Over Lincoln's shoulder
Subtitle: the Committee on the Conduct of  the War
By: Bruce Tap.
Series: Modern war studies
Publisher: University Press of Kansas
Published: 1998
Place of publication: Lawrence
Language: eng
Number of pages: 319
Subjects: Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865 -- Military leadership.; United States. Congress. Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War.; Governmental investigations -- United States -- History -- 19th century.; United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Campaigns.; United States -- Military policy.
Description: The Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War generated controversy throughout the war, and its legacy sparks debate even today over whether it invigorated or hampered the Union war effort. In the wake of both critical and sympathetic appraisals, Bruce Tap now offers the first history of the committee's activities, focusing on the nature of its power and influence on military policy in order to show conclusively what the ultimate impact really was.

Tap presents solid evidence, including examples of contact between Congress and the military, to show that the committee produced little good and no small amount of harm. As Tap demonstrates, it was in many ways a serious impediment to the war effort, due not to its fanaticism or vindictiveness, as some historians have suggested, but rather to its members' total ignorance of military matters.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 261-301) and index.