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Old 06-15-2002, 12:09 PM
chilidog chilidog is offline
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Default Duds

I thought that I would start a new thread on bad generals so we can group them together and see who takes the cake. I'll start it with General William Dwight at the siege of Port Hudson. Gen. Banks launched a failed assault on the Confederate works on June 14th. Ya'll know how hot it is down here in June.

Taken from "The Guns of Port Hudson" vol.2 by David C. Edmonds. One officer, some of whose friends and neighbors lay dying before the Rebel guns, begged General Dwight to raise the white flag, claiming to have information that the Confederates were willing to permit the wounded to be moved. "No sir; it's all a strategem of the enemy to get the dead carcasses carried away from before their works," answered Dwight. "They know that they will be stunk out if the bodies rot there....No sir; I'll stink the Rebels out of the Citadel with the dead bodies of those d***ed volunteers if I cannot make the cowards take it by storm."

What a guy!


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Old 06-19-2002, 07:52 PM
chilidog chilidog is offline
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Default Winder and Wirz

What about Gen. John Winder? He was Henry Wirz's boss. Wirz was the commandant of Andersonville prison.

Wirz was a real stinker, but he never was a general. He was a major at the end of the war. How could Winder allow Wirz to do what he did?


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Old 06-24-2002, 09:46 AM
Andy Andy is offline
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Thumbs down The crater

When Grant was at Petersburg one of his staff members was Burnside. Burnside had a subordinate named Ledely (may have mis-spelled that, this is coming from memory). Ledely had the great idea of digging a tunnel under the enemy lines and packing the a large vault at the end of the tunnel with tons of explosives. The work went on for a couple of months (plenty of time to plan).

When the black powder blew a huge crater was created. Ledely was quietly sitting in a bunker getting drunk and really didn't wish to get involved. Burnside, being the great thinker and planner he was, didn't call for a general assault even those the Rebs who weren't dead or shell schocked had pulled back from their lines. No, good old Ambrose B. ordered a couple of Divisions into the tunnel to the newly formed crater. The crater was huge and the tunnel was a very safe way to travel but the crater was 30 feet deep and no one thought to bring ladders.

The South rallied, moved forward to the crater and just started shooting into the hole, they couldn't miss. It was not only a Union defeat, it was murder committed by Union generals on Union troops.

However, there was an upside. Ledely was forced to resign and Burnside was given a leave. Burnside was never recalled to the Army, much to the delight of the troops. Burnside then went to R.I. where he became the Gov. He promptly began taxing everthing but cars. (Cars hadn't been invented yet.)

Stay healthy,
Andy
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Old 06-25-2002, 10:22 AM
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Packo Packo is offline
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Default You need to see

Burnside Bridge at Sharpsburg. It is actually a gorgeous place, especially if you were a Gawga Sharpshooter. It was not a gorgeous place for the thousands of Union soldiers that were either killed or wounded there thanks to Burnsides tactics. All he did was try to funnel all his troops onto the bridge at the same time while Gimpy's relatives sat on a hill on the other side and slaughtered them like cattle. Last time I was there I left a flag on the Georgia side for Gimps boys. Have never seen one there for the poor slobs under Burnside. Maybe my next visit.

Part of the USS ANTIETIUM's emblem is the Burnside Bridge.

Packo
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Old 06-25-2002, 12:44 PM
DMZ-LT DMZ-LT is offline
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Smile Even the good ones had brain farts....

...... once in awhile. What was Lee thinking on the 3rd day at Gettysburg or Grant at Cold Harbor ?
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Old 06-25-2002, 01:20 PM
usmcsgt65 usmcsgt65 is offline
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Grant even stated he was not thinking. The only battle he wished he didn't fight. It was the overall plan of keeping moving toward Richmond - slide to the right, make um fight.
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Old 07-02-2002, 01:37 PM
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colmurph colmurph is offline
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Default The worst General of either side during the Civil War

Was probably Braxton Bragg. Funny that he got a Fort named after himself.
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Old 07-02-2002, 07:54 PM
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Tamaroa Tamaroa is offline
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Not a specific general, but I thought you all might get a kick out of this. It is my local paper's reflection on the uselessness of some of the high ranking officers.

The Rockland County Messenger was quick to point out that ?as long as political influence gives military commissions to blockheads and cowards, just so long will we experience defeat and disaster, with a corresponding prolongation of the war.?

Sort of to the point, don't you think?

Bill D.
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