Henry Hunt
Private
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2019
Daniel Tyler's Scathing Criticism of Irvin McDowell
(Wikipedia)
Reading Daniel Tyler's memoirs and this passage struck me:
"The first campaign of the war of the Rebellion was gotten up by General McDowell and his friends and was intended to make him a hero of a short war and of a campaign begun and ended in the first battle of Bull Run. All accounts of the battle thus far intended for history- I refer to Nicolay's and Prince de Joinville's- were either written or inspired by McDowell and his friends- intending, so far as possible, to shield his military reputation from the condemnation it so richly deserves. General McDowell has been an expensive ornament to the military service; and his courtier like services in the salon have immeasurably exceeded his military service in the field."[1]
Pretty scathing depiction by Tyler here. I don't know enough to fully judge McDowell myself. Most of what I've read has been generally sympathetic that he had a good plan for the campaign but army his was inexperienced and lacking in everything. Though Tyler as his second in command may have better insight. I'm really curious about these "friends" of McDowell, any guesses?
[1] Daniel Tyler, A Memorial Volume Containing his Autobiography and War Record (New Haven, 1883), 49-50.
https://archive.org/details/danieltylermemor00mitc/page/48
(Wikipedia)
Reading Daniel Tyler's memoirs and this passage struck me:
"The first campaign of the war of the Rebellion was gotten up by General McDowell and his friends and was intended to make him a hero of a short war and of a campaign begun and ended in the first battle of Bull Run. All accounts of the battle thus far intended for history- I refer to Nicolay's and Prince de Joinville's- were either written or inspired by McDowell and his friends- intending, so far as possible, to shield his military reputation from the condemnation it so richly deserves. General McDowell has been an expensive ornament to the military service; and his courtier like services in the salon have immeasurably exceeded his military service in the field."[1]
Pretty scathing depiction by Tyler here. I don't know enough to fully judge McDowell myself. Most of what I've read has been generally sympathetic that he had a good plan for the campaign but army his was inexperienced and lacking in everything. Though Tyler as his second in command may have better insight. I'm really curious about these "friends" of McDowell, any guesses?
[1] Daniel Tyler, A Memorial Volume Containing his Autobiography and War Record (New Haven, 1883), 49-50.
https://archive.org/details/danieltylermemor00mitc/page/48