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Leadership article on General George Patton and General Stonewall Jackson
1. PROFESSIONAL FORUM
STONEWALL JACKSON
AND
GEORGE S. PATTON
A Survey of
Leadership
COLONEL JOSEPH C. CARTER
MAJOR MICHAEL S. FINER
“Leadership is the thing that wins methodology presumes that the best way to Jackson was accepted into West Point where
battles. I have it, but I’ll be damned if I prepare the leaders of the future for battle is he clearly had a difficult time assimilating
can define it. It probably consists of to study successful leaders in battles of the with other cadets. Not only was he of humble
knowing what you want to do, and then past. means and of unusual disposition, his station
doing it and getting mad as hell if anyone Utilizing the “trait” approach to leadership was not comparable to incoming plebes such
tries to get in your way.” theory, certain common, demonstrable as George McClellan, A.P. Hill and James
— The Unknown Patton by Charles qualities will emerge to assist in the Longstreet.
Province understanding of what it takes to become a At West Point, “Old Jack” was most
Notwithstanding its intangible nature, superior military leader. We shall examine remembered for his indelible perseverance,
leadership is often the singular, decisive the lives of Stonewall Jackson and George and paradoxically, for his generosity to
element in achieving battlefield success. Patton to unravel the common qualities of others. At the end of his first year at West
Other factors, including weapons, America’s two finest military tacticians. Point, he stood 70th in French, 45th in
technology, logistics and industrial These Soldiers shared two common math, and 51st in general merit out of class
capacity, significantly aid an army in characteristics — strong historical of 72. Three years later, he stood 5th in
overcoming an adversary. Moreover, these knowledge and the ability to tactically ethics (his favorite subject), 12th in
environmental necessities are strategic employ mass, which made each man a good engineering and 11th in artillery. Whether
objectives that a nation develops to support general. General Jackson possessed an Jackson was less gifted than other students
its armed forces and are usually beyond the additional mystical leadership quality, or was educated in an inferior manner, one
immediate control of a commander. which allowed him to become the finest cannot determine. More revealing,
Leadership, however, is the driving commander to ever fight on American soil. however, he undeniably demonstrated his
mechanism behind the structural factors Similarly, General Patton possessed an indomitable will, his desire to press on, and
that a country provides to its commanders inspirational leadership quality, which his fastidious nature by spending inordinate
and it alone, is the “thing that wins battles,” made him second to only Stonewall Jackson amounts of time preparing his lessons and
according to General Patton. in terms of battlefield success. We shall continually improving his class standing.
All else being equal among armies, endeavor to identify those characteristics
superior leadership will allow one army to which each man shared, and we shall G EORGE S MITH P ATTON , J R . – A
defeat another. More importantly, superior describe the specific quality which made Connoisseur of Military History
leadership can inspire a weaker army to each man a superb military leader, but in George Smith Patton, Jr. was born into
overcome logistical and physical very different ways. a loving, patrician family in Southern
disadvantages and thus defeat a force larger California. In the late 19th century, the
in terms of numbers and equipment. T HOMAS J ONATHAN J ACKSON – The Patton family moved from Virginia to
Leadership is the catalyst of the underlying Beginning of an Enigma California where it accumulated significant
reactions whose ingredients include, but are Thomas Jonathan Jackson was born in wealth as cattle farmers and through
not limited to manpower, logistics, morale, 1824 in rural Virginia. His formal education propitious marital combination. The Patton
and technology. was severely limited by the fact that he was family enjoyed a long and honorable
Logically then, the question arises: How orphaned at the age of 6; he was continually military heritage, which included Patton’s
can we improve the level of leadership in shuffled from relative to relative during grandfather, who was buried a Brigadier
such a way that we, as an army, maximize childhood and largely without the company General, after being mortally wounded at
our potential as a fighting force? Our or support of his siblings. At the age of 17, the Battle of Winchester in the Shenandoah
10 INFANTRY January-February 2004
2. Valley, while commanding the 22nd Virginia Regiment. message to General Imboden into a more simplistic form in order
One of the senior Patton’s closest friends was Colonel John to analyze the specific characteristics that Jackson possessed and
Singleton Mosby, the fabled “grey ghost” of “Jeb” Stuart’s mighty utilized in battle. Unlike George Patton, published works by
cavalry and the namesake of Mosby’s Rangers. In the book, The Jackson are rare, and thus, one must infer as to his personal views
Unknown Patton, author Charles Province states that Mosby often without the assistance of autobiographical or other sources.
visited the Patton’s elegant California ranch. “Colonel Mosby
would reenact the Civil War with George junior; playing himself, Stonewall’s Rule Number One (Valley and Wilderness
he let George play the part of General Lee as they evoked the Campaigns) — Mystify, mislead and surprise.
