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US Civil War Generals
Ask questions here about famous US Civil War generals, on both the Union and Confederate side.
750 Questions
Please show me a picture of P.G.T Beauregard .?
A good photo image of P.G.T. Beauregard can be found at the link below. You can also use any search engine and include the word Image in your search to find more pictures.
When did Confederate General Alexander Welch Reynolds graduate from West Point?
Confederate General Alexander Welch Reynolds graduated from West Point in 1838. He was ranked 35th among his graduating class of 45 cadets. Reynolds served in the Western Theater during the war. He is best known for trying to defend Vicksburg.
What were the names of General John Bell Hood's children?
John Bell Hood's 11 children were Lydia, who died the same day as the General, and sons John Bell Jr, Duncan and Oswald. The other children, all daughters, were Anna Getrude, twins Marion and Lillian, twins Ida and Odile, and twins Annabel and Ethel.
What Union General ravaged the South devastating Georgia and burning Atlanta?
Under the direction of General US Grant, General William T. Sherman, led a campaign that captured and destroyed Atlanta in 1864. Shortly thereafter he began his infamous "March to the Sea". Sherman's troops destroyed all they could so that Southern forces could not salvage supplies from Sherman's campaign. At that point in time the war, Lincoln, Grant and Sherman believed that "total war" was the fastest way to end the US Civil War. There was a good deal of controversy over the humanity of the devastation that Sherman's troops laid on Georgia.
What are some quotes that US Civil War General Ambrose Burnside has said?
" If i fall down i will get back up if you push me down i will pull you down with me"
Did Buell arrived with reinforcements after the first day of the Battle of Shiloh?
It was in the middle of the night - too late to make any difference.
After Grant's early blunder - almost letting his army be pushed into the river - a lot of other Generals tried to claim that they had rescued the situation. But Grant actually kept his nerve and rescued it himself.
Which union general was captured in Atlanta?
The area commander was William T. Sherman. The commander of the whole army was Ulysses S. Grant.
Why did the north and south fight the civil war?
The main cause of the Civil War was States Rights. The South was afraid that Abraham Lincoln would emancipate slaves, and they believed that the US President should not be making decisions that affected the entire country and that States should have the right to make those decisions. It wasn't so much the emancipation of slaves that concerned the South, but rather the fact that if Lincoln were to free the slaves, it would be denying the states their rights.
In order to fully understand the reasoning of the South, you have to step into their shoes. Back then the US was thought of much as we think of the UN, a group of nations (or states) that were united. So if several leading nations in the UN were to tell us to do something that we thought was infringing on our rights, what would we do?
On the other side of the argument, the Northern states saw is as an uprising, or rebellion, against the US, and were determined to keep the Union together. If it meant war, so be it. Lincoln summed it up when he said, "A house divided against itself cannot stand." The North believed that if the South seceded that both nations would collapse. The economy was very dependent on both the agriculture of the South and the factories of the North. If the South had won the war, there might have been an economical collapse.
Of course there is many other reasons contributing to the friction felt between the US and CS, and there will always be debating about the cause of the war, but most agree that the reason stated above is the main, underlying issue.
The Division Over Slavery
It is, of course, the fact that slavery was an integral part of the Southern agricultural economy made it a more important "right" than other activities that the states did not want to cede to the federal government. Some historians describe the Civil War as the triumph of industry over agriculture, which when comparing the two economies is also a reasonable factor. And slavery was the biggest single attribute that differentiated the North and South. To say that the war's single biggest cause was not slavery is to overlook the contentious history of the early 19th century, in which slavery was a principal issue.
How did Union General William Smith feel about General George B McClellan's political ambitions?
Some staff members in General George B. McClellan were loyal to him, to the point of giving him good advice. One friend of McClellan was General William F. Smith. When McClellan shared his political views with Smith during the Peninsula campaign, Smith advised his friend that he was becoming too political and this might damage his duty to command a large army.
What two Union generals did US President have to reprimand concerning slavery?
What cannot ever be underestimated was the struggles of US President Lincoln during the four years of the US Civil War. That in itself was a burden that perhaps to few people of his time fully understood.Two Union generals, one a good friend of Lincoln's had to be either replaced and reprimanded or simply reprimanded were generals John Fremont and Major General David Hunter. In the Western Department of Missouri, abolitionist General John Fremont, also a Radical Republican candidate for the US presidency in 1856, declared, on his own, that slaves owned by contentious Missouri slave owners were to be set free by order of General Fremont.
Such a crucial subject was not to be decided by an independent minded general. Lincoln reversed that decision and replaced Fremont with General Hunter, a man that Lincoln allowed Fremont to nominate himself. Hunter was well aware of why Fremont was replaced. Despite that, Hunter fell victim to his own abolitionist goals later in the war in the South Carolina sea islands. There General Hunter declared the freedom of all slaves. Most likely to Lincoln's astonishment and dismay, that decision was reversed by Lincoln.
As an aside, the burdens of President Lincoln were heavy, as mentioned earlier on. Now despite what General Hunter knew, he did exactly what caused the dismissal of General Fremont. To both these generals and Radical Republicans, President Lincoln had the onerous duty to keep the war under civilian control, where the Constitution wanted it. Not by radical generals.
