Civil War
Articles on the American Civil War and the principle figures involved. Includes timelines and detailed descriptions.
Articles on the American Civil War and the principle figures involved. Includes timelines and detailed descriptions.
The Background- Battle of Chickamauga: In Battle of Chickamauga , Confederate General Braxton Bragg retreated from Knoxville and Chattanooga, Tennessee, without a fight, with the supposed intent of setting up a masterful counterattack. He was pursued by hard-drinking (he was a Catholic convert), hard-swearing (his brother converted too and became…
Background of The Virginia Campaign After Gettysburg, Lee no longer had the men, the horses, or the provisions to attempt another invasion of the North. He was now compelled to fight on the defensive. His task: repel the invader at every turn. His opponent, the best general the Union had:…
Background on the Battle of Murfreesboro While the Confederacy amassed victories in East, the news was almost always bad in the West. The difference was leadership. In Virginia, the Confederacy had the better generals. In the West, Union generals like Ulysses Grant, William Sherman, Phil Sheridan, and George Thomas, were more…
Second Battle of Bull Run: The Background To win Southern independence, the Confederates first had to liberate Northern Virginia, which was occupied by Federal General John Pope. The blustery Pope bragged that his headquarters would be in the saddle where, Confederates joked, most people kept their hindquarters. He had 50,000…
The Background of Shenandoah Valley Campaign General McClellan had assembled a massive 150,000 man army to attack Richmond, but before he launched his men down the Peninsula, he needed to deal with Stonewall Jackson in the Shenandoah Valley. As long as Jackson roamed the Valley, the government in Washington could…
George McClellan was in the wrong profession—though it didn't seem like it at the time. He rocketed his way through West Point— in which he enrolled before he was even sixteen years old, having been classically educated already, including two years at the University of Pennsylvania—graduating second in his class…
Thomas Stonewall Jackson was an orphan. His father died when he was two, after having frittered away his money on cards and failed investments, which forced the family to sell their home. Jackson’s mother, known for her good looks and high character, died when he was seven. She left a lasting imprint on the boy,…
"We will whip the damned hounds yet." — AP Hill If George Thomas was the best Union general you've probably never heard of, A. P. Hill was the best Confederate general you've probably never heard of. Gallant "Little Powell" was very different from his fellow Virginian in build, temperament, and…
When asked to name the greatest soldier of the war, Robert E. Lee replied, “A man I have never seen, sir. His name is Forrest.” Nathan Bedford Forrest was certainly an extraordinary man, a Herculean hero of the American wilderness who has blotted his copybook amongst the politically correct because…
At the beginning of the war a cavalry officer, Moxley Sorrel, joined the staff of Brigadier General James Longstreet. Sorrel described Longstreet as “a most striking figure, about forty years of age, as oldier every inch, and very handsome, tall and well proportioned, strong and active, a superb horseman and…