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Halleck was known throughout the pre-war Army as "Old Brains" for his scholarly works, including a translation of a French book about Napoleon.  He was an able administrator and brought order to the Department of Missouri from the chaos left by his two predecessors, Nathaniel Lyon and John Fremont.  An extremely cautious man, Halleck nonetheless authorized Curtis to begin his winter offensive without waiting for approval from Washington.  

In June, 1862, Halleck was named general-in-chief of the Union armies.  He commanded the Federal forces at the Battles of Iuka and Corinth. Although he won these battles, his cautious advance allowed the Confederates to escape. In his capacity as general-in-chief, he proposed little in the way of strategy and instead was little more than a military clerk for Lincoln and Secretary of War Stanton.  Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles said that Halleck "originates nothing, anticipates nothing. . . . takes no responsibility, plans nothing, suggests nothing, is good for nothing." When General Grant was promoted to general in chief in 1864, he made Halleck his chief of staff, a position Halleck held until the end of the war. 

Henry Halleck | Samuel Curtis | Franz Sigel | Alexander Asboth | Peter Osterhaus | Jefferson Davis | Eugene Carr | Grenville Dodge | Philip Sheridan | Frederick Benteen | James "Wild Bill" Hickock

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