By day DIA analyst Greg Elder combs through many different types of intelligence information to pull together assessments for the nation’s top leaders and policymakers. On his off time, Elder is a Civil War historian, studying the battles and leaders and visiting the many battlefields close to Washington, D.C.  

In honor of the 150^th anniversary of Confederate Lt. Gen. Jubal Early’s Shenandoah Valley offensive, Elder has combined his expertise with his passion, resulting in a modern look at history, and a peek into the typically secret world of intelligence analysis.

Using actual all-source reporting from early June through July 3, 1864, Elder crafted an intelligence assessment written from the perspective of the Union’s Bureau of Military Information – the first modern all-source intelligence unit in history.

The assessment assumes that Union commanders shared intelligence reporting with the BMI, which did not occur in 1864, and provides a fresh take on what constitutes an intelligence failure. 

Click here for your modern look into history.