Theory and War’s Friction

In reading Rick Atkinson’s The Day of Battle, I came across a passage from the official British military history of the allied operation at Salerno, Italy, in 1943 [emphasis mine]:

In the land of theory…there is none of war’s friction. The troops are, as in fact they were not, perfect Tactical Men, uncannily skillful, impervious to fear, bewilderment, boredom, hunger, thirst, or tiredness. Commanders know what in fact they did not know…Lorries never collide, there is always a by-pass at the mined road-block, and the bridges are always wider than the flood. Shells fall always where they should fall.

It seems to me, when analyzing a commander’s performance, or divining his intent based on subsequent events, too many American Civil War writers live too much in the land of theory.

Tour Update 3/23/2016 – ONE MONTH OUT

The day of the tour is quickly approaching – April 23, 2016. This is just a reminder for all you who plan to attend to keep an eye out for updates. Our special guest John Hennessy has given me a tentative itinerary. As most if not all of you are coming to get John’s insights, the structure of our tour will be his. I’ll be adding tidbits – cool stuff – as we go along. Remember, we want interaction, an exchange of ideas. But we don’t need “Gotchas.” You know who you are.

So, to recap for the umpteenth time, this is a caravan tour. You must be willing to car pool. That means you. Either as a driver or as a passenger. Parking is limited, and this is a necessity. So, clean out your car like its prom. And shower, too. We want to average 4 people per vehicle at least. Bring a van and you’ll be a rock star. Also, make sure you’re on the list (I’ll put it up with this post later today). While Manassas Battlefield Trust will be providing some water and snacks, you should also bring your own hydration and lunch. There will be no time to venture offsite for a meal.

Dress appropriately, for walking up and down hills and in what may be tall grass. It’s up to you, but I tend to wear long pants on battlefields, even and especially in warm weather. Bring rain gear just in case. Insect repellent is a good idea too.

A full itinerary will be posted soon. Any handouts will be provided here beforehand, to eliminate that process on the field. You’ll be able to print them out or download them to your device. You may want to get those little plastic sleeves and put them in a binder of sorts. If you don’t “do computers,” make sure you have a friend who does. It’s the 21st Century, people, and Bull Runnings is doing its part to drag you into it.

Things are shaping up nicely. Let’s hope Mother Nature cooperates.

Please be courteous – if you see your name below and have no intention on attending, let me know right away.

1 Anderson, James
2 Anderson, Roy
3 Backus, Page Gibbons
4 Banks, John
5 Baumgarten, Ron
6 Bednarek, Kat Zalewski
7 Bellefeuille, Scott
8 Biggs, Jeff
9 Booker, Bob
10 Brace, Kim
11 Brand, Gary
12 Burden, Jeffry
13 Carson, Dan
14 Ciasullo, Ron
15 Conroy, Dianne Fox
16 Cummings, John
17 Cunard, Jan Hyland
18 Dennis, James
20 Dittoe, Tom + 1
21 Errett, Paul
22 Fuller, John
23 Franklin, Albert
24 Gottert, Mike
25 Gottfried, Linda
27 Greer, Jackie + 1
28 Greevy, Jay
29 Gueverra, Mark
30 Hall, Clark B.
31 Harper, Joseph
32 Hennessy, John
33 Hamann, Carlos
34 Herring, Rod
35 Johnson, Brad
37 Kaptek, Rob + 1
38 Kathman, Debra
39 Keating, Stephen
40 Kenepp, D. Scott
41 Killian, Aaron
42 Lafleur, Joe
43 Langbart, David
44 Laudenslager, Sam
46 Leckenby, Dawn + 1
47 Leupold, Tom
48 Lewis, Richard
49 Liebler, Shelly
50 Massey, Jeff
51 McGregor, Douglas
52 McLean, Jim
53 Mcmorrow, Myles
54 Miller, Bruce
55 Mitchell, Brian
56 Mitchell, Celia
57 Morgan, Jim
58 Morton, Patrick
59 Mueller, Benjamin
60 Mueller, Jullian
61 Musick, Mike
62 Nank, Thomas
63 Oakes, Douglas A
64 O’Neil, Keith
65 Orrison, Rob
66 Pawlak, Kevin
67 Pellegrini, Mike
68 Peterson, Ana
69 Peterson, Anne
70 Peterson, Char
71 Peterson, Doug
72 Peterson, Kyle
73 Phillips, Rick
74 Redd, Rae Andrew
75 Reilly, Steve
76 Rich, Patricia Petersen
77 Rosebrock, Jams
78 Russell, Bill
79 Sagle, William
80 Smeltzer, Harry
81 Smith, Teej
82 Stinchcomb, Earl
83 Swain, Craig
84 Taylor, Paul
85 Tinnon-Massey, Norma
86 Weihs, Kelly
87 Wichtendahl, Kyle Francis
88 Williams, Jim

