Shortly after the beginning of the Civil War, Congress established
the Joint Committee on the Conduct of War to investigate such
matters as military contracts, trade with the enemy, treatment of
the wounded, and the causes of Union defeat. But its greatest
efforts were directed toward a more vigorous war effort-endorsing
emancipation, the use of black soldiers, and the appointment of
fighting generals-leading President Lincoln to fear that this
watchdog committee would become little more than an "engine of
agitation."
The COCOW generated controversy throughout the war, and its
legacy sparks debate even today over whether it invigorated or
hampered the Union war effort. In the wake of both critical and
sympathetic appraisals, Bruce Tap now offers the first history of
COCOW's activities, focusing on the nature of its power and its
influence on military policy in order to show conclusively what its
ultimate impact really was.
Tap presents solid evidence, including examples of contact
between Congress and the military, to show that the COCOW produced
little good and no small amount of harm. The Committee's principal
members entertained simplistic notions about warfare that led to
rash judgments about its conduct, and because its goals were
congruent with Republican ideology, its principal criterion in
evaluating military leadership was adherence to anti-slavery
beliefs. As a result, the COCOW polarized Congress and the Army,
limited strategic options, demoralized the Union's top generals,
and inflated the reputations of incompetent soldiers. As Tap
demonstrates, it was in many ways a serious impediment to the war
effort, due not to its fanaticism or vindictiveness as some
historians have suggested, but rather to its members' total
ignorance of military matters.
"Over Lincoln's Shoulder" is a revisionist account that corrects
prevailing images of the relationship between Republican
politicians and the Army during the Civil War. By examining the
conflict between Congress's constitutional right to investigate and
the impropriety of its actions, it raises questions that are
applicable today about the ability of legislative bodies to
function in areas where specialized knowledge is required.
General
| Imprint: |
University Press of Kansas
|
| Country of origin: |
United States |
| Release date: |
1998 |
| First published: |
1998 |
| Authors: |
Bruce Tap
|
| Dimensions: |
229 x 152 x 18mm (L x W x T) |
| Format: |
Paperback
|
| Pages: |
332 |
| ISBN-13: |
978-0-7006-1426-4 |
| Categories: |
Books >
Humanities >
History >
General
Books >
History >
General
|
| LSN: |
0-7006-1426-5 |
| Barcode: |
9780700614264 |
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
