Cossacks in Blue (again)

Long post on the big Turchin book of 2006 from Drew here, and more on same from Chris here. Drew writes "...Turchin’s men were allowed to commit depredations in Missouri and Kentucky without repercussion. According to Bradley and Dahlen, these volunteers had little reason to think Athens would be different."

If I count correctly, there were five competing, incompatible civil policies applied by military occupiers simultaneously in Virginia when McClellan wrote the Harrison Bar letter - you know, the great affront, the outrage, the impudent talking of politics to politicians. That letter has always struck me as an obvious let's "get on the same page" plea from a man asked to implement the government's (non-existent) policies in competition with his fellow military policymakers. And so, I could never be outraged by his goading Lincoln into responsibility ... or at least trying to.

Turchin was caught in the webs of multiple DIY policies.

Some of my earlier thoughts on John Turchin appeared here.