General Quarters
Posts: 1059
Joined: 12/3/2006 Status: offline
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This is a very interesting bio. It might be good to add the "Commissary Banks" episode for color, though I think it has somewhat unfairly created a stereotyped image of Banks. The suggested ratings put him near the bottom of Union generals. In my own view, he was considerably better than guys like Butler and Fremont. I would give him high initiative, at least a 4. He took the initiative at Cedar Mtn to attack, even though his orders were vague. He is given low marks for the Red River campaign, but Port Hudson had barely surrendered when he immediately went after Richard Taylor's rebs, who has been harassing the Miss River, threatening New Orleans, etc. The failure of that campaign in very difficult terrain (nicely outlined by Bluesman) against a very skilled opponent should perhaps be no greater a mark against him than Yazoo against Grant. Some campaigns turn out to be impossible. One other decision he made that I thought showed command character was that the Union general in New Orleans was screaming for Banks to give up the siege of Port Huron and come rescue him from Taylor, who approach within a dozen miles or so of the city and certainly had the force to take it. Banks wrote back that, if the rebs took N.O., he would just take it back AFTER the fall of Port Huron. That was a very correct judgment, which means that he was willing to take the heat for the loss of N.O. meanwhile. Interesting, Taylor analyzed the situation the same way as Banks, and decided that, if he took N.O., he would end up getting trapped there. While it is true that Port Huron fell only after Vicksburg, if that is all you say it gives the impression that his efforts there were not successful. As far as I can tell, he conducted a very appropriate siege, He had attacked several times, meanwhile inching his trenches forward, until they were really just a few feet away from rebel lines, and one more attack would probably take the place. At that point, Vicky fell and the rebels surrendered. Banks, like Grant, parolled them in order to move immediately against the enemy. The positive way to present the taking of Port Huron is to say, as Lincoln did in a letter to Banks, something to the effect that 'you have opened the Mississippi and that will never be forgotten.' Not sure Lincoln was right, since, if ask most people, who took the last rebel stronghold and opened the Mississippi, they would say Grant. I think I would give Banks an initiative of 5, command of 2, leadership 3, and tactical 1. (A total of 11 makes him a point or two below average.) The real problem of having a general like Banks, is that his tactical abilities are not commensurate with his initiative. Bluesman, I hope I have persuaded you but, if not, I would defer to your judgment, since you are the guy who has recently reviewed Banks' record.
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