GDG- Re: troops from the west

[Biggsk at aol.com]

Bob:

>>>>During the start up of the Peninsula Campaign,  McClellan reported that 
Beauregard and the western army was in Richmond.  >>>>

A similar report finally got Henry Halleck of his large posterior ordering  
Grant to move on Henry-Donelson.
The papers stated that Beauregard was coming West to command with AS  
Johnston - true.  They also said he was bringing 15 regiments with him -  false.  The 
latter part got Halleck to FINALLY unleash Grant.
 
Picture this in January, 1862.  We have George McClellan,  uber-commander, 
then Don Carlos Buell, Dept. of the Ohio commander in Louisville  and Halleck, 
Dept of the Missouri commander in St. Louis.  None of these  men are fast 
movers and none of them bear an aggressive bone in their  bodies.  On one day, 
trying to figure out who who'll move first (recall  that Buell and Halleck are 
rivals here - whoever moves first and gets the glory  will hold up well in 
Lincoln's eyes), these three men exchanged 23  telegrams!!!!!!!
 
And after that, everyone sat where they were - until the newspaper  report.
 
If Lincoln wasn't drinking scotch by this time, he should have been with  
these three guys.
 
My favorite line about Halleck comes from a Union officer - "he could not  
command one army in the field, so they sent him to Washington to command them  
all!"  The "one army" part comes from his Jominian Corinth campaign - 30  days 
or so to move 30 miles.
 


>>>>One of the difficulties in warfare is evaluating  intelligence. Given the 
more recent foul-ups in that regard, we should not be  too critical of Civil 
War mistakes!>>>>


Let's see - it is Winter, one of the coldest in European history.   Intel 
report after report tells of German tanks and fresh troops across the  lines in 
huge numbers.  Our side holds the area with a handful of battered  or green 
divisions.  Then the Battle of the Bulge.
 
Or this one - Dutch underground tells story after story of an SS panzer  
corps having moved into the area to refit.  Allied recon flights show the  same 
thing - parked right where a British airborne division was going to be  dropped! 
 It was not only a bridge too far - it was a plan too  stupid!
 
Intelligence can be either excellent or faulty - but the trick it how to  
properly interpret what you get.
 
Greg Biggs