New Posts

I will be trying to post something every week. Hopefully I can keep it up through college. Since I could not during the past few months. I have now graduated from High school and I will be going to Onondaga Community College to become a History Teacher. I have been busy this summer and throughout this past school year that I haven't been able to make any posts. If you're looking for something to read, I suggest matttracy.com, a New York Mets and New York Giants sports blog written by my friend who is attending Ithaca college to become a sports journalist.



My next few posts will be battle breakdowns then I want to talk about a book which is a very in-depth look at Abraham Lincoln's life. I start college in September and hopefully I'll have time to write.

Battle Breakdown: The First Battle of Bulls Run

Welcome to my 2nd Battle Breakdown: The First Battle of Bulls Run or other
wise known as Battle of First Manassas. The first battle of bulls runs was the first in a series of two battles. Bulls run took place during the civil war and was the first major battle. Especially for the Union since it was a political battle too. I will explain more on this so called "Political Battle". It was the Unions' first attempt to invade the confederacy.
This was the first battle for the confedrates to prove that were a worthy nation to world. This battle was high stakes for both sides. A Union defeat would mean that the Union isn't as strong as orginally thought. A confedrate defeat would mean a short and quick defeat with the fall of Richmond.
The battle took place in July 21, 1861. It was at Manassas Junction in Viriginia. Here is Manassas Junction on Google Maps if you don't know where that is. The Men who fought in this battle were led by on Union side Irvin McDowell and on the confederate side, the Fort Sumter winning general Pierre G. T. Beauregard. Irvin McDowell should be some what familiar if you are familiar with the civil war. If you need to refresh your memory or learn more then here is a biograhpy on him. A interesting thing happened before the battle in which the Confederacy proceeded to move their captial to Richmond, Virginia only a 108 miles away from the current capital and then Union capital Washington Dc. Which the Union found insulting.
The Confederacy looks like its mocking the Union. The thing I don't understand why its so close to the Union. Did they think about if there was going to be war, having the capital 108 miles from the enemy is the most strategic place. But looking at it from their point of view they thought it would be a quick war.
This how the battle in terms of troops lined up. The union had McDowell with is 30,000 troops along with General Robert Patterson with his 18,000 and lastly Union General Benjamin Butler had 10,000 men. Most of the Union troops were along the Potomac river, Harper's Ferry, Fort Monroe respectively. On the Confederate side, Beauregard had 20,000 along with Joseph E. Johnston who had 12,000 troops. Most of the Confederate troops were behind a creek called Bull run and near Harper's Ferry. If you need Geographic help here's a link to Google Maps.
The battle started on July 21st, 1861. The confederate strategy was based the great Napoleon's strategy at Austerlitz. The plan failed due to the inexperience of troops and a greater force to the Union's advantage. This tends to be a trend throughout the war, the Union consistently out-numbers the confederate forces. At one point during the battle at place called Henry House Hill, where the Union troops advanced on this plateau and defeated some confederate units. This plateau was where General Thomas Jackson got his nickname "Stonewall Jackson".
The real turning point in this battle was probably the most embarrassing thing to happen to the Union for the whole war. More troops from Harpers Ferry arrived to help the steadily losing Confederate lines. This caused the Union main line to collapse and since the troops were inexperienced they retreated. Eventually the whole Union force had to pull pack. This giving the Confederates a victory. But Victory comes with a price; Confederate losses 1,982 and Union losses 2,896. This implied that a so-called short war was not going to be possible.
This is only round one of Bulls run at Manassas. This really was tone setter for how the war would go. Everyone thought it would take one battle and be decided. But on the account of hard-fighting and even deeper beliefs the confederacy manages to pull out a victory. The impact on Lincoln was even greater than just losing a battle. He had politics to deal with also making it a hard job for anyone.
If you want more information, the book I used is list on the side with author(Everything Civil War book). You can also use an encyclopedia or Google.


My next post: The Second Battle of Bulls run at Manassas Junction.