battles of the war…” Jackson’s most brilliant and well-known use of this precept
“Georgie” spent one year at VMI (Virginia Military Institute) occurred when he vanished from the Valley and appeared in the
in preparation for the five that he spent at West Point where, as First Wilderness Campaign ready, willing and able to attack
the necessity of an additional year indicates, he was an average McClellan. Unfortunately, McClellan’s hubris contributed to his
student. Whether or not his secondary education was the cause of total disregard of the possibility that “Old Jack” could have
his lack of achievement at West Point is a matter of conjecture. It maneuvered his troops so far so quickly. What allowed Jackson
must be noted that Patton did not enter into formal education to mislead “Young Napoleon” so thoroughly? Remember that
until he was 11 years old, and much speculation has occurred Jackson achieved a lower class rank at West Point than did
regarding this fact to include the widespread theory that Patton McClellan, and thus, he was compelled to achieve success by good
was dyslexic. More likely, it appears that Patton’s father preferred deed, for he was without predisposition to high command due to
education via the oral tradition. For example, during his youth, station or class standing.
“Georgie” was not taught to read and write. He was entirely read
to. In this manner, the senior Patton believed that “Georgie” would Stonewall’s Rule Number Two (Chancellorsville) — Press
naturally develop his true interests. on.
Patton distinguished himself for bravery in both the Mexican By mercilessly force-marching his army, Jackson appeared at
War and World War I. In the Mexican War, he captured and Hooker’s rear without detection, despite reports provided to Hooker
killed the bodyguard of Francisco Pancho Villa in a daring, almost by competent staff officers. On that fateful day, Stonewall Jackson
reckless raid, and in World War I he was cited for battlefield devastated Hooker’s right flank and rear areas in a classic
bravery. envelopment movement that caused unprecedented panic and
During the intervening period between the World Wars, Patton eventual retreat among the Federals. Jackson’s superior leadership
studied extraordinary amounts of military history. When Patton was the result, in part, of his personal belief that the mission must
died, it is said that he possessed a military library so vast that it be accomplished first and foremost, regardless of how hard the
rivaled certain military institutions, a well-utilized advantage of men must be pushed.
being one of the wealthier officers in the Army. Although he was
intermittently depressed by the lack of warfare during this time Stonewall’s Rule Number Three (Chancellorsville) — Mass.
period, Patton published several treatises and articles which In Jackson’s final and most brilliant battle, he integrated all
summarized his conclusions and ideas regarding war to include three of his time-tested principles in one glorious stroke of military
commentary on leaders of the past to include Caesar, Napoleon genius. Again at Chancellorsville, Jackson hurled his entire corps
and Stonewall Jackson. in a vast flanking attack. Lee and Jackson agreed to mass Jackson’s
corps for the purpose of attacking Hooker in detail. In the
Stonewall Jackson’s Maxims confusion of battle, Jackson was killed by his own troops while
In the book, Stonewall Jackson and the American Civil War, re-entering his lines after infiltrating enemy positions when
author G.F.R. Henderson refers to General Jackson’s personal reconnoitering the federal battle scenario. On the day of his
discourse with General Imboden. In one message, Jackson noted greatest victory, he and his doctrine were initiated into immortality
that: due to a misunderstanding with friendly sentries.
“There are two things never to be lost sight of by a military Although the aforementioned summary of Stonewall’s maxims
commander. Always mystify, mislead, and surprise the enemy, does not do a scholar justice, it does concisely represent the
if possible; and when you strike and overcome him, never give substance of his success. Jackson applied these simple principles
up the pursuit as long as your men have strength to follow; for with logical brilliance and complexity.
an army routed, if hotly pursued, becomes panic-stricken, and Jackson demonstrated these principles in his battles in the
can then be destroyed by half their number. The other rule is, Valley, at First and Second Manassas, and in the Wilderness to a
never fight against heavy odds, if by any possible maneuvering lesser extent. His skills with respect to tactical ability were pure
you can hurl your own force on only a part, and that the weakest because, unlike his opponents he was unable to rely on personal
part, of your enemy and crush it. Such tactics will win every charisma or natural beauty to inspire his troops. Instead, his
time, and a small army may thus destroy a large one in detail, maxims, his indomitable will, his uncanny ability to evaluate
and repeated victory will make it invincible.” topography and his superior feats of personal concentration on
These remarks of General Jackson, clearly a reflection of the battlefield allowed him to motivate troops by providing constant
Napoleon’s influence upon him, summarize his thoughts of how success. By also reporting the first victories to the Confederacy,
an army should fight. I will take the liberty of dissecting Jackson’s print-media reinforced his successes, and even exaggerated some
January-February 2004 INFANTRY 11
3. PROFESSIONAL FORUM
of them. Nonetheless, the prime benefit of
this exposure was an identity and esprit-
de-corps for his troops, something that
General Patton would note in his study of
history.
