Franz Sigel This is the story of Franz Sigel, a man from Germany that commanded both German and American forces. During the Civil War, he led troops supporting the Union. However, his blunders as a Commander caused the unfortunate repercussion of defeat. Notably, the battle of Wilson’s Creek was one of the bloodiest battles in the Civil War, and because of his actions on that day, his reputation was negatively impacted. Before the Battle of Wilson’s Creek Franz Sigel was born on November 18, 1824 in Baden, Germany. Franz attended school early in his life in Bruchsal, Germany. Longing to join the military, Franz attended the Karlshrue Military Academy in Germany and graduated 1843. Following graduation from the military academy, he was commissioned …show more content…
as a 1st Lieutenant in Baden Army. Momentarily, Sigel left the service in 1847 to study law, yet re-entered as a Coronal during the 1848 Revolution. During the 1848 Revolution Sigel faced numerous challenges, and his tactics were substandard, however, he was respected throughout the German community. His forces attacked the town of Freiburg in 1848. His forces were later defeated by Soldiers from Prussia and Wurttemberg. (Piston, & Hatcher, 2000). After this setback, he was promoted to Commander of Baden’s revolutionary forces. Later that year the 1848 Revolution began to fall and subsequently, Sigel retreated with his troops from Britain fleeing to Switzerland. Following the Revolution in 1852 he moved to the United States, and met the daughter of the educator, Rudolf Dulon. They soon married and settled in St. Louise, Missouri, where Sigel eventually became a strong influence in the community, primarily composed of German Americans. Additionally, he began teaching at Deutsches Institute and became the district’s superintendent of education in the city. On April 12, 1961 the Civil War began and Missouri was an instrumental battleground for both the Union and the Confederates. Sigel opposed slavery and started to influence St. Louis immigration community to the Union’s cause. Abraham Lincoln recognized Sigel’s influence throughout the city, including his previous military experience, and appointed him Colonel while granting him control of the Third Missouri Infantry. Colonel Sigel moved his unit with Lyons Army to attack the Confederates, led by Brigadier General McCulloch (Johnson, 1887).
Battle of Wilson’s Creek The day prior to August 9th, 1861 there was a meeting between Coronel Sigel and Brigadier General Lyon. In the meeting Sigel convinced Lyon that both his and Lyon forces should attack McCulloch force by splitting up and attacking on two different fronts. Sigel was going to move with his forces in the evening. Sigel’s forces were to attack McCulloch forces from the south. After the meeting, Sigel ordered his forces to begin movement to the objective around 1830. His forces moved along the Yokemill road for five miles and then turned southwest. Sigel’s forces eventually, with some difficulties, made their way to the rear of McCulloch forces around 2330. At this point Sigel troops moved successfully to the objective without being spotted and his Calvary had captured everyone that was on the road during the movement. After resting a couple of hours, Sigel moved his troops about a mile and a half and they arrested additional 40 enemy soldiers. Moving closer to McCulloch forces, Sigel’s troops moved to the top of a hill granting perfect watch over McCulloch’s forces. Sigel directed his artillery into place to fire on top of the hill. At 0530
Sigel’s forces heard musket firing to the northwest. Clearly, this was the signal Sigel was waiting for. Lyon’s forces were attacking and the battle had begun. McCulloch’s troops were sleeping and preparing breakfast they were completely surprised. Sigel troops charged into Wilson’s Creek they moved past the Dixon’s farm, crossed Terrell creek, and stopped when they reached south of the valley. Sigel was now parallel with the open fields when he noticed 2500 enemy forces were making their way towards Sigel forces. Sigel positioned his troops and they began firing on the enemy. The enemy forces began to become disordered and started retreating to the north. When Sigel moved his forces north he was the primary force that was directly in the line of any enemies that were retreating. At this point Sigel troops had successfully moved and taken 15 miles and had McCulloch forces on the run. At this point Sigel positioned his troops on a plateau. During this attack Sigel became confused, he believed that McCulloch forces were retreating and he thought Lyon forces were moving towards him he ordered his troops to cease fire. This is where he made his critical mistake. The forces moving toward him were actually part of McCulloch forces. The confusion was that he thought it was the 1st Iowa and they wore gray uniforms just like McCulloch troops. Before he recognized this mistake it was too late; he ordered Corporal Tod to challenge the attack but was killed instantly. His artillery only got off 2 rounds and his forces began to retreat. In the retreat Sigel forces followed the Fayetteville road and turned right heading towards Little York and Springfield. Sigel had Captain Carr and his company