Abraham Lincoln Quote 12/15/07

This quote is in response to a suggestion that General Ulysses S. Grant drank too much. Previous Generals in the Union Army were, in Lincoln's view, too hesitant to fight the Confederates, even when the Union appeared to have the upper hand. Grant, on the other hand, was eager to engage.

Good morning Julie

Yes, I'm sure Lincoln was rocking in the Lincoln bedroom...so to speak!

(well, he didn't say if he would send them to Generals in the Union or the Confederate Army!) So I'm glad you cleared that up. :-) )

Good point Mary

You know they did not have Prozac back then, not Valium, so I guess they "Numbed" themselves to the problems in this way. Besides, back then, a shot of whiskey was so "important" in many a conference, according to what I have read, a ritual, so to speak during many a meeting. Good quote, human, Ellen B

Nothing wrong with a "shot of confidence" before a meeting (or a battle), though apparently Grant took more than a little liberty with the privilege.

lol..I was just thinking - on of the photos I saw of Grant...he has a glass in his hand.

He was another good military man, I went to Appamattox Manor last year. He could have slept in the nice house...but he slept outside with his men. That means alot for moral.

He did have a small cabin there.

I didn't know that donna, but it makes sense. Seems he was a down to earth kind of guy (much like Lincoln, except for the hard liquor)

We have a statue in our little town, Grant received his "Commission" here, before, or just after the "Battle of Pilot Knob". It is one of our main tourist's attraction, along with the Battlefield at Fort Davidson, the site of a huge battle, a big park, and it sits at the base of one of our Mountains, that forms our Valley, it is called Devil's Ice-Box. So named because of the depth of the Cave on top, and the temperature. It is also the home of a rare species of bat, and this is one of only two sites in the United States where they congregate, and is protected by the State of Missouri's Game, and Threatened Wildlife Programs." We are famous around here for the Fort, and the ensuing Battle, along with being so beautiful, it was one of the most decisive battles of the War. Ellen B

Great quote. I'm sure it was important to have a drink now and then. It calmed their nerves and gave them the confidence to go on...but if they had too many....oops.

Ellen - cool information...I know Lincoln liked Grant "because he fights" where his previous generals were kind of wimpy in the battlefield (in Lincoln's opinion).

Danielle - I'm guessing that going to battle was a pretty stressful thing. Pretty sure I'd be drinking too.

It's important to realize that teetotalers were very uncommon and alcohol served morning , noon and night was uncommon. The prevalence of alcohol in almost every situation was particularly trying for those with little or no tolerance for drinking it, as Poe was supposed to be. Avoiding it was difficult, nearly impossible - possibly because water was largely unsanitary.

Lincoln was repeatedly frustrated at the majority of the generals he put in charge in the East and, it wasn't until Grant that he felt progress was finally being made.

No one, North or South, I think anticipated the length and cost of this war. Lincoln wanted it over very much and he couldn't do it without an effective general. I suspect, therefore, Grant's habits were of minimal concern if he could get the job done.

Even so, Grant is known for his hard drinking even in this time of hard drinking. Alcohol plagued Grant, long after he stopped fighting and he was cited for drunk or reckless driving while President, I presume in a horse and carriage.

Stephanie - excellent point...sanitation wasn't that good back then and the water often was contaminated with all sorts of microorganisms. At least you could count on alcohol "sterilizing" the microbes.

Grant was a bit of an enigma. He certainly had a reputation for over-imbibing while he was a General, but the country (at least the North) was so grateful for his contributions to the war that they ignored his drinking and made him President.

You're so right about expectations for the length of the war. The North expected to rout the South easily. In the first battle outside of Washington DC, people actually went out to watch as if it was some sort of theater. Needless to say they quickly high-tailed it out of there when the Confederates overran the Union troops (both the spectators and the Union troops).

That's why I'm here Julie...to bring a smile to your face...yours only :)

Michelle - both!

Neat quote. Yes, it took Lincoln some time to find Generals that were aggressive in battle; risk takers. A not too uncommon problem when transitioning from a peace army, to one suddenly at war.

Michelle - glad I could be of service. I just wish I had more time to spend reading the 500 books on Abe I have collected.

Julie - And I missed you too yesterday :)

Nothing wrong, except that I got to work at 5:30 am and then was on a 2-1/2 hour conference call with Europe starting at 7 am (which is why I'm moving over there in March). I'm at work now trying to catch up.

John - I suspect our recent experience of moving from a peace army (interesting oxymoronic play on words) to one actively at war has some parallels with what Lincoln went through. Though it seems clear no one in the current situation bothered to study Lincoln's experiences in their "preparation" for war.

Julie - yep, early up in the morning, late to bed at night. I keep telling myself sleep is overrated, but then occassionally my body reminds me otherwise.

Of course you can visit me. I should be in Brussels by March. I plan to stay on Gather and even start an "If it's Tuesday, it must be Belgium" series of articles.

Julie - always :)

Good quote, David.

I think his sense of humor comes through on this quote! C):-)

I'm not the dedicated Lincoln buff you are, but I've been interested in civil war since I lived out East and visited so many of the sites. Between that and my love for quotes, your series interacts very well.

Lincoln had a good sense of humor!

Stephanie - glad you like them. Eventually I'll have posted everything he ever said or wrote, but until then...

KD - yes, Lincoln was famous for his stories. He had a way of getting his point across in a disarming way, so even many of his enemies came to admire him (well, except for JWB anyway).

Ah, the proverbial drinking men!

You're welcome Lora

He should have given them Sherman's whiskey (I assume Sherman drank) since Sherman didn't kill so many men on either side and did bring about the end of the war.
Sherman destroyed property but did not needlessly shed blood unlike almost all the other Generals on both sides.

Lyla - I'll see if I can find out what brand. lol

Larry - I think I saw that there were over 600,000 men killed in the Civil War (I assume that means both sides).

It was intended as a criticism of his other generals in particular McClelland. The Civil War casualty rates were the worst ever suffered by Americans the Civil War holds the record for the most killed in one battle and in one day. It made even WWII look tame. It was a very grisly, grisly business with Generals directing battles who were way behind the improvement in killing technology. Gettysburg and Antietam were amazing in their destruction. When it comes to figuring out technology for killing people America has been cutting edge in every war from the Civil War onwards.

George - unfortunately so. As bad as the 4000 of our men and women being killed in Iraq is, the body count from the Civil War is even more devastating.

And yes, Lincoln was criticizing the generals who preceded Grant. Lincoln felt the war could have ended years earlier if his generals would "just fight." Grant fought.