Patton’s Military Maxims
In a paper titled “The Secret of Victory,”
Patton lucidly elaborated his philosophy,
which at the time (March 26, 1926) was
the epic summary of years of intensive
military history study. Patton identified
three essential elements, which he believed
were unequivocally essential for a
commander to possess in order to achieve
the ultimate result — victory.
Patton’s Three Elements for Victory
Inspiration * Knowledge * Force (Mass)
Patton’s Rule Number One —
Inspiration.
Patton firmly believed that certain
lopsided victories of Caesar, Napoleon, and
Department of Defense photo
Grant were the primary result of “spiritual”
General George S. Patton acknowledges the cheers of the crowd in Los Angeles on June 9, 1945.
inspiration and motivation, and the
secondary result of mental ability. Patton about a third of your command. Move the Grant presents similar ideas and discusses
explained that there was a distinction rest in a wide envelopment so you can their interrelationships. For example,
between mental ability and the execution attack him from his rear flank.” Grant had more success in the campaigns
of battle plans. He commented that Patton’s tactical victories in World in the west than he did in the east against
“Hooker’s plan at Chancellorsville was War II were characterized by wide General Lee, even though his forces were
masterly; its execution cost him the battle.” flanking maneuvering tactics. His march numerically inferior in the west. In the
Of course, it may be that the across France was certainly influenced by west, however, Grant inspired his troops
superhuman maneuvering of Jackson the conquests of Caesar in Gaul and and utilized his superior knowledge of
defeated his plan, a supposition which Sun Napoleon in Italy. His unrewarded, yet maneuver to seize Vicksburg and other
Tzu would have agreed with when he now immortal, relief of the 101st Division Confederate strongholds against inferior,
observed that: “What is of supreme at Bastogne was “Stonewallesque” in that if you will, commanders. Conversely,
importance in war is to attack the enemy’s he force-marched and pushed foot against Robert E. Lee, who possessed, at
strategy.” infantry to inhuman levels. the very least, equal abilities with respect
Patton felt that inspiration was the most to inspiration and knowledge, Grant was
Patton’s Rule Number Two — important of the three tenets: knowledge forced to use mass, the least desirable of
Knowledge. and mass being equally less important. He the three tenets, to achieve victory.
Patton noted that Napoleon won many makes an analogy to bread, which Accordingly, Grant believed that a general
battles when outnumbered, but he never lost unleavened will sustain life, but will be dull should attain victory first by inspiration,
a battle in which he possessed numerically tasting; however, when leavened, it is second by superior knowledge or military
superior forces. Patton considered delicious. Personality (inspiration) is the arts, and then by mass/force.
Napoleon the epitome of military ability, leaven of armies. Let us make the Patton abided by these tenets in their
and as such comprehensively studied his assumption that armies produce men of rightful order. In Sicily, he was forced to
career battles. Patton further postulated equal military knowledge. Hence, with utilize mass as a last resort because
that no single element — inspiration, equal knowledge existent, inspiration will maneuver was not producing desirable
knowledge, or mass — was dominant. be the catalyst necessary to win battles, for results. On the other hand, he inspired his
In “Helpful Hints for Hopeful Heroes,” knowledge alone of how to win battles troops and utilized superior knowledge to
he wrote that “any operation, reduced to cannot be fully transmitted unencumbered outmaneuver his opponents in his famous
its primary characteristics, consists of to subordinates. march across France. Patton, like Jackson,
moving down the road until you bump into only resorted to mass when faced by an
the enemy… When you have bumped, hold Patton’s Rule Number Three — Mass. equally knowledgeable and inspired
him at the point of contact with fire with In the Memoirs of U.S. Grant, General commander.
12 INFANTRY January-February 2004
4. Salient Common Characteristics this is hyperbole, we do not know, but it does unquestionably
Thomas Jonathan Jackson and George Smith Patton Jr., had illustrate that Patton had the advantage of studying Stonewall
nothing in common. Jackson was poor and an orphan; Patton Jackson.
