Hymns of The Republic by S.C. Gwynne
I read this book because I’ve become mildly obsessed with American History over the last two years. I have found much wisdom, strength, and inspiration that has built upon my resilience muscles by learning leadership principles from some of our countries most trusted Generals during the American Civil War.
Hymns of The Republic is a classic novel that depicts the last two pivotal years of the Civil War. (1864-1865) The author is a National Book Critics Award writer, and his finite detail to research and vivid writing style, chronicles the dramatizing events that shaped the Civil War.
The American Civil War was gruesome, and there was immense suffering experienced by the soldiers and their families. “The fields were littered with the dead and dying, a testament to the war’s unrelenting brutality.” A significant amount of these battles were won or lost in up and close hand to hand combat composed of bayonet’s and rifled musket balls. The stoic and heavily adored Stonewall Jackson who was a leading General of the South’s Confederate Army commonly quoted to his soldiers before battle that if your ammunition runs empty, “give your enemy the bayonette.” The physical and psychological toll on soldiers was unimaginable, as they faced not only clear and present dangers of combat, but also the lingering trauma and foliage of war. A large number of deaths occurred to the wounded due to poor medical treatment, a lack of antibiotics, and proper surgical equipment. Most amputations were done with a simple mild numbing agent and knife.
Abraham Lincoln was the president of the United States during the American Civil War. Initially, Lincoln’s reason and purpose for the war was rooted to one key purpose. Preserve the Union at all costs. He wanted the Southern states that seceded from the Union to rejoin, and not have two opposing governments. Lincoln wanted unity while the South wanted their independence.
Lincoln quoted:
“My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or to destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save the Union by freeing all the slaves then I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that. What I do about slavery, and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to save the Union.”
Freeing the slaves was not President’s Lincoln’s true purpose for the Civil War. Freeing the slaves became a bi-product that inherently gave Lincoln key advantages in the war, but Lincoln was an advocate for slavery. Did his views change due to key abolitionists such as Frederick Douglas who had a positive impact on him? Yes. Lincoln’s open-mindedness changed the landscape for our nation, and for that act he is revered.
The book covers pivotal moments of 1864 and 1865, highlighting pivotal battles, political maneuvers, and personal stories that changed the course of history. There are such contrast differences, but also similarities to the war’s heroic generals on both the Union and Confederate sides of the battlefield.
One key similarity is that Ulysses S. Grant, Stonewall Thomas Jackson, Robert E. Lee, William Tecumseh Sherman, General McClellan and others were fierce competitors in war, but most of them knew each other well because some of them graduated from the West Point Military’s School in the famous graduation Class of 1846. Most of these generals were friends before the war, but because of where they lived and political affiliations, they fought and killed hundreds of thousands of Americans against each other in the bloodiest, and most deadly war ever fought on American soil to date.
Ulysses S. Grant was lead general for the North reporting directly to Abraham Lincoln. Robert E. Lee was the lead general for the South reporting directly to Jefferson Davis. I never knew until reading this book that the Confederates had their own president, independent government, and also their own currency. When the Southern states seceded from the Union, Lincoln considered the Confederate states foreigners on this land. I found that very interesting.
General Grant was known for his aggression with his overpowering numbers of Union soldiers and having superior weapons and supplies. He was humble in the publics eye. He was a very simple man, and a deep thinker when alone. He would much rather be with his troops any day of the week instead of being in the spotlight in Washington, DC giving reports to Abraham Lincoln. Grant was always willing to engage and strike first in battle even when it didn’t always strategically align with the best interest of the soldiers. He sacrificed many American lives in his campaigns by trying to overpower the Confederates front lines with brute force despite the Confederates proven track record of exemplary defensive fighting tactics. The Confederates were deadly when dug in their entrenchments, and proved hard to beat. If there was an animal that relates to Grant’s personality, it would be a bull.
General Lee, almost the complete polar opposite of Grant in some regards, was a brilliant tactician of war, and his right hand man was the legendary Stonewall Jackson who provided great inspiration for the Confederate soldiers. Lee was constantly outnumbered in battles, had inferior weapons, and most times had malnourished soldiers. Many Confederate soldiers were without socks and shoes and lost many men due to sickness over long hauls and not having proper attire. General Lee was a master of defensive strategies, and brazen maneuvers that constantly kept the Union soldiers on their backfoot in key battles.
I came to believe that General Lee and Jackson were men who were aware of their strengths and weaknesses. The main difference between Lee and Grant is that most often Lee could not risk losing his soldiers at the rate of the North, so he protected his assets the best way he could and still find a way to give the Union soldiers hell. The Confederates were masters at appearing larger in numbers than they were, and they were tough as nails!
While reflecting on the impact of this book told from the North’s perspective, I had many thoughts. How does General Grant’s and General Lee’s leadership styles reflect their strengths and challenges during the Civil War? More personally, how does my leadership style reflect my strengths and challenges I stand to face upon my release from prison? I know I have gained the tools to be a more effective leader starting with myself and then with others, but am I ready apply them? I feel I am.
What lessons can I learn from Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant from the strategic leadership decisions they made during the Civil War? Are there any parallels I can apply to my life? I find strength with the leadership decisions made on both sides of the battlefield at various times.
What I find inspiring about Lincoln’s leadership decisions is his open-mindedness and willingness to change his way of thinking despite having ingrained learned beliefs to overcome. This for me personally has been one of my toughest challenges, and my life would be considered simple compared to Abraham Lincoln. His ability to use objectivity, and act responsibly in a hostile environment when the government didn’t always agree with him takes courage. To be able to push back against an entire nation, and sign into action the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863 which freed all slaves, changed the dynamics of our entire nation.
To conclude, Hymns of The Republic is essential reading for anyone mildly interested in authentic, well documented military history, leadership, and the legacy of one of our countries most defining wars.