The Civil War witnessed a significant expansion of America's military forces. Both the Union and the Confederacy assembled armies of unprecedent size requiring a significant number of general officers. As a result, many general officers attained high rank while being relatively young. The class will focus on Union senior leaders under the age of forty who attained high command. The first class will examine and evaluate the military careers of the young generals of the eastern theater's Army of the Potomac such as Joshua Chamberlain, George Custer, Alfred Pleasonton, and Philip Sheridan. The second class will focus on young Union leaders in the western theater such as Benjamin Grierson, Judson Kilpatrick, John Schofeld, James Wilson, and James McPherson. The final class will exclusively examine the military career of William T. Sherman who achieved command of the entire western theater at the age of 35.

Robert Smith was born in Nebraska and attended Nebraska University where he majored in history. Bob has always had a love for history and a particular interest in military history as he comes from a military family. Prior to his return to academia and advanced degrees Bob managed a family operated business where he learned management and organizational skills. He returned to academia in 1998 attending Kansas State University receiving a Master of Arts in military history in 2004 and a Ph.D. in military history in December 2008. Currently Bob is the Director of the Fort Riley Museum Complex, Fort Riley, Kansas.