AHC:Make ACW Generals more efficient by adding to their educations

In various threads on this site related to the ACW I have been exposed to numerous discussions involving comments and complaints related to the actions of various Civil War generals including Grant, Lee, Sherman, Jackson, Thomas, Johnston, McClellan, Hood, Burnside, Longstreet, Banks, Bragg, etc. My challenge to you is to find ways to expose any of the military leaders involved on the ACW to either written materials, schools of thought, or any other form of educational aid which existed during their lifetimes that could have alleviated their respective weaknesses and thus changed the course of the war. Then find PODs to fit that knowledge into their education be it by leading them to study the knowledge in question personally, or going as far as to change the whole educational system of the USA before their times at school.
 
Last edited:
There are several problems with USA and CSA leaders at this time (possibly with the notable exception of Scott, but he is too old).

1. They do not have experience commanding at a higher level. There's little staff work experience, little multi-formation experience.

2. They do not have experience fighting an enemy at the same technological and organisational level.

3. They have no idea of conditioning to kill (while the background was not known, many European armies had basic elements of conditioning in their training, USA and CSA did not).

4. They have no experience in war of manouvre in large formations.

5. They have little experience or knowledge of modern fortifications, sieges and entrenchment nor the new firepower of modern arms.

What is needed to rectify this?

First of all, a larger pre-war US army, or some kind of yearly joint state militia manouvres where several state militias get together to have joint exercises. Officers need to be professional and work with staff work for these large exercises.

US officers need to serve as observers, volunteers and attachees of other nations in time of war in large numbers.

The officers' corps need to be larger.

There needs to be a higher officer university that teaches staff work, logistics, siege warfare, artillery tactics, mathematics, manouvre and large unit tactics as well as operational and strategic warfare. Officers aspiring to a rank higher than major need to pass this school.
 
Any other ideas for this thread?

Just to add to conversation after watching a documentary on Sun Tzu and how his teachings could be applied to various wars including the ACW I have wondered since then how generals such as Lee, Jackson, Grant, and Sherman might have been effected if they had read his book.:D:cool:
 
Top