But Earl Van Dorn lacked some vital quality as a man and as a general that kept him from achieving the success that his country expected. He and others like him became victims of a too-rapidly expanding army. Because of a shortage of qualified leaders, the Confederacy often bestowed high command upon men who had shown promise only in minor roles of leadership. Often these men, with limited knowledge and abilities, were not able to cope with new and complicated assignments. Responsibilities of high command frustrated them and brought disaster on the battlefield.
Confederate history is replete with tragic figures who commanded too many too soon.
Van Dorn failed on both occasions when he was given command of a sizeable army. In both situations he seemed unable to grasp the full dimensions of the larger battlefields He split his forces and then lost control of his men. Speed, so vital in small unit operations, became his obsession. It worked well when he could survey his entire command, but in larger-scale tactics he seems to have failed to realize that speed had to be coupled with intensive planning to bring success. Relegated to the secondary role of cavalry commander in Mississippi and Tennessee, he showed courage, energy, and vision as he achieved some success in a type of operation for which he was better adapted.