Modern War Studies Series

One of the most important public figures in antebellum America, Winfield Scott is known today more for his swagger than his sword. Old Fuss-and-Feathers was a brilliant military commander whose tactics and strategy were innovative adaptations from European military theory; yet he was often under appreciated by his contemporaries and until recently overlooked by historians.

While John Eisenhower's recent Agent of Destiny provides a solid summary of Scott's remarkable life, Timothy D. Johnson's much deeper critical exploration of this flawed genius should become the standard work. Thoroughly grounded in an essential understanding of nineteenth-century military professionalism, it draws extensively on unpublished sources in order to reveal neglected aspects of Scott's life, present a more complete view of his career, and accurately balance criticism and praise.

Johnson dramatically relates the key features of Scott's career: how he led troops to victory in the War of 1812 and the Mexican War, fought against the Seminoles and Creeks, and was instrumental in professionalizing the U.S. Army, which he commanded for two decades. He also tells how Scott tried to introduce French methods into army tactical manuals, and how he applied his study of the Napoleonic Wars during the Mexico City Campaign but found European strategy of little use against Indians. Johnson further suggests that Scott's creation of an officer corps that boasted Grant, Lee, McClellan and other veterans of the Mexican War raises important questions about his influence on Civil War generalship.

More than a military history, this book tells how Scott's aristocratic pretensions placed him at odds with emerging notions of equality in Jacksonian America and made him an unappealing politician in his bid for the presidency. Johnson not only recounts the facets of Scott's personality that alienated nearly everyone who knew him but also reveals the unsavory methods he used to promote his career and the scandalous ways he attempted to relieve his lifelong financial troubles.

Although his legendary vanity has tarnished his place among American military leaders, Scott is shown to have possessed great talent and courage. Johnson's biography offers the most balanced portrait available of Scott by never losing sight of the whole man.

A Gallant Little Army

by Timothy D. Johnson

Published 14 September 2007

In 1847, General Winfield Scott boldly led a small but undaunted army from the Mexican coast all the way to the Hall of Montezuma, routing Mexican forces at every turn while pacifying the countryside. Scott's military campaign - America's first ever in a foreign country - helped pave the way for victory in the wider war against Mexico and also posed new challenges for discipline, logistics, and the treatment of civilian. Yet it has remained largely neglected by historians. In this first book-length study of Scott's brilliant six-month campaign, Timothy Johnson shows how Scott overcame such obstacles as inadequate supplies, intense officer rivalries, and lack of support from President Polk - not to mention a country full of potentially hostile Mexicans - to keep his army intact deep in enemy territory and win the war. He interweaves a compelling narrative of the campaign - including detailed battle replays, terrain descriptions, and eyewitness accounts - with a comprehensive analysis of strategy, operations, and tactics. Along the way, he also provides considerable insight into Scott's efforts to fight a ""limited war"" by combining military force with diplomatic negotiation and by implementing a pacification plan that now seems far ahead of its time. Scott developed a sophisticated strategy of moderation to end the war by employing a sword-and-olive-branch approach. Although his army repeatedly won battles against superior numbers as it drove ever deeper into Mexico's interior, Scott paused after each contest to give the enemy an opportunity to sue for peace. And by respecting civilian property and purchasing supplies from the populace, his troops limited local support for guerrillas that threatened communication lines. Meanwhile on the battlefield, Scott successfully executed surprise flank attacks at CErro Gordo and Padierna, tactical masterpieces that inspired a generation of Civil War generals - like Grant, Lee, McClellan, and countless others. Providing the definitive work on the Mexico City campaign, ""A gallant Little Army"" highlights the visionary command of a legendary general, the flinty toughness of the troops he led, and the emergence of the United States as a potential global military power.