On January 16, 1815, Henry Wager Halleck was born in Westernville, NY¹. His father, Joseph Halleck, was a lieutenant in the War of 1812. Not liking a life, in agriculture, young Henry ran away to live with his uncle, in Utica, New York. After attending Hudson Academy, and Union College, Halleck would be accepted at West Point. While at West Point, as a cadet, his knowledge placed him in a position, that he would teach classes as a cadet. He would graduate from West Point, in 1839, third in his class, of 31.
US Major General Henry Halleck
As a second lieutenant, of engineers, Halleck wrote a well received report on seacoast defenses, “Report on the Means of National Defence.” Catching the eye of General Winfield Scott, Halleck would be sent to Europe to study fortifications. Returning to the United States, as a freshly promoted first lieutenant, his lectures would be published in a book, “Elements of Military Art and Science.” To the career soldiers, who knew Halleck, he would earn himself the, not-so-flattering nickname, “Old Brains.”
During the Mexican War, Halleck would be assigned to California. On his seven month journey, to California, he would translate Henri Jomini’s work on Napoleon, further cementing himself as a military scholar. He would see no direct action, during the Mexican War, but would be promoted captain, in the regular army, on July 1, 1853.
Staying, in California, he would be appointed military Secretary of State. He took a prominent role, as Secretary of State, in writing the California state constitution. He would be nominated to be one of two people representing California, in the U.S. Senate, but would place third in voting. He would marry Elizabeth Hamilton, the daughter of Alexander Hamilton, and would have one son, Henry W. Halleck, Jr., in 1856. As a lawyer, and land speculator, Halleck would become quite wealthy.
With the outbreak, of sectional hostilities, Halleck would become one of the highest ranking men, in the U.S. Army. Upon the urgings of Winfield Scott, Halleck would be promoted to major general, in the regular army, on August 19, 1861. This would place him fouth, on the list, of all major generals. He would be assigned to the Department of the Missouri, and would have his headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri. While in Missouri, “Old Wooden Head” – another less than complimentary nick name – would first come into contact with his lieutenant, US Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant. Halleck immediately regarded Grant, with suspicion, most likely after be warned by US Major General George B. McClellan, commander of all field armies, that Grant had a problem with drinking.
Halleck was a great administrator, being very organized and efficient. However, he was very tentative, like his boss, George McClellan. He also had a large ego, and would constantly push to have complete command, of all forces west of the Alleghenies. Believing the only way to secure the larger responsibilities, after initially restraining Grant, Halleck would finally turn him loose, against Fort Henry, and Fort Donelson, in February 1862. Grant’s independent command, along with help from the navy gunboats, would capture both forts, leaving the way open, into the interior of the Confederacy. While a tremendous victory, for the North, the victories caused Halleck a significant amount of angst – concern that he may be overshadowed – by his own lieutenant. Grant, keeping in telegraphic contact, with Halleck, would continue to push his advantage. Halleck unaware that there was a Confederate sympathizer, intercepting his communications, would essentially put Grant under military arrest. Placing US Major General Charles F. Smith, in charge of the push up the Tennessee River, Grant was a general without a command. Fortunately, for the country, and for Grant, Smith would be injured and Grant would be restored to command.
Halleck would eventually be placed in overall command of the newly created Department of the Mississippi, on March 11, 1862. This would place him in command of Grant’s army, and US Major General Don Carlos Buell’sArmy of the Ohio. Halleck would even take command, in the field, after Grant’s bloody victory, at Shiloh. Placing Grant as 2nd in Command, Halleck would guide his armies, at a “snail’s pace,” to Corinth. There would be no significant bloodshed, at this battle, and afterwards, Halleck would be brought east, by Lincoln, to be the commanding general of all U.S. land forces.
Henry W. Halleck, understood his position, while he was technically in charge of all the field armies, he was essentially a conduit for the civilian leadership (Lincoln and Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton) to issue commands to the field armies. Halleck quickly understood, that he was what Lincoln referred to as his, “first rate clerk.” Halleck would dispatch his duties well, but there would be several instances where he would fail the armies, in the field. The most egregious being his handling of the pontoon bridges, that US Major General Ambrose Burnside needed, to cross the Rappahannock River, into Fredericksburg. The delays in getting this materiel to Burnside sealed the fate of the entire campaign. Not as significant, but equally problematic, Grant, in the late summer of 1864, would need Halleck to manage the operations against CS Lieutenant General Jubal Early’s, Shenandoah Valley campaign. Halleck would not offer the necessary assistance, or personally take command of the operations. Until Grant put US Major General Phil Sheridan in charge, there was a significant possibility that General Early could attack Washington D.C.
Halleck would serve the remainder of the war, as Grant’s conduit to the administration. While Halleck did have his faults – namely his jealousy of other officers and his overarching ambition, he served his country well and deserves a high place in our country’s history.
¹ Material for this article came from Generals In Blue, by Ezra J. Warner and the article on Henry W. Halleck, on Wikipedia.
