Saruman
Sergeant
- Joined
- Jun 10, 2011
However, his administrative performance in the Trans-Mississippi was what I was referring to (which is why I mentioned that field talent was hardly a prerequisite for generalship). The Trans-Mississippi was a theater command, not an army command, and as such was an administrative duty commanding multiple line officers in the field with differing objectives, not a line duty itself.
A Crisis in Confederate Command also describes how Kirby Smith's administrative abilities weren't all they were cracked up to be either. His department was overburdened by petty bureaucrats, needless red tape, inefficiency, and corruption. Kirby Smith himself wasn't involved in any corrupt activities but many of his subordinates were. Lots of soldiers and officers complained about the bureaucracy, red tape, and corruption in Kirby Smith's department. The term "Kirby Smithdom" was actually used in a derogatory fashion by many.