Silent Killer: Grant’s Logistical Requirements

This monograph examines Grant’s campaign of 1864-1865 from a logistics perspective. It answers the following questions: 1. Did logistical systems change for the emerging operational level of war? 2. Did Civil War field logistics form today’s concepts at the operational level? 3. Were logistics planning factors derived from Napoleon? It concludes with a discussion of how Grant’s systems impacted on 1992 logistics systems. The monograph examines the history and formulation of operational requirements for the logistician. Discussed in detail is the necessity for theater base support, visibility and distribution, and the requirement for logistical planning factors. The conclusion is that each of these elements allows the commander to phase his operations, reduce risks and complete a campaign without creating operational pauses or logistical culmination. Finally, the paper compares 1864 principles with principles utilized during Desert Shield/Desert Storm.