The battle of Stone’s River is indeed one of the most casualty producing battles, but great leaders were always present and ready to continue moving forward with their troops. One of those leaders was General W.S Rosecrans, born on September 16, 1819 in Delaware County, Ohio. Rosecrans early years were rough due to the limited financial resources from his parents. Even though the resources were limited, he was regarded as studious and intelligent, this situation led him to sought appointment to the United States Military Academy. Rosecrans entered West Point in 1838 and from the beginning he demonstrated his leadership abilities at the academy. He graduated fifth in a class of 56 finishing ahead of several future Civil War generals. He married …show more content…
Later in the summer of 1862 he was key leader to the successful Union campaign in wester Virginia, serving under General McClellan. In 1854, he resigned from the military due to poor health, leaving the Army as a First Lieutenant. Later in 1861 he was appointed as the Colonel of the 23rd Ohio Infantry and promoted to Brigadier General in the Regular Army. After many victories under his command, General Rosecrans was sent to Kentucky where he faced General Bragg in the Battle of Stones River. His tactics were put to the test when he faced General Bragg. Under his command, Genera Rosecrans had General Crittenden who took the Murfreesboro route; General Thomas by the Franklin and Wilkinson turnpikes and General McCook, who was marching his division by the Nolensville pike to Triune. Contrary to the Confederate Army’s divisions, the Union was well organized, not only the divisions were moving in separate routes, but they knew what to do and what the next step was. Rosecrans died on March 11, 1898. He was initially buried in Rosedale Cemetery in Los Angeles, California. In 1902 his body was reinterred in Arlington National …show more content…
Braxton early years were not easy. He came from a very humble family and at times he felt the sting of rejection. He was a man of disposition, a man who wouldn’t stop for anything in order to achieve his goals. His aggressiveness and decision making led him to graduate from West Point in 1837 and immediately went on to serve in the Seminole War and the Mexican War. When the war between the states broke out, Confederate President Jefferson Davis made Bragg a Brigadier General. By the time Confederates Were battling for Tennessee, Braxton Bragg was a full general commanding nearly 40,000 troops. Bragg was known for being an obsessed man, he believed in following orders often to the point of absurdity. For instance, once while he and his men were enduring a murderous artillery barrage at Monterey during the Mexican War, Bragg witnessed an American horse driver fall dead from his saddle. Bragg ordered his retreating men to halt, and in the middle of the onslaught ordered one of the other horsemen to dismount, turn around and recover the dead man's sword because it was public property that had been issued by the government. The horseman also took from the corpse a pocket knife, fearing that if he did not Bragg would send him back for it. The preparation for the Battle of Stones River was not the best. Brigadier General Samuel Jones, failed to procure all the rations for General
General Lee said, to be a good soldier you must love the army, to be a good general you must be prepared to order the death of the thing you love, and therein lies the great trap of soldiering. When you attack you must hold nothing back." Thomas J. Jackson was both a good soldier and a good general. In the Mexican War he fought with all his heart for his country. When the Civil War came, he was a general. He never hesitated to send his men forward. He held nothing back. George McClellan also fought with all his heart for his country in the Mexican War. When the time came to send his men forward in the Civil War, he couldn’t do it. He loved the army to much to order its death.
The Revolutionary War had resulted in the creation of the United States of America, whereas the American Civil War had determined the type of nation the United States would be. Opposing views over allowing slavery in territories, that had not become states just yet, had been the cause of the Civil War by the states. In 1861, when the war had just begun, a twenty-one year old man named Samuel Rush Watkins enlisted in the Confederate Army. Watkins had originally enlisted in the Bigby Grays in April when he then transferred to Maury Grays two months later on May fifteenth. He had served in Company H of the First Tennessee Infantry Regiment where he fought in multiple battles including the battles of Shiloh, Corinth, Perryville, Murfreesboro, Shelbyville, Chattanooga, Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge, The 100 Days Battles, Jonesboro, Franklin, Nashville and Atlanta. Once the war came to an end Watkins had been one of the seven
The Valley Campaign of the Shenandoah Valley of 23 March to 9 June 1862 saw the rise of the Confederate Major General (MG) Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson. The Shenandoah Valley campaign allowed for MG Jackson to incorporate the principles of maneuver, offensive and surprise operations (US Army Center of Military History, 2012) through the use of his cavalry and foot soldiers.
