The Sword of Lincoln: The Army of the Potomac

Jeffrey D. Wert, New York: Simon & Schuster, 2005. 559 pages. Hardcover, $30.00.

Review by Thomas L. Breiner, 2008

© Cincinnati CWRT and Thomas L. Breiner 2008

The Sword of Lincoln: The Army of the Potomac by Jeffery D. Wert is another manuscript about the history of the Army of the Potomac. This work does not provide detailed accounts of the campaigns and battles that involved the Army of the Potomac, but rather a glimpse into the character of the men who made up the fiber of the Army. No Union army fought more battles, incurred more casualties and withstood more command turmoil than the Army of the Potomac. The story of the army has not changed; however, the author promises a new look into the command structure and a re-evaluation of the five principle leaders from Major Generals Irvin McDowell, George McClellan, Ambrose Burnside, Joe Hooker and finally George Meade. Time is also spent looking into the quality of the leadership at the corps, division, brigade and regimental levels.

The book is a well written, well researched and an extremely entertaining work. The author has been able to capture the spirit of the Army of the Potomac and the character of the men who made up the army. I found that his discussion on the leadership was excellent. Irvin McDowell receives his usual evaluation as being inexperienced in leading any field forces since he was a staff officer in the army prior to the war. He was not Winfield Scott's choice for the position. Jeffery Wert is definitely no fan of McClellan, stressing that he never had the faith in his creation that they had in him. It was arguably his greatest failing as a general. Wert agrees with Burnside in his belief that here was an individual that was not qualified to lead the Army. Hooker for all his endeavors to get the job proceeded to display an inability to understand how the Army should be fought. Meade would never lose the war in Virginia and could never win it.

The one problem I did find with this otherwise outstanding work was the maps. The maps added nothing to your understanding of the issue being discussed, and were really very poorly done to the point of being useless.

The author does not spend much of his time analyzing the Confederate viewpoint which was not the intent of the work and was not needed. I found this book to be very interesting and a most absorbing work. The author, Jeffrey Wert, has produced an excellent manuscript that I recommend to all. He has provided the reader with a well researched, entertaining and highly rewarding book on the primary Army of the Union. I agree with him that the Army of the Potomac was important in that, while the war was won in the West, the east was where the Confederacy could make their loudest political statement and if at all possible, gain international recognition. No matter how poorly they were used, the men of the Army of the Potomac were able to respond to the demands of the leaders and keep fighting. They remained devoted to the cause, despite fearful losses and inept generalship. Resiliency became one or their defining characteristics. They wanted a fair fight with their enemy convinced that they could whip them every time on such a field. I agree with the author when he says that the Army of the Potomac was best described by one of its own. In October 1863, Sergeant Charles Bowen of the 12th U. S. Infantry wrote to his wife, "It is actually wonderful how the Army of the Potomac stands the deprivations, trials and reverses that have been heaped on them without start or mercy to meet the foe with undaunted spirits. I do not believe there ever was an army in any country that would endure the same treatment this army has and yet be ready to fight as good a battle, and perhaps a better one than they could when they first came out. Although we have been deprived of the privilege of winning any lasting victories, it has not been our fault, as history in future days will show. I look forward to the time when a man can say with pride, 'I belonged to the Army of the Potomac.' We look to history to give us our just due and to place all the blame where it belongs." Through the endeavors of our distinguished author, Sergeant Bowen's wish has come true.