Jim Martin
The Committee on the Conduct of the War
Fri Jul 27 11:31:41 2001


What did these gentlemen think of the The Committee on the Conduct of the War?


Gideon Welles, a stalwart of the administration, bespoke his opinion of the Committee"There must be something in these terrible reports, but I distrust Congressional committees. They exaggerate."

George Meade knew what was happening when he testified to committee members at Falmouth, after the Fredericksburg defeat. In a personal letter he wrote, "I sometimes feel very nervous about my position, [the committee is] knocking over generals at such a rate."

Gideon Welles, Lincoln's Secretary of the Navy, was one of those in Lincoln's inner circle who Wade and Chandler would have liked to see ousted. Welles, however, saw the radicals for what they were. "As for the 'Committee on the Conduct of the War', he said, "… they are most of them narrow and prejudiced partisans, mischievous busy-bodies, and a discredit to Congress. Mean and contemptible partisanship colors all their acts."

Here is an interesting and informative article on the CCW:


THE COMMITTEE ON THE CONDUCT OF THE WAR -
INVESTIGATORS OR VILLAINS?
By Patricia Caldwell