Reconsidering Lincoln as a Military Genius

The idea that Commander-in-Chief Abraham Lincoln was a self-taught military genius who was wiser than his own generals, is commonly believed by students of the Civil War. Kenneth W. Noe, author of Abraham Lincoln and the Heroic Legend, suggests that this admiring and uncritical depiction of Lincoln's grasp of the military arts might be ready for a more critical appraisal. Dr. Noe will speak to the Lincoln Group of the District of Columbia about his new book on Wednesday, September 23, 2026

During his presidency, Lincoln concluded that he had a better grasp than his generals on how the war could be won: forcefully, directly, and quickly. This legend was first promoted by John Nicolay and John Hay in their 10 volume narration of the Lincoln Adminstration. The notion of Lincoln as military genius had been dissected several times before it finally took hold again in the aftermath of the…