Ep. 28: Life Lessons from the Civil War (Part III-Joseph Hooker)

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In Episode 27 we learned there is an old English saying from the Bible (Proverbs 16:18), “Pride goeth before a fall.” That was certainly the case with Union General George McClellan, but also with General Joseph Hooker. Many times in 1862, the Northern armies greatly outnumbered their Southern foes, but the Rebel armies under the brilliant leadership of Lee, Jackson, and others, continually beat back the Yankee armies. When Lincoln named Hooker lead general of the Northern Army of the Potomac, Hooker boasted: “My plans are perfect, and when I start to carry them out may God have mercy on General Lee, for I will have none.” That boast reminds me of another old English saying: Don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched. In Hooker’s case, he should have had more humility and less conceit when taking on the wily Lee, even though Hooker’s men outnumbered Lee’s by about two to one! Despite those lopsided odds, Hooker managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, and led the Northern army to another horrific loss at the Battle of Chancellorsville. Lee’s stunning victory at Chancellorsville in May 1863 then gave him the confidence to invade the North, which led to the titanic struggle at Gettysburg in July. Had things at Gettysburg gone differently, Lee’s army might have invaded Washington, taken Lincoln prisoner, won the Civil War, and been independent! Truly an amazing “what if?” to think about. Word of the Day: conceited (adj.) overly prideful; arrogant Question of the Day: Where is the “fine line” between healthy self-confidence and conceit? Can one be confident, yet still humble? If so, how? Have a question or feedback? Maybe a topic you’d like to hear in a future episode? Please email Scott at [e-mail]. We’d love to hear from you! If you enjoy our podcasts, please subscribe, write a review, and share them on social media and by word of mouth! Those are GREAT ways to help more people find our podcasts. Please also visit us at www.DreyerCoaching.com; check out the blog posts at the bottom of the page for more information about life in the USA and the crazy English language.