Civil-military relations have been a live issue in the United States over the last decade and using the career of this once-influential American officer is useful in shining light on the complications military command faces while trying to function in a politically charged environment. Besides being a significant commander of the American civil war, if of the second tier, Schofield is notable for generally handling political complications in an astute fashion and being a major player in the professionalization and reform of his service.

The biggest personal failing Schofield displayed is that he did not let his usually sound instincts come into play when handling the matter of the Johnson Whittaker Affair, where an African-American cadet at West Point was subjected to brutal hazing for his race and Schofield (as Superintendent of the Academy) failed to follow both the letter and the spirit of the law in dealing with the scandal. Even by the standards of the times Schofield was seen to be lacking from a professional and personal perspective and was lucky to rebuild his career, which turned out to be of great service to the Republic. ( )