>     
>
>   
>> really need to pay attention as you go along. But the time and effort 
>> involved is well worth reading one of the most seminal books on the AOP 
>> (despite the title, its focus is heavily on that army) to come out in
>>     
> recent 
>   
>> years. In my opinion, it does not go too far to say that anyone who has
>>     
> not 
>   
>> read Fishel is at a serious disadvantage in understanding the Gettysburg 
>> Campaign.
>>
>> It is interesting, though, how the intelligence gathered and, more 
>> importantly, so accurately evaluated, by the BMI still seems to have such 
>> limited influence on the mindset within much of the senior command of the 
>> AOP that the ANV was so much larger than it actually was. Almost as if the
>>     
>
>   
>> AOP's "corporate culture" was predisposed to act on the basis it was 
>> outnumbered, even when, objectively, it should have known better.
>>
>> Jim Cameron
>>
>>
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-- 
Alice J. Gayley
Pennsylvania in the Civil War
http://www.pa-roots.com/~pacw/