Winfield Scott : the quest for military glory / Timothy D. Johnson

Object Details

Author

Johnson, Timothy D. 1957-

Subject

Scott, Winfield 1786-1866

United States Army

Contents

Young fuss and feathers -- Sloth, ignorance, and intemperance -- Writing history with a sword -- In peace, prepare for war -- Converting friends into enemies -- Challenges during the Jackson years -- Diplomat and politician -- The politics of command -- Olive branch and sword -- Old fuss and feathers -- Sage of the army

Summary

One of the most important public figures in antebellum America, Winfield Scott is known today more for his swagger than his sword. "Old Fuss and Feathers" was a brilliant military commander whose tactics and strategy were innovative adaptations from European military theory; yet he was often underappreciated by his contemporaries and, until recently, overlooked by historians.

Johnson dramatically relates the key features of Scott's career: how he led troops to victory in the War of 1812 and the Mexican War, fought against the Seminoles and Creeks, and was instrumental in professionalizing the U.S. Army, which he commanded for two decades. He also tells how Scott tried to introduce French methods into army tactical manuals, and how he applied his study of the Napoleonic Wars during the Mexico City campaign but found European strategy of little use against Indians. Johnson further suggests that Scott's creation of an officer corps that boasted Grant, Lee, McClellan, and other veterans of the Mexican War raises important questions about his influence on Civil War generalship.

More than a military history, this book explains how Scott's aristocratic pretensions were out of place with emerging notions of equality in Jacksonian America and made him an unappealing political candidate in his bid for the presidency. Johnson recounts the details of Scott's personality that alienated nearly every one who knew him, as well as the unsavory methods Scott used to promote his career and the scandalous ways he attempted to alleviate his lifelong financial troubles.

1998

©1998

War of 1812

Civil War, 1861-1865

Call number

CT275.S52 J65 1998

Type

Biography

History

Military history

Physical description

xi, 315 pages ; 24 cm

Place

United States

Smithsonian Libraries

Topic

Generals

Mexican War, 1846-1848

History, Military

History

Record ID

siris_sil_554932

Metadata Usage (text)

CC0