Preview: Barringer, “Fighting for General Lee”

Newly released from Savas Beatie is Sheridan R. “Butch” Barringer’s biography Fighting for General Lee: Confederate General Rufus Barringer and the North Carolina Cavalry Brigade. Barringer (Rufus, that is) served in the cavalry from the Peninsula until his capture at Namozine Church on April 3, 1865, first as a lieutenant in the 1st N. C. Cavalry and finally as Brigadier General in command of the North Carolina Cavalry Brigade (he was seriously wounded in the face at Brandy Station in June, 1863 and missed the Gettysburg Campaign). During his captivity, he was introduced to Abraham Lincoln at City Point, VA. After the war, the author argues, Barringer was a vocal supporter cooperation with Reconstruction efforts.

What you get: 282 pages of narrative, with footnotes at the bottom of the page where they belong, and plenty of photographs and maps. In addition to interviewing the General’s descendants over the years, the bibliography indicates the author consulted numerous manuscript collections and newspaper archives, in addition to published primary and secondary accounts. Testimonials include cav guys Ed Longacre, Chris Hartley, and Eric Wittenberg, as well as long time public historian Chris Calkins.

Tour Update 3/13/2016 Part 2

OK folks, I have to cut this off now. We have over 80 people who have said they are coming on the tour. Remember this is a caravan tour, and we must carpool. If you have a van, great! If you have a two-seater, not so great (that includes pickup trucks with no back seat). Clean your vehicles out! Oh, and if you think when I say you must car pool that I don’t mean you, I do mean you. Especially you!

Here’s an updated list. If you are on this list and your plans change, let me know so I can take you off. If you’re on this list twice, let me know so I can correct it – you’re taking up two spots. (I have taken anyone who failed to give me a first and last name off the list.) Remember to check back often – any handouts will be posted here for downloading. We won’t be passing them out at the tour, you need to bring them. All part of a free event. Here’s an updated list:

1 Anderson, James
2 Anderson, Roy
3 Backus, Page Gibbons
4 Banks, John
5 Baumgarten, Ron
6 Bednarek, Kat Zalewski
7 Bellefeuille, Scott
8 Biggs, Jeff
9 Booker, Bob
10 Brace, Kim
11 Brand, Gary
12 Burden, Jeffry
13 Carson, Dan
14 Ciasullo, Ron
15 Conroy, Dianne Fox
16 Cummings, John
17 Cunard, Jan Hyland
18 Dennis, James
20 Dittoe, Tom + 1
21 Errett, Paul
22 Fuller, John
23 Franklin, Albert
24 Gottert, Mike
25 Gottfried, Linda
27 Greer, Jackie + 1
28 Greevy, Jay
29 Gueverra, Mark
30 Hall, Clark B.
31 Harper, Joseph
32 Hennessy, John
33 Hamann, Carlos
34 Herring, Rod
35 Johnson, Brad
37 Kaptek, Rob + 1
38 Kathman, Debra
39 Keating, Stephen
40 Kenepp, D. Scott
41 Killian, Aaron
42 Lafleur, Joe
43 Langbart, David
44 Laudenslager, Sam
46 Leckenby, Dawn + 1
47 Leupold, Tom
48 Lewis, Richard
49 Liebler, Shelly
50 Massey, Jeff
51 McGregor, Douglas
52 McLean, Jim
53 Mcmorrow, Myles
54 Miller, Bruce
55 Mitchell, Brian
56 Mitchell, Celia
57 Morgan, Jim
58 Morton, Patrick
59 Mueller, Benjamin
60 Mueller, Jullian
61 Musick, Mike
62 Nank, Thomas
63 Oakes, Douglas A
64 O’Neil, Keith
65 Orrison, Rob
66 Pawlak, Kevin
67 Pellegrini, Mike
68 Peterson, Ana
69 Peterson, Anne
70 Peterson, Char
71 Peterson, Doug
72 Peterson, Kyle
73 Phillips, Rick
74 Reilly, Steve
75 Rich, Patricia Petersen
76 Rosebrock, Jams
77 Russell, Bill
78 Sagle, William
79 Smeltzer, Harry
80 Smith, Teej
81 Stinchcomb, Earl
82 Swain, Craig
83 Taylor, Paul
84 Tinnon-Massey, Norma
85 Weihs, Kelly
86 Wichtendahl, Kyle Francis
87 Williams, Jim

