Book Review of McMurry Richard M. "Two Great Rebel Armies: an Essay in Confederate Military History"

Richard M. McMurry's "Two Great Rebel Armies" compared the differences between the Army of Northern Virginia with its successes and the Army of Tennessee with its failures. He states that the Army of Northern Virginia had a better command structure from trained lieutenants on up to over all army command. These soldiers flowered order but they also had the basic building blocks that made an extremely effective army. The men of the Army of Northern Virginia were of higher quality than the Army of Tennessee. This book mainly compares the physical and mental qualities of the soldiers of the Northern Virginia and Tennessee armies. The author also states that being a West Point graduates, military background and prior military experience were seen more in Lee's army as compared to the Army of Tennessee. …