In addition to being a postmaster im also a general, and its the job of a general to by god get things done!

So i've been reading this massive one volume history of the civil war The battle cry of freedom by James McPherson. Its a challengeing book on many levels. Interesting but very detailed and it actually took me a few chapters to start to really get into it. But now I am in the thick of it and the pages are flying by. I think one of the things I like about it, which I also liked about the Ken Burns documentary The Civil War is the depictions of the various players and characters and their personalities. I think General Grant is one of the more interesting characters in the war. "He had discovered that this laconic, informal, commonsense manner inspired respect and obediance from his men. Unlike so many other commanders, Grant rarely clamored for reinforcments, rarely complained, rare quarreled with associates, but went ahead and did the job with the resources at hand." And also what I find interesting is that Grant had no strong reputation before the war, he had served in the Mexican war, but had been discharged from the army in 1854 for drinking. This in contrast to McCllelen who came into position of General of the Army of Potomac with plaudits and acclaim and indeed had trained and turned the Army of the Potomac into a discilplined fighting machine but when it came time to actually use the Army in battle he demurred. Fell back, constantly thinking of reasons to postpone a full scale assualt. One can almost understand how someone having built up such resplendant legions would be reluctant to hurl them into a storm of musketry, grape shot and sharpnel. In almost every battle McClellan outnumbered Lee and the confederate army signifigantly yet still he refused to go on the offensive. I can't help but wonder if the Army of the Potomac had had a slightly more bold and offensive commander if maybe the war might have ended sooner.