One of the greatest, but often overlooked, partnerships in American history was that between Commander-in-Chief Abraham Lincoln and General-in-Chief Ulysses S. Grant.
Civil War and military historian Edward Bonekemper offers a compelling discussion of how these two Westerners won the Civil War and set the precedent for civilian–military relationships during wartime. He considers their evolving relationship— a mutual respect that grew into mutual loyalty. Bonekemper also addresses the specifics of this great working relationship in the areas of national policies; military strategy, operations, and tactics; and personnel decisions on manpower in the field and general officers, especially politically appointed generals.
Bonekemper is the book review editor of Civil War News and the author of five books on Civil War history.
To read Lincoln’s correspondence to Grant and others, click here.
Smithsonian Connections
Board the riverboat Queen of Mississippi and take a
journey down the historic Mississippi River, learning
its connection to the Civil War and more.
Visit the Smithsonian Journeys page to see more
trips in the United States.