During the Civil War, Ulysses S. Grant played a main part in the Union’s Victory. He did this by: Winning multiple battles, his expertise as a leader, and defeating Robert E. Lee. Grant started his career as an officer by going through the military academy called WestPoint. After graduating as a Second Lieutenant, he made his way through the ranks in the Mexican-American War. During the Civil War, he was promoted to Brigadier General, Major General and then to Lieutenant General by President Abraham Lincoln. As a General in the war, Grant won multiple battles including: Vicksburg, Shiloh, Chattanooga, and Petersburg. Vicksburg was one of his best battles. Although he was outnumbered, Grant still managed to lead his men to victory. Vicksburg was one of the main battles that turned the war around, giving the Union Army the upper hand. All of these major battles lead to the defeat and surrender of Robert E. Lee at the Appomattox Court House in 1865. General Grant’s military skills were gained throughout his life as a soldier. All of these skills were used as he defeated countless enemies and won major battles. His expertise’s lead him to victories throughout the whole war, which ultimately helped him play a main role in the Union victory.
Each general that was appointed commander of the army in the east had his own plans when it came to defeating the Confederates. Beginning with McDowell, the first general to command a large army in the war, the task seemed insurmountable at first. He had an army of 30,000 men, most of whom were extremely green. Despite Lincoln’s desire that he attack immediately, McDowell knew that he wasn’t ready, and initially had no plans to move against the Confederates during that first summer of the war. Lincoln insisted that he attack at Manassas with the resulting disastrous outcome. Perhaps had McDowell came along later in the war, it might have turned out differently, but that wasn’t a likely outcome.
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
It is April 1861; the Civil War has just begun with the first attack on Fort Sumter. The Southern states have already seceded from the Union and formed the Confederate States of America. Now the country is split, Union in the North and the Confederacy in the South. Both the Union and the Confederacy will soon be in need of resources especially since war is about to be declared by Abraham Lincoln. Leadership for the Union and the Confederate armies are given away mostly to those with seniority rather than to those who deserve it by merit. James Ewell Brown (“Jeb”) Stuart is among the Confederacy leaders to gain his position as general not only because of his age but also because of his experience with fighting the Indians and other whites on the frontier in Bleeding Kansas. Jeb Stuart along with thirteen other Virginian’s was part of the Confederate leadership which was made up of a total forty-four men. Jeb Stuart was given his position because of the seniority he had over the other men signed up for the war, but did he also earn the position by merit and if so, does he keep his merit throughout the Civil War?
The concept of war has existed since the dawn of creation. Throughout the years, advancements in technology contributed to the increase of hate and violence. However, war gifted the world with influential and strong leaders. The Civil War showcased a multitude of these leaders throughout its harsh years. Although the Union won the war, the Confederate Army was the quintessence of character and determination. With the help of various militia and guerrilla bands, the Confederate Army won many battles, which could have been easily lost. “Bloody Bill” Anderson was a prime example of distracting Union forces. Though historians debate that he was sadistic and a cold blooded killer, “Bloody Bill” Anderson played a key role for the aid of the
...ow a great man the respect he deserved. When we learn about Revolutionary war history in school we learn about George Washington, Patrick Henry, and even Nathan Hale. But never is a word spoken about the accomplishments of George Rogers Clark and his small band of soldiers who assisted to the victory in east with their victories at Kaskaskia and Vincennes.
At the outbreak of the American Civil War, Grant was appointed colonel, and soon afterward brigadier general, of the Illinois Volunteers, and in September 1861 he seized Paducah, Kentucky. After an indecisive raid on Belmont, Missouri, he gained fame when in February 1862, in conjunction with the navy; he succeeded in reducing Forts Henry and Donelson, Tennessee, forcing General Simon B. Buckner to accept unconditional surrender. The Confederates surprised Grant at Shiloh, but he held his ground and then moved on to Corinth. In 1863 he established his reputation as a strategist in the brilliant campaign against Vicksburg, Mississippi, which took place on July 4. After being appointed commander in the West, he defeated Braxton Bragg at Chattanooga. Grant's victories made him so prominent that he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general and in February 1864 was given command of all Union armies.
