Probably won’t see this as a it’s a late comment (a flu/bronchitis episode knoked me out cold and bed ridden for 10 days – next year a flu shot.)

Read and enjoyed your Plenty of Blame. Lots of great stuff as operational narrative, current tours et al.

However I’m not going to agree with your conclusions.

“Those who love us don’t always serve us best” (Who said that? Beats me, read it somewhere. If uncertain blame the Greeks; they seemed to have coined everything first.

Lee in his immense accumulation of awe and respect from his devoted lieutenants tended to get syncophanitic efforts from those who would serve. Stuart, AP Hill, and Pendleton were particularly suseptible to not questioning what Lee proposed.

The Gay Cavalier Stuart never stepped up to being the chief of cavalry needed to provide oversight and guidance to his senior and sometimes vague boss.

For the life of me I cannot understand how Lee/Stuart could so grossly lose sight of critical objective (The Army of the Potomac) and devise a scheme that allowed Boy General Stuart to trot after Ewell and dump the screen mission most vital to the ANV on B Johnson??? As Chief of Cav with an expanded force Stuart needed to stay relatively close to Lee to coordinate all the assets of the Cavalry: not take his housekarls off a’raidin.

Blame Lee and Marshall for sloppy staff work. But BLAME Stuart for immaturity in his command actions during this crucial period.

J.D.

That is one great review.

Chris

Eric