The Quartermaster – Book

The Quartermaster: Montgomery C. Meigs, Lincoln’s General, Master Builder of the Union Army
by Robert O’Harrow Jr. (2016) – Lost amid the names of generals of the Civil War is the man who may have had as much to do with the victory of the Union as any commander in the field, Montgomery Meigs.  It was Meigs that turned the production advantage of the northern states into a
system that gave a profound advantage to the armies of the United States.  O’Harrow gives us a wonderful look at this too often overlooked genius of the Civil War.

Meigs had a vital role in the military victories of the war, but his contribution to our nation doesn’t stop there.  When you look at the massive dome on the Capitol building in Washington, D.C. you are looking at his work.  The addition of the two wings to the building also came from his genius.  Another man would be given the chance to build those designs, but it was Meigs who created them.  When the nation’s capitol was running into a fresh water problem, Meigs created aqueducts that not only solved the problem in the short term, but for years to come.

It would easy to take a pass on a book about a general who made sure that food and ammunition were in the right place at the right time.  Easy to think that such a character was without intrigue or interest.  All I can tell you is that Meigs the man and O’Harrow the author combine to create a biography that is anything but dull or uninteresting.

In a day of a professional, standing military, it is easy to forget that at the time of the Civil War the military had to be largely re-created every time there was a conflict.  Traditionally, Americans were suspicious of “regular” armed forces.  Montgomery Meigs has to step into chaos and political patronage to create a modern supply chain, and by extension, a modern army.

A must-read for any military history buff and something every American history fan should have on their “to be read” list as well.

“The Quartermaster – Montgomery C. Meigs, Lincoln’s General, Master Builder of the Union Army” is available in bookstores now.

Why I Liked It: Well written, it pulls you into the time and the life of Montgomery Meigs.

Why You Will Like It: History written the way it ought to be, where you are told a great story.


Rating – **** Recommended