Tour Update 3/13/2016 – Attendee List

Below is a list of everyone who has notified me that they are definitely intending to attend the tour on April 23rd. Check the list over. If you are one of the folks who identified themselves with only one name or a nickname, please clarify in the comments section below (here, on the blog). If you thought you had indicated your intent to attend but don’t see your name, again, let me know here in the comments. If you have someone who you intend to bring along, or if the number of folks I have down for you is wrong, let me know here in the comments. At some point SOON we have to cut this off (because this is a caravan tour), so make your decision post haste. Do NOT leave your name on this list if you’re just thinking you might go. If you plan to go and are not on the list, either leave a comment below or click the “going” link on the Facebook event page. Thanks for the great response!

1 Anderson, Roy
2 Backus, Page Gibbons
3 Baumgarten, Ron
4 Bellefeuille, Scott
5 Biggs, Jeff
6 Booker, Bob
7 Brace, Kim
8 Brand, Gary
9 Burden, Jeffry
10 Carson, Dan
11 Conroy, Dianne Fox
12 Cummings, John
13 Cunard, Jan Hyland
14 Dennis, James
16 Dittoe, Tom +1
17 Errett, Paul
18 Franklin, Albert
19 Gottfried, Linda
21 Greer, Jackie +1
22 Greevy, Jay
23 Hall, Clark B.
24 Harper, Joseph
25 Hennessy, John
26 Hamann, Carlos
27 Herring, Rod
28 isw7 (only name given)
30 Jackie (only name given) +1
31 Jeff (only name given)
32 Johnson, Brad
33 Jones, Connie
34 Kathman, Debra
35 Keating, Stephen
36 Keith (only name given)
37 Kenepp, D. Scott
38 Killian, Aaron
39 Lafleur, Joe
40 Langbart, David
41 Laudenslager, Sam
43 Leckenby, Dawn +1
44 Liebler, Shelly
45 Massey, Jeff
46 McGregor, Douglas
47 McLean, Jim
48 Mcmorrow, Myles
49 Miller, Bruce
50 Morgan, Jim
51 Mueller, Benjamin
52 Mueller, Jullian
53 Musick, Mike
54 Nank, Thomas
55 Oakes, Douglas A
56 O’Neil, Keith
57 Orrison, Rob
58 Pawlak, Kevin
59 Pellegrini, Mike
60 Peterson, Ana
61 Peterson, Anne
62 Peterson, Char
63 Peterson, Doug
64 Peterson, Kyle
65 Phillips, Rick
66 Phillips, Rick
67 Radke, Bob
68 Reilly, Steve
69 Rich, Patricia Petersen
70 roneillmt (only name given)
71 Rosebrock, Jams
72 Russell, Bill
73 Sagle, William
74 Smeltzer, Harry
75 Smith, Teej
76 Stinchcomb, Earl
77 Swain, Craig
78 Taylor, Paul
79 Tinnon-Massey, Norma
80 Weihs, Kelly
81 Wichtendahl, Kyle Francis

Tour Update 3/11/2016

Right now, I show 80 folks who have indicated they will attend the tour, between those who clicked “going” on the Facebook event page and those who said they are going in the comments section on this blog post. Later, probably this weekend, I will post all the names (and plus ones where applicable) here on the blog. At that time, if you want to attend and don’t find your name, you need to let me know. If you are on the list and no longer intend to go, let me know that, too. I also have a few who left only first names or nicknames – if you could be so kind as to help me out with an ID, that’d be great. I may have a few of you counted twice as a result. Remember, if you want to go you gotta let me know. It’s a free tour, but we need to get some kind of headcount to prepare.

Yikes!

It’s been almost a month since my last post. In over nine years, that’s the longest inactive period I’ve had here at Bull Runnings. Not to worry – I have plenty in the queue. A number of new participant accounts (to go with a number that I’ve had for a long while, and by “a number” I mean a big number), a couple of book previews, and a pending author interview. Add to that more updates on the upcoming tour (be sure to register your intent to attend on the Facebook event page) and a bunch of other stuff and we’ve got enough to keep us going for a good, long while. So, check back here regularly, and catch yourself up in the archives!