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The biggest impacts of the american civil war
Impacts of the civil war
Impacts of the civil war
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Many generals in history, are known for their greatest successes or worst failures. A prime example of that is George Pickett. Thanks to his catastrophic charge on July 3, 1863 in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, we remember him for that. Neither his accomplished record of service nor his positive events are remembered. While his charge was part of the big turning point in the war in the wrong direction, it's important to realize how important he is. George Pickett was born on January 16, 1825 in Richmond Virginia to Robert and Mary Pickett. Interestingly enough, the Picketts were considered one of the first families of Virginia. He also had some related family members in the war, most notably Henry Heth, Pickett’s cousin who would also become a …show more content…
Pickett’s forces arrived late to the battle, missing out on the first two days of heavy fighting. When General Robert E. Lee elected to mount an attack on the center of the Union lines on July 3, Pickett’s fresh division was selected to lead the offensive. Following a barrage of preliminary cannon fire, it was time for the moment that stands out when thinking of Pickett, his infamous Pickett’s Charge. Pickett’s division advanced toward the Union high ground on Cemetery Ridge. The resulting charge proved a disaster, and Pickett’s men were forced to withdraw after being cut down by heavy cannon and musket fire. All of the men that reached the Union stone wall were either killed or captured. Pickett’s division suffered staggering casualties during the attack, with nearly 50 percent of his men killed, captured or wounded, including all of his brigade commanders. When Lee later asked about the state of his division, a despondent Pickett is said to have answered, “General Lee, I have no division.” The failure of Pickett’s Charge would follow Pickett for the rest of his career, and he would remain bitter about the loss until his death, especially at Lee for giving him the go-ahead for the
The 3rd of July would bring the end of the Battle of Gettysburg and the most infamous attack in The Civil War. The Army of Northern Virginia, despite their losses on the 2nd of July, was still in somewhat of a good position and had worn down the edges of the Union lines. With this being done, Lee wanted to focus on the center of the Union line so he ordered a frontal attack that presented itself as the infamous attack known as “Pickett’s Charge” . The aftermath would be total loss of the battle and the eventual withdrawal of the Army of Northern Virginia, followed by the steady decline of the
Once there the Union formed a strong defensive position that resembled that of a fishhook, with Culp's Hill and the two Round Tops anchoring each end. After reinforcements had arrived the Union position was three miles long. Meanwhile, the Confederate troops occupied Gettysburg and Seminary Ridge to the west. Lee did not dig his army in a defensive position at all. He believed that his own army was invincible, even though they were without out their cavalry, which was off somewhere harassing other Union soldier, but on the first day of battle, the confederates are victorious
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.
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.
...ommand during the Battle of Little Bighorn. He did not understand his enemy or their tactics. He did not employ fires as well as he should have, failed to protect his forces, and, perhaps most importantly, he ignored the pertinent intelligence available to him. The outcome was utter defeat in this particular battle.
“Their differing perceptions of the nature of war form the backbone of the difficult relationship between these two men.” Lee, an older soldier, values much of an offensive warfare approach, while Longstreet values a defensive warfare approach. Both men consistently argue about the best option for the Confederacy. However, “no matter how much he might disagree, Longstreet defers to Lee’s decisions.” In an argument as to who was right, none of the developed tactics provide clear evidence as to what was going to work, especially with a military of lesser men, considering the war in 1863. Although General Lee’s tactics did not work during the Battle of Gettysburg, there is no evidence that General Longstreet’s defensive strategy would have worked significantly better. 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, and
When we were first introduced to Chamberlain he gave a remarkably motivating speech to over one hundred starved and angry soldiers. With his passionate and honest plea he was able to break through their barriers of hate and betrayal and inspire them to fight for a belief even they could relate to. This act alone convinced me that this man was a talented leader and would have an impressive impact on The Battle of Gettysburg.
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
George Rogers Clark was born in Albermale County, Virginia on November 19, 1752 to John and Ann Rogers Clark. The Clark family consisted of six boys and four girls living on a four hundred acre plantation. George Rogers Clark was not even the most famous person in his family, his younger brother William later came to fame with his good friend Merriwether Lewis for exploring Thomas Jefferson's Louisiana Purchase. The Clark family was very well to do and influential, which enabled them to send young George to very good school, and have him tutored by some of the great minds in the region, like George Mason. George Rogers Clark had three friendships as a child that forever changed and shaped his future as a leader and revolutionary war hero.
A Confederate soldier on the wall at the Heights recollected seeing, “…Single bodies…scattered at increased distances until the main mass of the dead lay thickly strewn over the ground.” The Confederates deliberate defensive positions on the hill were just too intense for the Potomac forces to penetrate. Despite the failing state of his plan, Burnside continued to send division after division up the hill until nightfall. No one made it past that well defended wall. Burnside’s inability to assess the battle and alter his plan contributed to the slaughter of thousands of Federal soldiers.
Union Commander Meade, out of fatigue and caution, did not immediately go after Lee, getting President Lincoln very angry who wrote a mad letter to Meade, which was never delivered, saying he missed an opportunity to end the war at this instance (The History Place Battle of Gettysburg 4). Although the casualties were basically equal, the Battle of Gettysburg was the second and last great invasion of the of the North, for the South had neither arms nor numbers to continue an assault, but the War dragged on for two more years. On November 19, President Lincoln went to the battlefield to dedicate it as a military cemetery. He spoke for a short period of time delivering what is called the Gettysburg Address, surprising many present in the audience with its shortness and leaving others quite unimpressed, but over time the speech has come to symbolize democracy as we know it today (Funk & Wagnalls Encyclopedia Vol. 11 385.
Great generals are crucial to the prospering of a nation. They impart unity to a country and defend against any enemy it may encounter. There are two wars showcasing such brilliant generals in American history: the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. In one, the English colonists on the continent of North America broke off from their mother country to form their own. In the other, the nation of the United States, having been firmly established at that point, was fighting against itself over the issue of slavery. In both instances, the people needed strong, brave, and selfless generals to lead them through their trials. Generals George Washington of the Revolutionary War and Ulysses Grant of the Civil War are excellent exemplars of these qualities. While both generals were successful in their respective wars and are two of the greatest generals of American history, George Washington was superior to Ulysses Grant in several ways, including early successes, war strategies, effectiveness, and leadership.
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.
Lee is an excellent general for our newly created Confederacy. He is not only a national hero and in a very positive public light, he is also brilliant and valiant, knowing when to strict vital blows on the enemy. Even considering Lee’s weaknesses, he is still the General we need to lead the Confederacy to victory.
One of the several battles that commenced during the Civil War time period of 1861 to 1865 was The Battle of Gettysburg. The Battle of Gettysburg occurred after General Lee had been invaded at Fredericksburg, Virginia in which he triumphed against Joseph “Fighting Joe” Hooker. General Lee’s victory at this location was deemed by our text as one of his most brilliant victories. Lee then set his sights on