THE MILITARY HISTORY SERIES: E 740 458 1989 The United States Air Force Air Command and Staff College, in cooperation with the ACSC Foundation, publishes the Military History Series. The purpose of the series is to help professional military officers gain a greater appreciation for the lessons which may be derived from the military past. The contents of this study may be cited consistent with conventional research methods, but reprinting this work in part or in its entirety is prohibited without the express permission of the Commandant of the Air Command and Staff College. DISCLAIMER: The opinions, recommendations, and/or conclusions implied or specifically expressed within this series are solely those of the author or authors and should not be construed as representing the views of the Air Command and Staff College, the Air University, the U.S. Air Force, or any other agency of the United States government. This publication is cleared for unlimited public release. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Hensel, Howard M. The sword of the Union Federal objectives and strategies during the American Civil War / Howard M. Hensel. p. cm. (Military history series; 87-1) 1. United States-History-Civil War, 1861-1865-Campaigns. 2. United States-History-Civil War, 1861-1865-Causes. 3. United States-Politics and government-Civil War, 1861-1865. I. Title. II. Series. E740.H58 1989 973'.7'3-dc 19 89-6488 CIP For sale by the Superintendent of Documents FOREWORD I am pleased to introduce the Sword of the Union in commemoration of the one hundred and twenty-fifth anniversary of the American Civil War. As we reflect back over the century and a quarter since America's tragic internal upheaval, scholars have analyzed virtually every aspect of that conflict. Yet today, scholarly discussion continues and, in a number of significant areas, the debate has even intensified. In this work, Dr. Howard Hensel has analyzed the national objectives, grand and national military strategies, and theater operations of the United States government and the Union army during the four year conflict. In addition to contributing to a better understanding of these aspects of Federal war policy, Dr. Hensel has drawn generalizable conclusions from the actions of the Washington politico-military leadership. Of particular interest is the typology of offensively oriented, generic military strategies constructed from the experience of the Federal high command and its armies during this traumatic war. This typology may, in turn, provide the basis for continued research in delineating various generic types of both offensively and defensively oriented military strategies. The Air Command and Staff College is proud of its tradition of commitment to the study of military history and is pleased to present this work, the fourth in its Military History Series. Frank E. Willis Brigadier General, USAF |