--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I can make brigadier generals, but i…" description: "\"I can make brigadier generals, but i can't make horses.\" — Abraham Lincoln" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/155/abraham-lincoln-88_civil-war_i-can-make-brigadier-generals-but-i-can_1883137.png" --- # I can make brigadier generals, but i can't make horses. ![“I can make brigadier generals, but i can't make horses.” quote by Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/155/abraham-lincoln-88_civil-war_i-can-make-brigadier-generals-but-i-can_1883137.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/155/abraham-lincoln-88_civil-war_i-can-make-brigadier-generals-but-i-can_1883137.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/155/abraham-lincoln-88_civil-war_i-can-make-brigadier-generals-but-i-can_1883137.png) > “I can make brigadier generals, but i can't make horses.” [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Leadership can promote people, but cannot create essential resources like horses. **In simple terms:** Leaders can train, not conjure needed tools. Key Takeaway Invest in essential resources alongside leadership. Themes leadership logistics military Mood pragmatic reflective Type strategic military When to use this quote - army provisioning - disaster relief - infrastructure projects Key Concepts resource scarcity strategic planning human capital Questions to Reflect On - What resources are missing in your current project? - How can you secure them before scaling? A Different Perspective Leadership without resources is ineffective. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Civil war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-war/) [Generals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generals/) [Horse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horse/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [Successful generals make plans to fit circumstances, but do not try to create circumstances to fit plans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-s-patton/successful-generals-make-plans-to-fit-circumstances-but-do-not-try-to/) [George S. Patton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-s-patton/) > [when the people of any country choose peace at all costs, not even generals can make war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/when-the-people-of-any-country-choose-peace-at-all-costs-not-even/) [Pearl S. Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/) > [When other Generals make mistakes their armies are beaten; when I get into a hole, my men pull me out of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duke-of-wellington/when-other-generals-make-mistakes-their-armies-are-beaten-when-i-get/) [Duke of Wellington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duke-of-wellington/) > [I love women whose hidden desires make horses put an end to their lives at the threshold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahmoud-darwish/i-love-women-whose-hidden-desires-make-horses-put-an-end-to-their/) [Mahmoud Darwish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahmoud-darwish/) > [It is not the kings and generals that make history, but the masses of the people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/it-is-not-the-kings-and-generals-that-make-history-but-the-masses-of/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [“I make that four horses and ten men just to get rid of one old woman. What did you do to the King?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-wynne-jones/i-make-that-four-horses-and-ten-men-just-to-get-rid-of-one-old-woman/) [Diana Wynne Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-wynne-jones/) > [I readily admit it is easy to make of horses what we will. Silent, in some ways reserved, they allow us to train them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-smiley/i-readily-admit-it-is-easy-to-make-of-horses-what-we-will-silent-in/) [Jane Smiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-smiley/) > [You cannot make horses 'safe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zara-phillips/you-cannot-make-horses-safe/) [Zara Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zara-phillips/) > [“Anybody will do for you, but not for me. I must have somebody .”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/anybody-will-do-for-you-but-not-for-me-i-must-have-somebody/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [I can make more generals, but horses cost money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/i-can-make-more-generals-but-horses-cost-money/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [“Richmond's newspaper questioned how a senior general could not even get two of his own generals to cooperate with him. They nicknamed him "Granny"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-johnson/richmond-s-newspaper-questioned-how-a-senior-general-could-not-even/) [Clint Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-johnson/) > [Abraham Lincoln went through 12 generals before he got Ulysses S. Grant. He had never done a Civil War before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/abraham-lincoln-went-through-12-generals-before-he-got-ulysses-s/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [The US did not have any big supply of good generals in Civil War, and some it did have went with the rebels. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lee-miller/the-us-did-not-have-any-big-supply-of-good-generals-in-civil-war-and/) [William Lee Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lee-miller/) > [“McClellan knew that Jackson’s force was relatively small, so he only sent 16,000 men under the command of Major General Nathaniel P. Banks. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/mcclellan-knew-that-jackson-s-force-was-relatively-small-so-he-only/) [Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/) > [That on the first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred ans sixty-three, all persons held as slaves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/that-on-the-first-day-of-january-in-the-year-of-our-lord-one-thousand/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) ## More by Abraham Lincoln > [Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/elections-belong-to-the-people-it-s-their-decision-if-they-decide-to/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [ Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then \[these?\],… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in-england-in-1624-and-in-this/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel Mother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/all-that-i-am-or-ever-hope-to-be-i-owe-to-my-angel-mother/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [While the people retain their virtue and vigilance, no administration, by any extreme of wickedness or folly, can very seriously injure the government in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/while-the-people-retain-their-virtue-and-vigilance-no-administration/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [I could not have slept tonight if I had left that helpless little creature to perish on the ground.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/i-could-not-have-slept-tonight-if-i-had-left-that-helpless-little/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Let us at all times remember that all American citizens are brothers of a common country, and should dwell together in bonds of fraternal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/let-us-at-all-times-remember-that-all-american-citizens-are-brothers/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [If you wish to be a lawyer, attach no consequence to the place you are in, or the person you are with; but get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/if-you-wish-to-be-a-lawyer-attach-no-consequence-to-the-place-you-are/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [As we keep or break the Sabbath Day we nobly save or meanly lose the last best hope by which man rises.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/as-we-keep-or-break-the-sabbath-day-we-nobly-save-or-meanly-lose-the/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Tell the truth and you won't have so much to remember](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/tell-the-truth-and-you-won-t-have-so-much-to-remember/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [With high hope for the future, no prediction is ventured.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/with-high-hope-for-the-future-no-prediction-is-ventured/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [We know, Southern men declare that their slaves are better off than hired laborers amongst us. How little they know, whereof they speak! There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/we-know-southern-men-declare-that-their-slaves-are-better-off-than/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [I am glad to see that a system of labor prevails under which laborers can strike when they want to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/i-am-glad-to-see-that-a-system-of-labor-prevails-under-which-laborers/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [I don't like that man. I must get to know him better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/i-don-t-like-that-man-i-must-get-to-know-him-better/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [In this sad world of ours, sorrow comes to all; and to the young, it comes with bitterest agony because it takes them unawares.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/in-this-sad-world-of-ours-sorrow-comes-to-all-and-to-the-young-it/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [The man does not live who is more devoted to peace than I am. None who would do more to preserve it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/the-man-does-not-live-who-is-more-devoted-to-peace-than-i-am-none-who/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) [Explore all 1,437 Abraham Lincoln quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) ## More Civil war quotes > [“Time overlaps itself. A breath breathed from a passing breeze is not the whole wind, neither is it just the last of what has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/time-overlaps-itself-a-breath-breathed-from-a-passing-breeze-is-not/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) > [“Whatever happened in those more than one hundred years, from the time my great-great-great grandfather studied law to the time when my own father…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwenn-wright/whatever-happened-in-those-more-than-one-hundred-years-from-the-time/) [Gwenn Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwenn-wright/) > [“AUSTRALIA, LIKE THE UNITED STATES, experienced a different path to inclusive institutions than the one taken by England. The same revolutions that shook England…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daron-acemo-lu/australia-like-the-united-states-experienced-a-different-path-to/) [Daron Acemoğlu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daron-acemo-lu/) > [“These are all good things, I said. 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