Right Hand of Command
by R. Steven Jones
Category: History

With thorough scholarship, Jones presents an enlightening view of the use of personal staffs by four general officers during the Civil War. The author attempts to correct the paucity of information on the functioning of Civil War staffs with this well-presented historical study. Focusing on the personal staffs of Generals McClellan, Lee, Sherman, and Grant, Jones reveals that no one appreciated the amount of staff work required to run a large, complex army efficiently in the field. Armies were just too big for one commander to handle all the administrative, logistical, and operational details himself. Civil War armies required a 'corporate nature of leadership, ' says Jones, with a personal staff complementing the efforts of the commander. He finds that McClellan dithered with his staff as he did with his army, Lee's staff was used for little more than record - and housekeeping, Sherman's approach was traditional, and Grant was the most innovative and demanding of his staff. Jones discusses staff selection, training, use, and relationship to the commander. This book is an informative addition to Civil War history and is recommended for public libraries