A Southern refugee once reflected, and referred to the Army of the Potomac as the “greatest army in the planet.” Although this is a clear exaggeration, from a Southern perspective following the Battle of Antietam, this was not too far off. Relative to the Army of Northern Virginia, the Federal army was vastly larger, in better spirits, and strategically in better positions. To direct this army of great potential, President Lincoln appointed the reluctant Major General Ambrose Everett Burnside. Almost immediately after receiving command, Burnside adopted a plan; the objective was Richmond. He was convinced that a victory at Richmond would cripple the Confederate’s ability to carry on; whether this would have been true is debatable. What is not arguable however, is Burnside’s neglect of a small city by the name of Fredericksburg, which lied directly in his path. He inherited every advantage a military leader of the time could hope for; however, every one of these advantages was dissolved with his disregard of mission command. The Army of the Potomac’s loss at the Battle of Fredericksburg was a direct result of General Burnside’s failure at conducting the commander’s activities of understanding, describing, leading, and assessing.
Chivington, a retired pastor from Ohio, harbored an intense resentment for the natives. An aspiring politician, Chivington served as volunteer in the Union Army during the Civil War, most notably in the Battle of Glorieta Pass when he and a Union detachment assaulted a Confederate supply train(nps.gov). He quickly climbed the chain of command, eventually being promoted to Colonel of the 1st Colorado Cavalry (Brown 75). Here his true colors began to show, as one Confederate chaplain reported he threatened to kill prisoners of war under his command (nps.gov). Granted with his new authority, however, Chivington committed one of the worst atrocities that took place in the United States’ conflict with the
At the head of this revival was the memory of Stonewall Jackson, closely followed by Robert E. Lee (who would rise to the prominent position following his death in 1870). Other generals of the Confederacy who had died during the war followed, as did those who would pass on later.
A month later in the Battle of Fredericksburg, Burnside failed and causes the Union another defeat. In this defeat the Union had 13,000 casualties. This mistake caused Burnside to be removed from commander of the Army of the Potomac (Ambrose E. Burnside). In March of 1863, Burnside becomes in charge of the Department of the Ohio. Burnside was responsible for getting a politician named Clement Vallandigham arrested for sedition (History.com Staff). Later in 1863, Burnside was able to hold the city of Knoxville because his troops outmaneuvered General James L. Longstreet (Ambrose E. Burnside). Because of this success, Burnside was awarded with commanding the XI Corps for the Army of the Potomac. Under the leadership of General Ulysses S. Grant, Burnside fought in many more battles. In the siege of Petersburg, the troops put explosives in a mine and exploded a gap in the Confederate line. Burnsides troops were supposed exploit the gap, but they did not do it in time. This delay causes many of the Union soldiers to lose their lives. April 15, 1865, Burnside resigned because of this mistake (Ambrose E.
The famous Battle of Gettysburg was fought July 1 to July 3 of 1863 in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle proved to show the most casualties of the entire war and resulted in a crushing defeat of the Confederates. The Battle of Gettysburg is generally considered to be the turning point of the American Civil War. This paper will demonstrate the various reasons as to why the Confederates, led by General Robert E. Lee, were unsuccessful in the Battle of Gettysburg during their invasion of the north. General Lee’s over-confidence, the confederate army’s disorganization and failed coordination, and the shift of intelligence all contributed to the crushing defeat of the confederates at Gettysburg. Following his “flawless” battle at Chancellorsville, General Lee was instilled with absolute confidence in his men and failed to see any deficiencies in his army’s offensive capabilities. Lee was not only over-confident, but also knew less than his opponent during the most crucial stages of the battle. The final contributing factor as to why the confederates were defeated was Alexander’s failure to provide effective artillery bombardment and his failure to advise General Pickett not to make the charge after the ineffective bombardment.