led in front of the retreat. Sigel men were exhausted and were in disorder when they arrived to the White river. At the river there was detachments of both the Texas and Missouri Calvary waiting for them. Sigel forces were ambushed and a majority of them were killed, wounded, and taken prisoner. Sigel was not taken because he put a blue blanket over his uniform. This made him appear to the enemy as a Texas Ranger. Sigel was chased for several miles, but the enemy eventually gave up. Sigel and the remaining troops made it back to Springfield at 1700. The battle of Wilson Creek was a complete blunder of commanding from Sigel which cost him and his troops and the battle (Johnson, 1887). After Battle of Wilson Creek After the battle Sigel reputation took a drastic hit he was known as a retreater and poor leader. His command was given away in 1861 and in protest he resigned. He came back to take command of a Division at battle of Pea Ridge and Elkhorn Tavern. Abraham Lincoln promoted him to Major General of Volunteers this was likely because of a political move by Abraham Lincoln (Clemens, 2014). Eventually on May 4, 1865 Sigel resigned from the Army. After resigning Sigel got into politics and ran for New York Secretary of State and eventually loses. Franz Sigel dies in New York on August 21, 1902 (Engle, 1993). Sigel reputation never recovered from his action’s at the battle of Wilson’s Creek.
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.
Stephen W. Sears’ Landscape Turned Red is an account of political and military plans. Especially General Robert E. Lee’s Maryland Campaign as well as the Battle of Antietam. Sears frames his work around the pending support of Great Britain and France to the Confederate cause due to cotton. Landscape Turned Red covers the battle of Antietam. It offers a vivid account of both armies, the soldiers and officers, and the bloody campaign. It analyzes the impact of Antietam on the Civil War as a whole. Sears' use of diaries, dispatches, and letters recreate the Battle of Antietam. You experience the battle not only from its leaders but also by its soldiers, both Union and Confederate. Sears attempts to examine the tactical moves of both Lee and General George McClellan. He also talks about the foolish decisions that troubled both the Federal and Confederate forces. Sears' use of traits, political pursuits, and tactical preferences, explain the thoughts of many. Some of these include President Lincoln, General Halleck and General McClellan, and their subordinates. Stephen Ward Sears is an American historian specializing in the American Civil War. He is a graduate of Oberlin College and an attendant to a journalism seminar at Radcliffe-Harvard. As an author he has concentrated on the military history of the American Civil War. Such as the battles and leaders of the Army of the Potomac. He was an editor for the Educational Department at American Heritage Publishing Company. American Heritage Publishing two of his ten books.
More than 25,000 letters and 250 private diaries from men on both side of North and South. Talking about the soldier's ideals for which they fought over conflicts and beliefs of each side. McPherson took all of the soldier’s ideas and beliefs and made this powerful and important book on an often-overlooked aspect of the Civil War. Also, it brought great honor and powerfully moving account for the men that fought in the civil war.
The novel The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara depicts the story behind one of the bloodiest, and highly significant, battles of the American Civil War, the battle of Gettysburg. The battle consisted of 51,000-casualties between the Union and Confederate army forces. Mainly focused on letters, journal entries, and memoirs, Shaara tells the story of Gettysburg by using characters from both sides of the war. The characters chosen grasp the divergent views regarding the impending days of the war, and countless numbers of those views develop throughout the novel. Such views come from the Confederates own General Lee and General Longstreet, and the Unions own Colonel Chamberlain and soldiers from both sides. From those depicted
It all started in the year 1862. General George McCellen currently controls the army of the Potomac. When it was determined that McCellen was a bad general, in December of 1862 he was replaced with General Ambrose Burnside. Within a week, Burnside decided on a campaign to the Southern capitol, Richmond. He told his plans to Lincoln and Lincoln approved, but told Burnside the only way for a win was to move quickly. Burnside split his group into three grand divisions, each with two corps. Burnside’s division arrives first at Fredericksburg; when he arrived there weren’t many Confederates. After Burnside’s arrival there was a swarm of Confederates who arrived. The problem was, that while the Confederates moved into position, General Burnside had to wait for pontoon builders so they could cross the Rappahannock River. (See Map1) He had requested pontoons from Harper’s Ferry but they hadn’t arrived yet and came two weeks later. This gave the Confederates time to get an advantageous position over the Union. While Burnside waited he looked at the town from on top of a ridge.
