Oh man, the characters in the American Civil War. Stanton:

...executive ability of a high order, much driving energy, a hound dog's nose for tracking...irregularities...furious insistence...rude, dictatorial, abusive, outrageously blunt...incomprehensibly devious...charming...when he chose to be (which was not often)...

Flag Officer Andrew Foote:

...hardhead...a little fussy--when the Navy subdued certain Chinese forts in the fifties Foote had led a storming party across rice fields and over ditches under heavy fire, carefully holding a big umbrella over his head against the oppressive Oriental sun...😂