Comments on: The Peninsula Campaign and Emancipation

By: Donald R. Shaffer

Donald R. Shaffer — Thu, 31 May 2012 02:54:34 +0000

Hi Patrick. It’s a great book — you won’t be disappointed.

By: Patrick Young

Patrick Young — Thu, 31 May 2012 02:39:45 +0000

Thanks for the recommendation Donald. I just downloaded it and hope to enjoy Brasher’s book.

By: Donald R. Shaffer

Donald R. Shaffer — Wed, 30 May 2012 03:17:33 +0000

Hi Glenn. Thanks for the kind words and the further explanation concerning what might have happened if Richmond had fallen to McClellan in 1862. The truth, I suppose, is we have no real idea what would have happened. That’s the problem with counter-factual history–you can make educated guesses, but they remain guesses. That is why I try to discourage my students from doing “what if” history. But it is so fun and tempting to do it, and sometimes insightful as it is here.

By: Glenn B

Glenn B — Wed, 30 May 2012 02:57:20 +0000

Donald, as a long-time reader of your blog (which I greatly admire), I am very grateful for your review and kind words. Honestly, I have been very curious about what you would think of it, so its great to see your comments. I believe that your review does my book a great service, as you really hone in nicely on what my intentions were and get to the heart of my argument (something that I feel not even the book’s dust jacket does well). Your criticism is also extremely fair, and I agree that it is a very debatable point as to whether the war would have ended had McClellan taken Richmond. Obviously, I feel that with everything going on in the West at that time, and the loss of such an important point (industrial base, railroads, symbolic value, etc, etc), the blow at that moment may well have been fatal to the Confederacy at a time before Lee’s successes had helped build Confederate nationalism (Gary Gallagher of course comes to mind here). Still, the point is still debatable to say the least, which is why I point out in the book that even if it had not ended the war, it would have at the least legitimized McClellan’s belief in fighting the war without touching slavery, and certainly would have weakened the “military necessity” argument for emancipation. (Which as we know, was the legal justification for the Emancipation Proclamation). With all the victories in the West, and the fall of Richmond, I am not sure how anyone could have bought the idea that freeing the slaves was a military necessity anymore. With that in mind, I still cling to my basic argument about the importance of the Peninsula Campaign to emancipation, whether the fall of Richmond had ended the war or not.

Lastly, please allow me to say that I am very humbled by your last sentence, especially because I greatly value your own knowledge and expertise on the subject of emancipation.

By: Arleigh Birchler

Arleigh Birchler — Wed, 30 May 2012 01:01:20 +0000

I like your analysis. Without any good evidence I tend to believe that even after the Seven Days Battles McClelland could have taken Richmond. I can see your point that it would not have ended the War. From everything I know McClelland would never have supported emancipation. More importantly, the past is the past. It is pointless to speculate too much on what would have happened if …