was wealthy and well loved. Jackson was shy, quiet, and What can be said, though, is that both Jackson and Patton had
hypochondriac; Patton was a socialite, athletic at an Olympian a definite understanding of how successful wars ought to be fought
level, articulate, and extroverted. Jackson was intensely religious; and those views resulted from studying the great generals of the
Patton’s religion related to convenience. What was not readily past. As Napoleon observed:
obvious, however, was a common philosophy that was not “Read again and again the campaigns of Hannibal, Caesar,
essentially identical. Both men implemented a brand of inspiration Gustavus Adolphus, Turenne, Eugene, and Frederick. Model
that allowed their troops to maneuver at incredible speeds, and yourself upon them. This is the only means of becoming a great
thus were able to shock and surprise the enemy with superior force captain, and of acquiring the secret of the art of war…” (The
at weak points at undesirable times. The differences in personality, Military Maxims of Napolean, David G. Chandler)
temperament, and station are unmistakable; the similarities in
W
leadership, single-mindedness, and knowledge are striking. ho would have won a battle between George Patton
Based on this analysis, there are two identifiable characteristics and Stonewall Jackson? It is, of course, difficult to
that both men possessed which made each, and indeed every hypothesize upon a matter such as this, for neither
commander who possesses them, a good commander: general truly fought against a commander of equal ability, as did
* Knowledge of history, and Lee and Grant or Napoleon and Wellington, thus affording such a
* Effective utilization of mass. comparison. By refocusing the question, though, there are other
Both Generals were devout students of military history and intangible items that this analysis can assist the current Army in
understood the distinction between effective massing of force and understanding.
unnecessary slaughter. What characteristics propelled each general For example, there is an interesting phenomenon that has
to greatness? This is where the similarities end and individuality manifested throughout modern warfare, and it is particularly
begins. Patton used personal inspiration to motivate his troops, endemic in the United States Army: Soldiers who succeed during
and his battlefield exploits are legendary. His utilization of peacetime, administering the Army, and who, as a result, advance
theatrical motivational techniques provided stimuli to his troops to general officer rank, tend to be unsuccessful in actual combat
which allowed them to have unparalleled success. and are summarily replaced by less well-known officers. Both
Jackson’s mystical qualities made him a demigod among his Thomas Jackson and George Patton achieved little notoriety during
troops; he was literally worshiped by his men. His philosophy to their pre-war careers. Although they both fought courageously
never inform his subordinates of his upcoming maneuver plans and gallantly in wars at junior ranks, their careers proceeded slowly
allowed his armies to abruptly surprise the enemy. His introverted before the beginning of the next war.
nature and religious fervor often confused his peers; his humility, Based on an analysis of these two immortal figures, it is striking
to realize that there are two distinct pathways for one to historically
lack of ambition, and strict disciplinary nature made him an
ascertain general officer status in the Army. The first pathway
enigma. This unpredictability, coupled with his knowledge of
develops during peacetime and requires a specific set of
military history and use of mass and maneuver, made Stonewall
administrative, political and leadership skills. On the other hand,
Jackson America’s finest tactical general.
the second pathway develops during combat and requires distinctly
Jackson inspired his troops by use of his indomitable will. He
different skills, particularly with respect to leadership.
forced his troops to push themselves, and by doing so they were
What can one gain from this commentary and analysis? The
successful in their first battle, at First Manassas. Of course, success following tenets should be internalized by every officer in the Army.
begets success and by gaining their confidence, Jackson was able To become a good, solid commander follow these precepts:
to apply superior analytical abilities while pushing his forces to Knowledge – Study the warriors of the past and absorb their
physical exhaustion. Why was he able to do this? maxims. These include Caesar, Napoleon, Jackson, Lee, Grant
Jackson had proven himself as a leader, and his men and Patton, for example.
unquestionably believed in him. The praise and glory heaped Mass – Understand the difference in the application and use of
upon them only multiplied the utility of Jackson. He in no way superior and inferior forces.
utilized charm or personal charisma to inspire his troops. In To become “a great captain of warfare” apply this principle:
another way, by use of mystique, he inspired his troops, and once Single-minded determination – Whether it is personal
inspired, he applied his tenets to achieve victory. inspiration or mystical qualities, adapt your personality to items
George Patton utilized personal inspiration and charisma to one and two and become a true warrior.
motivate his troops. Once inspired and victorious, the troops
naturally adjusted and improved to a level where they felt that Colonel Joseph C. Carter currently serves as Strategic Planner, Joint
Force Headquarters-Massachusetts. He is an Army War College and Army
they were infallible. In addition, Patton was a devout student of
Command and General Staff College graduate.
military history, which included a study of Jackson. Patton’s sister Major Michael S. Finer was commissioned in 1987 from Boston University
once stated that until George was 15, “Georgie” thought that the ROTC. He is a Navy War College and Marine Corps Command and Staff
steel statues of Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson in their house College graduate and Ph.D. candidate. He is currently serving as the S-1 of
the 26th Infantry Brigade in the Massachusetts Army National Guard.
were those of God and Jesus Christ, respectively! How much of
January-February 2004 INFANTRY 13