One would ruminate that 1100 men equipped with 30 pieces of artillery defending an un-finished fort would be no match for three thousand men and nine war ships armed with 270 cannons. Contrarily, on 28 June 1776 during the Revolutionary War, the American Forces proved a decisive victory against the British, and the signing of the Declaration of Independence was days later. The Patriots, under the leadership of Colonel William Moultrie, made a fort of the indigenous Sabal (cabbage) Palmetto Palm tree and took advantage of the British’s poor planning and lack of integration for a decisive American victory. Due to this battle, the Palmetto Palm tree was added to South Carolina’s state flag in 1861, and to this day, 28 June 1776 is termed South Carolina’s Independence Day. Sources used in this Battle Analysis are all from American internet sites, with some originating from South Carolina. The Sources seem to glorify the American Victory and favor the Patriots.
The Union Army was able to match the intensity of the Confederacy, with the similar practice of dedication until death and patriotism, but for different reasons. The Union soldiers’s lifestyles and families did not surround the war to the extent of the Confederates; yet, their heritage and prosperity relied heavily on it. Union soldiers had to save what their ancestors fought for, democracy. “Our (Union soldiers) Fathers made this country, we, their children are to save it” (McPherson, 29). These soldiers understood that a depleted group of countries rather than one unified one could not flourish; “it is essential that but one Government shall exercise authority from the Gulf of Mexico to Canada, and from the Atlantic to the Pacific” (Ledger, 1861).
In the historical narrative Redemption: The Last Battle of the Civil War, Nicholas Leman gives readers an insight into the gruesome and savage acts that took place in the mid-1870s and eventually led to the end of the Reconstruction era in the southern states. Before the engaging narrative officially begins, Lemann gives a 29-page introduction to the setting and provides background information about the time period. With Republican Ulysses S. Grant as President of the United States of America and Republican Adelbert Ames, as the Governor of Mississippi, the narrative is set in a town owned by William Calhoun in the city of Colfax, Louisiana. As a formal military commander, Ames ensured a
Henry Steele Commager’s essay “The Defeat of the Confederacy: An Overview” is more summary than argument. Commager is more concerned with highlighting the complex causality of the war’s end rather than attempting to give a definitive answer. Commager briefly muses over both the South’s strengths
The Battle of Antietam on September 17th, 1862 was the single, most bloodiest day in American History, where more than 23,000 men became casualties of war. General George Brinton McClellan’s inability to use Mission Command, as a warfighting function was a key reason this battle did not end the American Civil War. An analysis of General McClellan’s Mission Command operational process will show how his personality, bias, and fear were detrimental to the outcome of the Battle of Antietam.
Captain Quincy Gilmore was appointed as the Brigadier General during the tactical deployment of the siege. Captain Gilmore came up with a plan to deploy eleven batteries...
Following the defeat of the Confederacy and to lift the morale of a shattered people momentum gathered to enshrine the Myth of the Lost Cause which would transform the Southern soldier living and dead, into a veritable hero.
One of the leaders of the Union was General Grant. He was the commander of the Union Army. Furthermore, he showed toughness and determination that would later enable him to win many of the battles during the Civil War. His goal in helping him to win the war was to seize control of the Mississippi River. When Confederate General Simon Bolivar Buckner wanted to discuss the terms of surrender of Fort Donelson, Grant’s response was straight to the point. He said “No terms except an unconditional and immediate surrender can be accepted”. Right away, Buckner surrendered the fort to Grant. His victory caused great celebration in the North. It also earned him the nickname “Unconditional Surrender”. General Grant’s ability to serve in the army Another
The Civil War had many battles and many good and bad leaders. The leaders were important to the war and battles. One important leader for the Union is Ulysses S. Grant. He was a general and a good general. Grant was born on April 27, 1822. Grant went to school in the U.S Military Academy. General Grant went into Tennessee to take over the Mississippi river with his army. He captured Fort Donelson. His defense was so strong the Confederates couldn't get through it. When Grant won this battle it ensured that Kentucky will stay loyal to the Union. This battle was the first major battle they won. The next battle General Grant was in was The Battle of Shiloh. Albert Sidney Johnston struck a division of Unions, that's when the battle started. The
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.