Over the course of the semester, we have studied many different battles, complete wars, and different commanders, all of these through the lenses of American Military History. One key component of any battle or war is how the commanders leading the armies execute it. The way to measure a commander’s execution is by comparing his actions to the Principles of War, also known as MOSSMOUSE. The commander I will be evaluating is William T. Sherman, widely known in the South for his infamous Atlanta Campaign. He did have one hiccup however. This was his one bad move, the move he took at the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain.
The Battle of Kennesaw Mountain is a battle that took place on June 27, 1864 during American Civil War, which occurred from 1861-1865. This war was started because of many reasons. Many scholars like to point at the economic differences, the geographical differences, the ideals of the two different populations, and other sorts. But President Lincoln stated the purpose of this war very plainly: the war to end slavery for good. As the war started to shift more towards an Union victory over the Confederate states, General Ulysses S. Grant sent another general by the name of William T. Sherman on a vicious campaign through the South to gain control of the city of Atlanta to end the war for good. The now infamous move is now referred to as the Atlanta Campaign or Sherman’s March to the Sea. Sherman had one main goal and that goal was total war. His goal was to lay waste to the South and force them to surrender by all means necessary. This meant pillaging every city he came to, massacring any rebels he came across, but doing this in a strategic manner.
The commander leading the forces in the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain was ...
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...ta to Savannah.
Works Cited
Agnew, John Holmes, Walter Hilliard Bidwell, and Henry T. Steele. The Eclectic Magazine. New York [etc.: n.p., n.d. Print.
Bailey, Ronald H. Battles for Atlanta: Sherman Moves East. Alexandria, VA: Time-Life, 1985. Print.
Blount, Russell W. Clash at Kennesaw: June and July 1864. Gretna: Pelican, 2012. Print.
Hess, Earl J. Kennesaw Mountain: Sherman, Johnston, and the Atlanta Campaign. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina, 2013. Print.
Luvaas, Jay, and Harold W. Nelson. Guide to the Atlanta Campaign: Rocky Face Ridge to Kennesaw Mountain. Lawrence: University of Kansas, 2008. Print.
Royster, Charles. William Tecumseh Sherman: Memiors. [S.l.]: Library of America, 1990. Print.
Watkins, Samuel R. "Co. Aytch", Maury Grays, First Tennessee Regiment: Or, A Side Show of the Big Show. Wilmington, NC: Broadfoot Pub., 1990. Print.
From July 1st to July 3rd, 1863, the most famous and most important Civil War Battle took place in the small town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The Confederates under Robert E. Lee advanced on the Union in hopes of taking the major city of Philadelphia, Baltimore, or even Washington D.C. Union commander General George Meade was sent to make sure none of this would happen. General Robert E. Lee was determined to invade the North and win a victory important for southern morale, leads his army toward Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where he hopes to destroy railroad bridges linking east with west. He is unaware that a large union force headed by General Meade is headed in the same direction.
The 7th Cavalry Regiment's destruction at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in June 1876 is the subject of over a century of debate. LTC George A. Custer failed to exercise four key responsibilities that were expected of him as the regiment’s commander. He failed to understand the problem and environment, visualize a feasible solution, clearly describe it to his subordinates, and effectively direct his forces. These four aspects of mission command are integral to the operations process and help Soldiers understand and execute their commander's intent. Custer's failure to properly fulfill his role in the operations process resulted in his death and a strategic defeat for the nation.
COL Prescott’s role in the Battle of Bunker Hill, or more correctly know as the Battle of Breed’s Hill, is a great example of how to properly execute mission command. An overview from The Cowpens Staff Ride and Battlefield Tour (Moncure) reveals a number of operation and strategic objectives that the American militia had to consider. In this instance, COL Prescott takes charge of 1200 men with instructions to defend against incoming British forces that were seeking to occupy the surrounding hills during the Siege of Boston campaign. COL Prescott utilized a variety of steps in the operations process that contributed to his expert utilization of mission command over his forces. Through various sources from published works by experts on the subject, COL Prescott’s mission command demonstrates its effectiveness in his understanding of the situation against the British, his visualization to create an end state for t...
It is far easier for us in the present than it was for those at Gettysburg, to look back and determine the path that the leaders should have taken. As students, studying battles such as this, we have the advantage of hindsight, knowing the outcome. Nonetheless, we can still learn valuable lessons from it. To do so, this analysis will explore some of the decisions of the leaders at Gettysburg, and how they were affected by the operational variables. This essay will scrutinize some of the leaders at Gettysburg, and the impact of their actions. The outcome of this analysis will show that what was true in 1863 is still true today. While many variables are vital to a successful army on the battlefield, none should be neglected. Each variable discussed in this examination will prove to be important, but the information battle will be paramount in the battle of Gettysburg.
The Civil War was a major point in American History. It has influenced everyone in America in many ways. The War was conducted in two main areas of the United States. These two parts were in the area east of the Mississippi River and in the area west of the Mississippi River. The control of both of these fronts was vital for victory by either the Union or the Confederacy. On March 8, 1862, a small skirmish at Pea Ridge, Arkansas led to the Union's domination of the west. The Battle of Pea Ridge had a great impact on the civil war by giving control of the west to the Federal forces (Battle).
