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Winfield Scott : the quest for military glory / Timothy D. Johnson

Catalog Data

Author:
Johnson, Timothy D. 1957-  Search this
Subject:
Scott, Winfield 1786-1866  Search this
United States Army  Search this
Physical description:
xi, 315 pages ; 24 cm
Type:
Biography
History
Military history
Place:
United States
Date:
1998
©1998
War of 1812
Civil War, 1861-1865
Contents:
Young fuss and feathers -- Sloth, ignorance, and intemperance -- Writing history with a sword -- In peace, prepare for war -- Converting friends into enemies -- Challenges during the Jackson years -- Diplomat and politician -- The politics of command -- Olive branch and sword -- Old fuss and feathers -- Sage of the army
Summary:
One of the most important public figures in antebellum America, Winfield Scott is known today more for his swagger than his sword. "Old Fuss and Feathers" was a brilliant military commander whose tactics and strategy were innovative adaptations from European military theory; yet he was often underappreciated by his contemporaries and, until recently, overlooked by historians.
Johnson dramatically relates the key features of Scott's career: how he led troops to victory in the War of 1812 and the Mexican War, fought against the Seminoles and Creeks, and was instrumental in professionalizing the U.S. Army, which he commanded for two decades. He also tells how Scott tried to introduce French methods into army tactical manuals, and how he applied his study of the Napoleonic Wars during the Mexico City campaign but found European strategy of little use against Indians. Johnson further suggests that Scott's creation of an officer corps that boasted Grant, Lee, McClellan, and other veterans of the Mexican War raises important questions about his influence on Civil War generalship.
More than a military history, this book explains how Scott's aristocratic pretensions were out of place with emerging notions of equality in Jacksonian America and made him an unappealing political candidate in his bid for the presidency. Johnson recounts the details of Scott's personality that alienated nearly every one who knew him, as well as the unsavory methods Scott used to promote his career and the scandalous ways he attempted to alleviate his lifelong financial troubles.
Topic:
Generals  Search this
Mexican War, 1846-1848  Search this
History, Military  Search this
History  Search this
Call number:
CT275.S52 J65 1998
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_554932