Abstract The paper relates that the war at Fredericksburg represented a significant change in the overall equation of power between the forces of the Union and those of the Confederacy. The paper explains that the incompetence of General Ambrose E. Burnside proved to be the main cause for the disaster at Fredericksburg. The paper looks at the political pressure that was exercised by President Lincoln, who was pushing towards immediate and efficient results, without considerable regard for the realities on the ground. The paper also notes the confusion of the orders given and the army's inability to adapt to the changing battle conditions.
From the Paper "Firstly, there is the issue of the Unionist Army's reorganization and reorientation after the taking over of the command by General Ambrose E. Burnside. "Burnside's first act catapulted the chiefs of three corps to the level of grand division commanders" (Gallagher, 1995, 3) He would eventually lead an army made up of three Grand Divisions: the Right, the Center and the Left Divisions. (Burnside, 1862) The Sumner Right Division numbered 31,659 soldiers; there were 40,396 soldiers in the Center Grand Division commanded by Joseph Hooker, and 46,897 soldiers in the Left Grand Division of William Franklin."
Abstract September 17, 1862, was the turning point in the Civil War. On that day, the Battle of Antietam was fought near Antietam Creek in Sharpsburg, Maryland, and it resulted in the bloodiest day of warfare in American history. Knowing as we do that the Union army was victorious, the events surrounding the Battle of Antietam may seem insignificant to some, as it was just one in a lengthy serious of battles. Antietam, however, was in fact the turning point that the North so desperately needed to secure an overall victory in the Civil War.
From the Paper "In the days leading up to the Battle of Antietam, the Confederate forces had failed to advance to the north and had no way of escaping enemy fire. Their only way of escape was the Potomac River and the Confederate army refused to retreat. The Confederate stronghold on Harper's Ferry was weakening with the advance of Union troops and a loss could turn the war at any time. Although badly outnumbered, General Robert E. Lee of the south went against his better judgment and held his troops near Antietam Creek. The Confederate soldiers were running low on morale and were in desperate need of a victory. The Union general, George B. McClellan, decided to advance his troops to Sharpsburg and attack Lee's army by dawn of the seventeenth."
Tags: Sharpsburg, Robert, Lee, George, McClellan, Burnside's, Bridge, Union, Jackson, General, Dunker, Church
Abstract This paper is about the early life of Robert E. Lee and his military career. It covers most of his major battles during the American Civil War. The paper shows that it was Lee's last stand in the Civil War that causes him to be remembered as a true military leader and dynamic strategist.
From the Paper "Because of this Lee's mother Ann Hill Carter was left by herself to raise young Robert. There he learned patience, control, and discipline. Eventually he became old enough to acknowledge his family's Christian faith and accepted it as his own belief. Since Lee was brought up in a strong military family, he had strong beliefs and values, but lived in a family that showed little emotion. For example after the death of his father, Lee was sent directly to West Point academy only six months after the loss to train in the footsteps of his father."
Tags: fredericksburg, Thomas, J., Jackson, Ambrose, E., Burnside, Appomattox
Abstract The Battle of Antietam, fought during the early years of the Civil War, was significant for several reasons. t was the first battle fought on Northern soil, and it produced the largest amount of casualties in American history (23,000). This paper introduces, discusses and analyzes the Battle of Antietam. It includes a brief history of the
battle as well as eyewitness accounts of the period.
From the Paper "General Lee's divisions, consisting of about 30,000 men, were under the command of his Generals Jackson, Walker, Longstreet, and Hood. While the army's morale was excellent, Lee knew they were tired from their earlier battles, and ill equipped to travel further northward. He
wrote to Confederate President Jefferson Davis: "The army," he wrote President Davis, "is not properly equipped for an invasion of an enemy's territory. It lacks much of the material of war, is feeble in transportation, the animals being much reduced, and the men are poorly provided with clothes, and, in thousands of instances, are destitute of shoes." (Steele 260)."
Tags: Lincoln, Sharpsburg, Robert, E., Lee, Davis, Confederates, Burnside
Abstract This paper discusses the Battle of Fredericksburg in 1862. It analyzes the battle itself and the adverse conditions that the army faced. The paper then discusses the ineffective tactical implementation on the Union side that resulted in a costly defeat for General Burnsides and a halt to his "fast" advance to the Confederate capital at Richmond.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Doctrine and Training
Condition and Morale
Leadership
Conclusions
From the Paper "In short, despite a technical tactical victory for the Union, the victory was pyrrhic at best. We can attribute this final result to the general greater experi-ence of the Confederate forces, the rough terrain and weather conditions faced by an advancing Union army, and a more judicious tactical doctrine employed by Lee. On this last point, it is important to note that while Burnsides continued to press his doctrine of rapid deployment and decisive action even after it was no longer applicable, Lee chose the wiser doctrine of attacking from a position of strength to counter the Union advance and make their technical victory an ex-ceptionally costly one."
Tags: doctrine, training, morale, cofederate, union