The Battle of Antietam could have been a devastating and fatal blow to the Confederate Army if Gen. McClellan acted decisively, took calculated risks, and veered away from his cautious approach to war. There are many instances leading up to the battle and during the battle in which he lacks the necessary offensive initiative to effectively cripple and ultimately win the war. This paper is intended to articulate the failure of Mission Command by GEN McClellan by pointing out how he failed to understand, visualize, describe and direct the battlefield to his benefit.
Therefore, neither of the generals exceeded the other when it comes to military strategies, which rather debunks Shaara’s depiction of Longstreet’s advanced knowledge of modern warfare. Despite of the importance of the Battle of Gettysburg, often marked as the turning point of the war, General Longstreet should not obey an order that results in a significant loss of men that would be extremely difficult to replace at this time. Already limited by the amount of men still able to fight, pushing additional forces in an open battle would just nearly deplete the confederate soldiers completely. Since this battle was one that went on until a majority of ones sided were depleted, the south should have played it safe against the Unions nearly surplus supply of
Throughout the battle, you see numerous Army Values and Warrior Ethos being used. “I will never leave a fallen comrade”, was the etho used the most, to reach the separated platoon. The battle also shows that not all tactical orders are effective, but as a leader you must never second guess yourself.
The Union forces suffered one their most significant defeats of the Civil War at the Battle of Fredericksburg on 13 December 1862. The Union army was pushing towards Richmond, Virginia when they were met with a Confederate defensive stand while attempting to cross the Rappahannock River and the subsequent charges towards the Confederate positions. The first three steps of the Battle Analysis process will be covered briefly in this analysis along with an assessment of the significant actions taken. The Union Army was rendered ineffective due to several flaws in the leadership. Poor utilization of available intelligence methods, poor communication between leaders, minimal terrain analysis, and failure to plan for enemy courses of action all contributed greatly to the Union defeat at the Battle of Fredericksburg.
The American Civil War was fought between the North (The Union) and the South (The Confederates), because of the South wanting to secede from the North. Lincoln's election as president in 1860, triggered southerners' decision to secede believing Lincoln would restrict their rights to own slaves. Lincoln stated that secession was "legally void" and had no intentions of invading the Southern states, but would use force to maintain possession of federal property. Despite his pleas for the restorations of the bonds of union, the South fired upon the federal troops stationed at Fort Sumter, in Charlestown, Virginia. This was the event that decided the eventual beginning of the Civil War. Despite the advantages of Northerners, their victory in the ...
The Civil War is one of the defining wars in the history of this great nation. The Battle of Gettysburg was the bloodiest battle in American history, and a turning point in the four year war. At the time, Gettysburg was a small, quiet town generally unaffected by the war. General Robert E. Lee of the Confederate States of America and General George Meade of the Union converged in Gettysburg, and a conflict quickly arose. After three long days of battle the Union pulled away with a victory, though not an easy one. This essay will outline the six themes of history; in essence the who, what, when, where, why, and who cares of this infamous battle.
Leahy, Stephen M. "The Historical Battle over Dispatching American Troops." USA Today (Farmingdale). July 1999: 10-12. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 07 May. 2014.
This battle was the turning point of the Civil War, it also proved that Robert E. Lee was not invincible as most northerners thought.The battle lasted three days and there were 46,000-51,000 deaths.The death tolls were pretty much even which was remarkable due to the South having two armies to the Norths one. The South retreated on July 4th, 1863. This battle was important because if the South would have won the battle they would have won the war. The North eventually won the war because this battle turned the tides. Abraham Lincoln 's Gettysburg address was the most famous speech of all time. Astonishingly it only lasted two minutes. It showed the new birth of our freedom, which was huge to our country. It was about how the North could win the war, and how they would win the war. The war ended on April 9th, 1865. Blacks soon got the same rights as all other human beings. Abraham Lincoln decided to let Louisiana back into the nation. This was the first state back into the Union after they had seceded. Five days after the war Abraham Lincoln was shot and killed. His killer was John Wilkes Booth, an actor in the Forbes Theatre. His motive to kill was that the south had lost the war. after shooting the president, Mr. Booth jumped off the balcony and out the back entrance onto a horse. He went missing for 12 days. Few people helped Mr. Booth but one did and let him stay in
Sears’ thesis is the Union could have won the war faster. McClellan was an incompetent commander and to take the initiative to attack an defeat the Confederate army. The Army of Northern Virginia, under...
The novel, “Shiloh” by Shelby Foote is a fictional recreation of the bloody battle. The story begins with the soldiers of the Confederate Army heading towards Pittsburg Landing. The men are marching in terrible conditions. It is pouring down rain and they are dragging their tired legs through the mud. The troops come to a halt so the commanders can talk to General Johnston. General Johnston says the only way they might have a chance is if they plan a surprise attack. As the sergeants hand the men their guns, they are told to check the powder in case it got wet in the rain. A group of soldiers test their guns out on a deer running close by. At the same time the shots were fired, the sun came out and the soldiers started to scream and cheer. These noises combined were more than enough to alert the Union soldiers of the Confederates advance. Palmer remembers what his life was like before going to war. He attended the Louisiana State Military Academy when the Confederacy seceded from the Union. One of his professors predicted the south did not have a chance of winning the war. That night Palmer dreams of holding Sherman at gunpoint making him admit that he was wrong. Prior to the battle, the commanders create a battle plan. Palmer is assigned a part in this process. When the plan fails, Palmer learns that planning a battle is more difficult than it seems because the commanders on the ground face challenges that do not exist on paper.