The General and the Journalists

As both general and president, Grant felt the full power of the press. By a remarkable twist of fate, not only his wartime successes but also his peacetime failures were directly influenced by Greeley and Dana, two of the greatest figures of American journalism. The trio provides a fascinating contrast: Grant the simple soldier, basically unchanged from the time he left West Point until the day he died, honor untarnished but reputation sullied by men in whom he placed too much trust; Greeley the idealistic, brilliant, opinionated kingmaker, alternating in wartime between hawk and dove, forever shifting in his allegiances; and Dana the perverse, pragmatic, cynical intellectual, one of the first to emphasize news over editorials. The General and the Journalists follows the three powerful men as their paths cross during the Civil War and Reconstruction. Vividly portraying the 19th century era of "personal journalism," when Greeley and Dana became major players on the national stage, Harry J. Maihafer shows how the media greatly affected the conduct of the Civil War and, to this day, has shaped the public's perception of Lincoln's, Johnson's, and Grant's presidencies. Extensive quotes from contemporary newspapers convey a feeling of immediacy, bringing to life a new and important aspect of Grant's career, one of intense drama and bitter conflict.