Stone
 

Now wait just a minute. Butler wasn't that bad. He was the one who came up with the idea that slaves in Yankee hands were contraband and thus free. Also, I've been to New Orleans and a lot of those ladies are "business women", at least in the French Quarter.
He wasn't a bad general, not compared to being Governor. Oh yes, he was Governor of Massachusetts 15 year after the war, after he had been in the House and tried to get rid of Johnson.

Nathan Banks was also from Mass. and hung out in New Orleans. Funny, no one ever talks about him but he was to the Union Army what Boss Tweed was to New York City.

Hey, lets change the subject, what about Gen. Bragg. Or even better, exactly why was Longstreet made a scapegoat after Gettysburg? Was the marble man flawed?

Stay healthy,
Andy
PS: It was the Great Rebellion, says so on the plaque on City Hall.

Stone Dog Dave
 

The previous post was supposed to be sent to you. I though we were getting off the subject of the $10,000 so it seemed like a good idea for a new thread. Hope at least a few of you followed that.

One other thing, after First Bull Run, why didn't Pierre G. T. Beauregard take Washington and end the war in '61? Did he have a date?

Stay healthy,
Andy

PGT & Washington
 

That is one of the eternal questions! Why Not? Suppose He had ? But before that.. What if McDowell had moved his troops into Bull Run before Johnson had a chance to bring up his from the valley? Or what if Lincoln had chosen to Reinforce Ft. Sumter and make a stand there instead supplying the outer forts to downplay the tension?
Thats what makes history so facinating.. So people like us can ponder on it for the rest of our life..:D

Banks-n-Bragg
 

Andy,
You really brought up a pair there.
Banks hung out in my 'hood a good bit back then. He came up here about 8 miles from my house.....oh yeah, he brought 30,000 of his buddies with him.....to call on Mr. Pemberton and 6,000 of his buddies. Then there was the time he went up north of T.L. Breaux's house in central LA. Walker's Greyhounds sent him scurrying back to Baton Rouge.

Its been a lot of years since I read "Lee's Lieutenants," so you may have to help my foggy memory. I think there is mention in there about Bragg sending memos to himself. He had an arguement going on with himself on official memos about the procurement of certain supplies.

chilidog

Chilidog
 

I've read "Lee's Lt.'s" but don't have it. Do have "Jefferson Davis and his Generals" and the masive work done by Shelby Foote. Seems Bragg did argue with himself quite often. Seems his wife even wrote him a letter saying he was blowing it while in Tenn.
The event I always remember about Bragg was that he got into an argument with N.B. Forrest which ended with Forest saying to Bragg, If you ever cross me again, I WILL kill you. No doubt Bragg took him seriously.

I think one of the reasons that war lasted as long as it did was in both the North and South many generals obtained their rank through politics. It seems that by mid-'63 the north weeded out some of the real loosers, decided it would be a war of attrition, and let Grant, Sherman and others do their thing. An abundance of men, manufacturing, and a sea culture are what won the war.
The CSA Alabama being an exception.

Just the same, some of those generals were "colorful".

Stay healthy,
Andy

Banks
 

A political general, I think all would agree. Until Lincoln and Grant could shove him into a backwater area, the Union needed his political pull. Even in the backwater areas he was losing to small Confederate commands.
The heart of the 1st Bull Run I believe is the citizen armies of both sides did not understand the nature of the Civil War.

We Blew it early.
 

After Manassas, we should have taken Washington right away. Kinda like Bagdad. It would have ended the war immediately.

Also, to my northern friends on this forum, Seccession is NOT the same as REBELLION. Please refrain from using the word rebellion, or I'll kick your ass.

Packo

One more thing,
 

Sharpsburg was a DRAW, not a yankee victory. If anything, it was a Confederate victory, but closer to a tie.

I needed to say that cause' on the Quiz it was mistakenly listed as a yankee victory.

Ya'll stand corrected.

Packo

Antietam
 

A Union victory by night fall. Your Confederate forefathers stopped and returned to Virginia. Lee's objectives were not met.

But
 

the Union objectives of destroying Lee's Army of Northern Virginia were not met either, and the Yanks lost a considerable more amount of men. Well, the winners write history and that will always be the case. I think McClellend was fired after this battle.

Packo