# Lee's Lieutenants  ## Metadata - Author: Douglas Southall Freeman, Stephen W. Sears, and James M. McPherson - Full Title: Lee's Lieutenants - Category: #books ## Highlights - In case after case, Lee patiently assuaged the victims of hurt pride, stimulated the discouraged, appealed to the better nature of wavering men, and by force of his own righteousness more than by the exercise of his authority, reconciled bitter differences or induced personal enemies to work together. The seeming absence from the Army of Northern Virginia of such rivalries and animosities as hampered nearly all the other large forces, Confederate and Union, was not in reality absence but control. In the hearts of Lee’s subordinates were all the explosive qualities that existed elsewhere, but Lee himself possessed the combination of tact, understanding, prestige, firmness, and personal character necessary to prevent the explosion. ([Location 244](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B000FC0QXY&location=244)) - The next surprise was the discovery that skill in the administration of a command had an even closer relationship to morale than had been supposed. ([Location 254](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B000FC0QXY&location=254)) - Insofar as it reflects the command, morale is the mirror of the faith, the administrative skill, and the leadership in training and in combat displayed by the average officer. What is shown in battle is created in camp. ([Location 257](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B000FC0QXY&location=257)) - The necessary qualities of high military command manifestly are administrative skill and diligence, strategical and logistical sense, military imagination, initiative, resourcefulness, boldness coupled with a grasp of practicality, ability to elicit the best of men, and the more personal qualities of character, endurance, courage, and nervous control. ([Location 276](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B000FC0QXY&location=276)) - it was plain that a good general had been a good officer from the time of his first commission. No less was it plain that a man would not of necessity be a good general because he had been an excellent captain or had a creditable record as a colonel. ([Location 280](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B000FC0QXY&location=280))