Presidents day: Lessons in Logistics from Washington and Lincoln

As the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) commemorates Presidents Day, it is worth reflecting on the logistical challenges faced by past U.S. presidents who led the nation to victory in wartime without the support of DLA. Both George Washington and Abraham Lincoln faced significant difficulties in supplying their troops during the American Revolution and Civil War respectively, highlighting the importance of a unified military logistics organization.

During the American Revolution, Washington's troops faced significant logistical challenges due to the lack of a supply system similar to DLA Troop Support. According to Frank Grizzard Jr. of the University of Virginia, the Continental Congress's inadequate efforts to equip and feed the army led to problems of procurement and distribution. The shortage of transportation meant that even after obtaining a large supply of flour and hogs in 1775, it became challenging to transport them as horses, carriages, and boats were pressed into other wartime services.

Without a clothing and textiles supply chain similar to that provided by DLA Troop Support, the revolutionary soldiers were in desperate need of winter clothing, especially during the war's early years. In March 1778, Washington appointed a new quartermaster general, Army Maj. Gen. Nathanael Greene, who made heroic efforts to reform the supply and transportation system. While the British faced similar supply difficulties, Tokar notes that a lack of sufficient reserve supplies, cautious generalship, insufficient transportation, widespread corruption, and the lack of a coherent strategy to maximize the potential support of British loyalists in the colonies led to British failure.

Nearly a century later, Abraham Lincoln faced similar problems in supplying the Union Army during the Civil War. Although the Union Army issued uniforms to its soldiers, the clothing often fit poorly or was made of inferior materials. As a result, soldiers often had to pay for additional clothing sent from home or made by a tailor. Transporting clothing and equipment by horseback, riverboat, or the limited rail system often meant that soldiers had to abandon their supplies.

Under Lincoln's leadership, the Union addressed these challenges by creating the U.S. Military Railroad and building a supply base in Petersburg, Virginia. The warehouses stored food, clothing, ammunition, and other supplies delivered by hundreds of ships, while hospitals were erected for the care of Union soldiers.

The logistical challenges faced by Washington and Lincoln highlight the importance of a unified military logistics organization, which can provide systems and expertise to supply the needs of the warfighter. As DLA celebrates Presidents Day, it is worth remembering the value of its services and the role they play in supporting the nation's military leaders.