Dr. Timothy B. Smith

So the rivers are set up perfectly for their operations in the west, and it sets up perfectly to implement this Anaconda plan.

So the rivers are set up perfectly for their operations in the west, and it sets up perfectly to implement this Anaconda plan.

So the rivers are set up perfectly for their operations in the west, and it sets up perfectly to implement this Anaconda plan.

It is. A lot of Civil War actions depend on speed and surprise. The effort is to surprise the enemy, get in the first punch, sucker punch kind of thing. And you don't need a military academy education to figure that out. If you're going to fight the bully in the third grade, you want to get the sucker punch in. It's not anything new to military history or anything like that.

It is. A lot of Civil War actions depend on speed and surprise. The effort is to surprise the enemy, get in the first punch, sucker punch kind of thing. And you don't need a military academy education to figure that out. If you're going to fight the bully in the third grade, you want to get the sucker punch in. It's not anything new to military history or anything like that.

It is. A lot of Civil War actions depend on speed and surprise. The effort is to surprise the enemy, get in the first punch, sucker punch kind of thing. And you don't need a military academy education to figure that out. If you're going to fight the bully in the third grade, you want to get the sucker punch in. It's not anything new to military history or anything like that.

In fact, what Johnson is doing, since Buell is coming in from Nashville, Johnson realizes we're going to be way out. We're already outnumbered pretty much, at least parity. And when Buell gets here, we're going to be way outnumbered. And so we better fight one at a time. So it's the classic old Napoleonic central position where you get in between the two.

In fact, what Johnson is doing, since Buell is coming in from Nashville, Johnson realizes we're going to be way out. We're already outnumbered pretty much, at least parity. And when Buell gets here, we're going to be way outnumbered. And so we better fight one at a time. So it's the classic old Napoleonic central position where you get in between the two.

In fact, what Johnson is doing, since Buell is coming in from Nashville, Johnson realizes we're going to be way out. We're already outnumbered pretty much, at least parity. And when Buell gets here, we're going to be way outnumbered. And so we better fight one at a time. So it's the classic old Napoleonic central position where you get in between the two.

You drive a wedge of troops, your army, in between two separate enemy forces and you fight one at a time and that's exactly what johnson is trying to do it's a gamble he says we gotta you know we will conquer or perish this is do or die and he decides to fight grant hoping to rid himself of grant before buell arrives i

You drive a wedge of troops, your army, in between two separate enemy forces and you fight one at a time and that's exactly what johnson is trying to do it's a gamble he says we gotta you know we will conquer or perish this is do or die and he decides to fight grant hoping to rid himself of grant before buell arrives i

You drive a wedge of troops, your army, in between two separate enemy forces and you fight one at a time and that's exactly what johnson is trying to do it's a gamble he says we gotta you know we will conquer or perish this is do or die and he decides to fight grant hoping to rid himself of grant before buell arrives i

Grant relies on Sherman a great deal. A lot of historians talk about the friendship that is born at Shiloh. In fact, it goes back a little earlier than that. Sherman is supplying Grant during the Fort Donaldson campaign, sending him troops, sending him supplies. So they lean on each other then. I think it is, though, at Shiloh where this friendship is born in fire almost.

Grant relies on Sherman a great deal. A lot of historians talk about the friendship that is born at Shiloh. In fact, it goes back a little earlier than that. Sherman is supplying Grant during the Fort Donaldson campaign, sending him troops, sending him supplies. So they lean on each other then. I think it is, though, at Shiloh where this friendship is born in fire almost.

Grant relies on Sherman a great deal. A lot of historians talk about the friendship that is born at Shiloh. In fact, it goes back a little earlier than that. Sherman is supplying Grant during the Fort Donaldson campaign, sending him troops, sending him supplies. So they lean on each other then. I think it is, though, at Shiloh where this friendship is born in fire almost.

They really start to depend on each other. It may be overplayed a little bit. I think Sherman, if you know about Sherman, he's kind of a wily guy. I'm convinced that he, even as late as the summer of 1862 and maybe a little bit later when Grant is kind of under a cloud a little bit, Grant stays under a cloud a lot, He's still hedging his bets. He's very friendly with Halleck, right?

They really start to depend on each other. It may be overplayed a little bit. I think Sherman, if you know about Sherman, he's kind of a wily guy. I'm convinced that he, even as late as the summer of 1862 and maybe a little bit later when Grant is kind of under a cloud a little bit, Grant stays under a cloud a lot, He's still hedging his bets. He's very friendly with Halleck, right?

They really start to depend on each other. It may be overplayed a little bit. I think Sherman, if you know about Sherman, he's kind of a wily guy. I'm convinced that he, even as late as the summer of 1862 and maybe a little bit later when Grant is kind of under a cloud a little bit, Grant stays under a cloud a lot, He's still hedging his bets. He's very friendly with Halleck, right?

And Halleck gives glorious letters. He's very friendly with Grant. And so it's almost like Sherman is saying, okay, I'm going to bide my time, be friendly with both until I see which one I need to hook my wagon to, you know, to go farther. But very much developing a friendship here with Grant. And a lot of that comes out of Shallow.

And Halleck gives glorious letters. He's very friendly with Grant. And so it's almost like Sherman is saying, okay, I'm going to bide my time, be friendly with both until I see which one I need to hook my wagon to, you know, to go farther. But very much developing a friendship here with Grant. And a lot of that comes out of Shallow.