Description
Book SynopsisThis sophisticated strategic and operational analysis of General Ulysses S. Grant's command decisions and actions shows how his determined leadership relieved the siege and shattered the enemy, resulting in the creation of a new strategic base of Union operations and Grant's elevation to commander of all the Federal armies.
Trade Review“Faced with a crisis at Chattanooga, Abraham Lincoln turned to his most successful general, Ulysses S. Grant, to rescue the Union forces desperately holding on to the strategic little city on the Tennessee River. Employing the impressive body of research he amassed for his well-acclaimed work on the Chickamauga and Chattanooga Campaign, David A. Powell concisely and insightfully demonstrates how Grant, with both persistence and flexibility, led troops from three different Union armies to gain a significant victory." —Sam Davis Elliott, author of John C. Brown of Tennessee: Rebel, Redeemer, and Railroader
“In this engagingly written account of the Chattanooga campaign, Powell transitions seamlessly between the tactical and strategic levels of war, recounting the mud and blood of the battlefield as well as the rancor and resentment among the commanders. Powell’s narrative reveals how Grant managed his commanders’ egos, foibles, and personalities to prevail in the struggle over the vital rail center of Chattanooga. The Impulse of Victory is a good introduction to the battles for Chattanooga and Grant’s contributions to Union victory." —Harry S. Laver, U.S. Army Command and General Staff School, author of A General Who Will Fight: The Leadership of Ulysses S. Grant
Table of Contents
- List of Illustrations
- Acknowledgments
- Prologue
- 1. “Some Western General of High Rank”
- 2. “Wet, Dirty, and Well”
- 3. “They Looked upon the Garrison as Prisoners of War”
- 4. “Recollect That East Tennessee Is My Horror”
- 5. “We Went in a Zigzag”
- 6. “The Elements Were against Us”
- 7. “It Is All Poetry”
- 8. “We Shall Have a Battle on Mission Ridge”
- 9. “Inspired by the Impulse of Victory”
- 10. “A Most Important Position”
- 11. “A Very Dangerous Defile”
- 12.The Best-Planned Battle?
- Appendix: Order of Battle, Chattanooga Campaign
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Index
