Saint Jude
Sergeant Major
- Joined
- Oct 15, 2018
- Location
- Heaven
The source is General Howard. Enough said....
Not really. He recognized a morally corrupt person when he saw one. Some of the other posts say basically the same thing.
The source is General Howard. Enough said....
Interesting, but I have to say, I do not always agree with Hennesey's assessments.A little more on Hennessy's claim:
https://longislandwins.com/news/national/did-anti-german-bigotry-help-cause-second-bull-run-defeat/
Not really. He recognized a morally corrupt person when he saw one. Some of the other posts say basically the same thing.
So, how was he "morally corrupt?" Enquiring minds would like to know.
Howard's quote is in post #74.
Thanks, I saw that. In other words, Howard has nothing specific with which to indict Kearney.
Only, perhaps, that Kearney knew how to fight and Howard did not. That's my speculation.
The problem with Kearny was that he didn't only fight the enemy.
As for his moral character, Howard was a stickler for the moral rules and Kearny was not.
Ryan
Do you mean Kearny fought Union Army politics, just like the rest of them?
I've asked for examples of General Kearny's lack of moral character and no one had provided any.
Did he dance with a prettier girl than Howard at the ball? Did he buy her a drink?
If there's no specificity here, it's just casting aspersion, nothing more.
As for his moral character, Howard was a stickler for the moral rules and Kearny was not. Ryan
Fortunately for the Howard brothers, they didn't have to serve under Kearny. Three days later, Sumner assigned the division to Richardson.
Kearny honestly believed that McClellan not completely rearranging two divisions (Sumner's and Franklin's) to suit Kearny was a plot. He would whine about it continuously until his death, believing the entire US government to be engaged in a conspiracy to keep him down.
Lincoln asked McClellan to make Richardson a division commander, and McC accepted Kearny's refusal and assigned Richardson the division.
This is just a bit overwrought, don't you think?
Your post points to the fact that Kearny had a large ego, which was probably true. And yet, his point is not totally invalid. Many of the corps and division commanders at the time were not particularly competent. Some would learn from experience and grow into respectable if not very good commanders. Others would not and would be set aside.No, it is, if anything, an understatement.
"I ought to like New Jersey because my old New Jersey soldiers were so true to me, although their Governor, and rulers acted like dogs, in never taking any desire for proper appointments into consideration, and thwarting me underhandedly with McClellan and the Secretary [Stanton] and "all that tribe"." - date unknown, between 22nd and 26th June
"But Mr Stanton and McClellan are both my enemies. Both are jealous of me, one militarily, and the other, Stanton, lest I in my military sagacity, and boldness, display to public gaze some of his rascalities in military management." - 1st July
"Is it not wicked, that Gen'l McClellan works against me. Gen'l Heintzelman [elsewhere described as an "old brute"] is equally envious, and thus Hooker and other intriguing men take advantage of it. The whole Army has however been saved by me several times. - 5th July
"I am the first General officer, whose feats of arms have been ignored by all. Cheated of prestige by the falsity of McClellan, not thanks by Congress, passed over in promotions... So too Genl Halleck visits us - again I am omitted..." - 31st July
"The President has sent me, and every other General command a division, the grade of Maj. General, thus confounding me with the hero, and ignoring my achievements. I feel more indignant than had they omitted it. I however was forced to take it, or else would have been passed by the others" - undated but between 15th and 19th August.
This is a quick survey. Kearny considered there was a great conspiracy, including McClellan, Stanton, Henitzleman, Hancock (especially Hancock), every other general in the army, the governor of New Jersey, and ultimately the President, to rob him of his true glory. He wanted to be made out to be special. Hence when McClellan recommended first all his corps commanders be promoted Major-General, Kearny was furious because in his eyes he was the only officer worthy of promotion. When McClellan got all the division commanders promoted, Kearny was furious because again, he was special, and should be promoted ahead of them. The whole thing was a grand conspiracy, and he in his head he was the only competent general in the whole army (apart from CF Smith, he complemented CF Smith back in March '62).
Kearny's comments also point to the politicization of the Army of the Potomac. Whether or not Kearny's comments were overwrought or accurate, it certainly paid to be in McClellan's good graces to be recognized and promoted at that time. Even after McClellan was relieved of command in November 1862, the Army of the Potomac officer corps could be divided into pro-McClellan and anti-McClellan groups. The last vestiges of this probably didn't go away until well into the Overland Campaign in 1864 (if then).
And as I recall - which may be wrong - McClellan was offered the opportunity to choose who the corps commanders were and demurred? That doesn't entirely concord with the idea of someone seeking influence for his own clique.Corps are organised.
This isn't strictly true.