I cannot believe it. The Chiefs are returning to the Super Bowl in a year where I have watched them play some of the worst football of the past five years. This statement is critical, but it reflects all the Chiefs players' adaptability in turning an "off year" into another Super Bowl berth. It will likely be another close game, and I do not want to predict who will win. Nonetheless, this is probably what Patriot fans felt like under Tom Brady.
Ironically, I am talking about the Chiefs attending the Super Bowl and then about defeated generals in the Civil War. I was inspired by Dr. Woodworth's book, Civil War Generals in Defeat. It is strange how small details determine victory and defeat in a battle and campaign. George McClellan could have been a better strategist. He knew that multiple armies had to move at once but was stunted by the Union leadership across the north. He also failed to understand the political necessity of "total victory" in the South. It was not so much his poor tactical abilities on the battlefield that led to his removal from command; instead, it was his inability to understand the political necessities and needs of the Lincoln administrator and connect them to military policy. McClellan should also be criticized for his lack of presence during the Peninsula Campaign as the Union army sat outside the gates of Richmond, but he did not give up his position in Virginia. His inability to act forced his army to be recalled back to Washington.
Then there is the issue with Joseph Hooker, in which he was equally instrumental in raising the morale of Union soldiers and reorganizing the defeated Union army. His initial movements and planning of the Chancellorsville Campaign were impressive, but his wound forced him to retire from his position (not the loss of the nerve as reported by so many). His record remains solid after Chancellorsville. He won a victory at Lookout Mountain during the Chattanooga Campaign. It was far from what Grant reported as "poetic." Grant's unjust criticism has more to do with the fact that taking Lookout Mountain would not aid in cutting off Confederate forces later, pointing out Hooker’s shortsightedness to operations. Nevertheless, he listened to the plan and agreed that he should be given credit. McClellan and Hooker represent decent generals that suffered from small details that led to prolonging the war effort.
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