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Summary:

"Historians have tended to downplay the Mexican-American War (1846-1848) experiences of United States Army officers who went on to form the leadership corps of both armies during the American Civil War. This volume, edited by Mexican-American War expert Timothy Johnson, argues instead that scholars should view the conflict as a formative experience for the three hundred-plus future Civil War generals who served in Mexico as lower-grade officers. For many of them, it was their first combat experience. West Point had provided an excellent education in specialized fields, but the Mexican laboratory equipped a generation of young officers with practical lessons in strategy, tactics, logistics, and interpersonal relationships. Thus, the Mexican-American War was an important proving ground for young officers who would command forces in both the Union and Confederate armies a decade and a half later. A dozen distinguished Civil War scholars contributed essays to the collection. Each explores the Mexican War influence on the leadership of a prominent Civil War general, bridging the gap between the two conflicts and suggesting discernable connections. They reveal that the lessons young American officers learned in Mexico were often more subtle than explicit, explaining why scholars have neglected the war with Mexico in many cases when analyzing Civil War generalship. Overall, the volume clarifies that the Mexican-American War played a central, albeit understated, role in developing Civil War leadership and command practices."-- [Provided by publisher]

Table of Contents:

• Lofty Expectations: Don Carlos Buell's Mexican-American War Education / Stephen D. Engle
• Playing Games: Joseph Hooker and the Politics of Command / Ethan S. Rafuse
• A Stepping Stone to Some Future and Greater War: George B. McClellan's Mexican War Apprenticeship / Thomas W. Cutrer
• Nineteen Months in Mexico: George Gordon Meade Develops His Philosophy of War, 1845-1847 / Jennifer M. Murray
• When a Little Slow Mattered Most: George H. Thomas in Mexico / Brian Steel Wills
• Learning from the Best and Worst of Winfield Scott's Example: Robert E. Lee in the Mexican-American War / Joseph T. Glatthaar
• The Quest for Recognition and Glory: P. G. T. Beauregard in Mexico / Sean Michael Chick
• Sour Grapes: Braxton Bragg and the Lessons of the War with Mexico / Cecily N. Zander
• The Training of Lee's Future Lieutenant: Thomas J. Jackson's Mexican War / Christian B. Keller
• My Fair Fame as a Soldier and a Man: Joseph E. Johnston in the Mexican-American War / Craig L. Symonds
• Making the Assault with the Determination to Succeed: James Longstreet's Attack on Fort Sanders / Alexander Mendoza.

Contributors:

Johnson, Timothy D., 1957- , editor

Languages:

English

Language Notes:

Item content: English

Other Related Resources:

Print version: Mexican-American War experiences of twelve Civil War generals (Baton Rouge : Louisiana State University Press, [2024] — ISBN 9780807182383; LCCN 2024010649)

Related Series:

Conflicting worlds

Subjects:

United States Army — Officers — Biography

United States Army — History — Mexican War, 1846-1848

Confederate States of America Army — Officers — Biography

Mexican War, 1846-1848 — Influence

Command of troops — History — 19th century

General Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.
Description based on online resource; title from digital title page (viewed on September 27, 2024).

Physical Description:

1 online resource.

Call Numbers:

E403 .M49 2024eb

ISBNs:

9780807183298 (electronic book)
0807183296 (electronic book)
9780807183281 (electronic book)
0807183288 (electronic book)
9780807182383 (hardcover) [Invalid]

Library of Congress Control Numbers:

2024010650

OCLC Numbers:

1463911181

Other Control Numbers:

EBC31323151 (source: MiAaPQ)
[Unknown Type]: ybp306683247