How many wars did Union General William Paterson serve in?
Union General William Patterson is most famous in his role in the US Civil War Battle of the First Bull Run. He had, however, served in earlier US wars. He was involved in the War of 1812, and also served in the Mexican War.
The West Point class of 1846 was one of the most distinguished in the academies history. Among the best graduates was George B. McClellan and "Stonewall" Jackson. Of that class 12 served as generals for the Union and 10 served for the Confederacy.
How many men in Jeb Stuart's cavalry?
Jeb Stuart's cavalry, known for its role in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War, varied in size throughout the conflict. At its peak during the 1863 campaign, Stuart commanded around 10,000 cavalrymen. However, the number fluctuated due to casualties, recruitment, and the demands of various campaigns. Overall, Stuart's cavalry was a vital and formidable force during the war.
What was the last battle that Union general Burnside was in command of?
Burnside's severe loss at the Battle of Fredericksburg caused him to cost him his leadership in the Union forces.
IMPROVEMENT
The last battle fought by General Burnside as field commander was that of Knoxville, where on November 29, 1863 he defeated the besieging Confederate Army under James Longstreet, who retreated northeast to winter quarters at Greenville.
He then commanded the IX Corps under the direct command of Grant during the overland campaign and the siege of Petersburg. After the heavy setback at "the Crater" of July 30, 1864, he resigned from the army.
When did Union Major General William T. Sherman occupy Fayetteville North Carolina?
On March 11, 1865, Major General William T. Sherman's army occupied Fayetteville, North Carolina. The US Civil War was in its closing days at the time.
General Robert E. Lee began an offensive to clear out Union troops threatening Richmond late in June, 1862. He began by attacking the Union's V Corps at Mechanicsville, which was north of the Chickahominy River. The V Corps is forced to retreat. At the same time, President Lincoln unwittingly helps the South by giving General John Pope command of Union forces in Northern Virginia.
What were the logistical problems Major General William T. Sherman faced in his Southern campaigns?
Union Major General William T. Sherman faced logistical problems in his campaign into the deep South in the latter years of the US Civil War. He encountered food supply problems using wagons. Even on good roads, supply wagons could feed a marching army. However, over long distance marches, there was not enough food to feed both his soldiers and the horses that pulled the supply wagons. The best solution was to forage for food as his troops marched deep in Confederate territory.
Who graduated ahead of Robert E. Lee at West Point?
Charles Mason graduated ahead of Lee. Mason and Lee were tied for the head of the class in Artillery, Tactics, and Conduct, but Mason bested Lee in all other subjects and graduated with an overall score of 1995.5 points, compared to Lee's 1966.5
Charles Mason did not serve in the US Civil War.
How high were the casualty rates among Confederate generals in the US Civil War?
Casualty rates among Confederate generals during the US Civil War were high. In the war, 55% of all Rebel generals were either killed or wounded . This amounted to 235 of the 435 generals. Most of the Confederate losses among generals occurred as they led their troops into battle.
Why did William T. Sherman refer to war is hell?
== == Sherman referred to war as being hell in a speech to a large group of young cadets. His quote is "you may think that war is all glory, but it is all hell, boys." Sherman understood that in order to fully win a war and put a stop to fighting, you had to destroy the desire and will to fight, not just win tactical battles. He was arguably the first practitioner of "total war", i.e., taking the war to the land, supplies and people of the enemy, not just attacking the opposing army. He has been vilified for this, but in reality civilian casualties were quite low whereever his army went (property is another story). Sherman, long before he made the war is hell reference has stated "War is cruelty and you cannot refine it", he truly believed this, and when he made his speech to the cadets, it was to advise them that the actuality of war is in no way a glorious and glamorous affair, it is rather the worst and most harsh, cruel practice that you will ever encounter. He was both warning and preparing the audience about the reality of war.
Were the terms of surrender that grant imposed on the south harsh or easy?
Actually, they were easy. The officers kept their side arms, men kept their horses to work their farms, and all were paroled as long as they obeyed the civil authority.
What were 3ways that general sherman and his troops destroyed parts of Georgia?
General Sherman devastated Georgia. He was very determined to get to Savannah. In order to do this, he would need to travel across the entire state to get to the port town. The capitol, one of the first cities he encountered, was Atlanta. Soldiers in Confederate regiments evacuated the town, and layed low trying to fight back the Union corps under Sherman. For thirty days, Sherman kept fire on the town. He put it under siege. Finally after clearly losing control, the confederates pulled out of the town. In their tracks, there was intense fire. They did not want a thing of good to come the Sherman, or the union corps in which he commanded. He still was able to claim the town, but there wasn't a thing left for them to take. So Atlanta, thanks to Sherman's relentless siege, was destroyed. He then travelled on through smaller towns (many more than I care to mention) burning, and destroying them after his men had foraged and gotten so useful supplies. Finally, after as many as five months, he reached his target, Savannah. There was nearly no force opposing him, and he and his corps marched right through the gates of the town. He did not do much to the town except for taking supplies. he wired President Lincoln that he had captured the town. In his wire, he said " President Lincoln, it is my honor to present you a Christmas present; the town of Savannah. This is everything Sherman and his part of the Federal army did on their sixty mile march from Atlanta to the sea.