Battle Breakdown: Fort Sumter

Welcome to my 1st Battle Breakdown: I will be breaking down battles in terms of troops, strategy, whats at stake for each side, commanders and who wins and who loses also what this means for the respective armies. I will be using The Everything Civil War Book as one of my resources and this Civil War Battles site for information and also some pictures. I will be doing Fort Sumter today and it might take two posts for some major battles. I will put more of my opinion in these then in the biographies.
Almost everyone knows the answer to question when asked. What was the first battle of the Civil War? Everyone usually says Fort Sumter. They would be correct but how much do you really know? It took place in Charleston Harbor, Charleston, South Carolina in April 1861 on the 12th and 13th. It was not a major battle in the war but it was a major political battle that showed the whole world the Confederate intentions. I will probably started each battle by giving some location and date and just some introductory stuff. Fort Sumter is the equivalent to the shot heard around the world in Revolutionary war.
The men who fought in Fort Sumter, were the men at the Fort. They were Union soldiers and the other side was Confederate who actually attacked. It is not well known how many men fought there but it is known that the Union was outnumbered and low on supplies. As the Dates imply it was a short lived battle. The first shot was at 4:30am on April 12th. The Confederacy offered a surrender but the Union refused.
The Command, was Robert Anderson for the Union and Pierre G. T. Beauregard for the Confederates. Not well known is Robert Anderson but Beauregard fought some other battles later in the war and had some success. Anderson was consider a failure after the battle but went to become Brigadier General in Kentucky.
The results of Fort Sumter are pretty obvious at a political stand point, As said Its showed the Confederates intentions and started the Civil War. It also forced Abraham Lincoln to call for 75,000 Volunteers to quell the rebellion. Fort Sumter was the battle that was seen around the world and because the south later wanted help from foreign countries, the south need to show they were willing to go to war. Fort Sumter is one of the most well known battles besides Gettysburg and Antietam and maybe Fredricksburg or Bulls run. Fort Sumter in short marked the start of a war that would kill over 600,000 people, Brother vs Brother and become one of the bloodiest wars our nation has seen besides War World 2.
If still want more information go the Civil Battles Site that I have hyperlinked on top.^ Its has a excerpt from a book. Or you could google it or use a encylopeida .


My Next Battle Breakdown: The First Battle of Bulls Run

Union Officer: Willliam Tecumseh Sherman

William Tecumseh Sherman was a Union officer in the civil war. He was born February 8th, 1820 in Lancaster, Ohio. You can read this Biography if you prefer that over my thing. I will be using my The Everything Civil War Book to supplement my writing and information.
Sherman is pretty well known for his accomplishments. Sherman was born Ohio with his mother and Father and at the age of 9. His father a well known Judge and Lawyer died. Sherman was raise by his neighbor until age 16 when he went off to West Point. Sherman graduated from West Point in 1840 and enter the military as a second Lieutenant. Sherman saw action in a few small wars the most notable one the Mexican War. Sherman temporarily retired from the military in 1853. He went on to try a career in law and banking but he found it very boring. He ended working as a superintendent for a Louisiana Military school.
When the Civil War started, Sherman was somewhat of southern but when asked to fight for the Confederacy, he turn it down and went to the Union. Sherman was colonel for the infantry and saw action at the First Bulls run campaign in July 1861. Note: The Union did not do very good in the being of the war. So even though he was successful the union was not. Sherman was promoted to Brigadier General and he was also assigned to Kentucky. Sherman has some trouble and was not a very commander of his department. He argue with his commanding officers and the press and eventually consider suicide. In March 1862, He took over in Tennessee. Sherman was injured in the battle of Shiloh and it was almost blamed on him. Ulysses S Grant praised Sherman for his quick thinking. Sherman was placed in command on the Mississippi.
This started Sherman's Famous march. Sherman's orders were to march down to Atlanta and disable the economic center of the Confederacy. Sherman burned Atlanta to the ground and went on to march through the south creating havoc. This was called Sherman's March to the Sea. Sherman had the south surrender and he took over the for the conclusion of the civil war for Grant. William T Sherman died February 14, 1891. William T Sherman was a great Military leader and if it wasn't for him, the north would have had trouble. If YOU want more Information on William Tecumseh Sherman then type in on Google or look in a encyclopedia.


Next: Battle Breakdown...Fort Sumter

Union Officer: Ulysses S. Grant

Ulysses S. Grant was Civil War general and soon after a American president. He was born in April 27th, 1822 in Georgetown, Ohio. As with most of my bios, i have a biography of him. (Its a little big long) Ulysses had a very successful career in the military even though he did not do very good in life before the civil war.
Grant was very interested in horses and preferred to ride instead of study. Despite his poor grades and lack of attention to school he got into West Point at the age of 17. He graduated 21st in his class and was brevet second lieutenant. He sent to the infantry, and was posted at St. Louis, Missouri. He later saw action in the Mexican War as had most great generals and married his wife. After the Mexican War, Grant spent many years all over the place and eventually resigned after being yelled for drinking heavily. Grant, then moved back to his home in St. Louis hoping to get another career off the ground but none of these other careers panned out for him. Finally, his two brothers hired him as a clerk until the start of the war. He was signed up to be in the union army but no one would give him command over a army. He was assigned to the Illinois Volunteers as regiment colonel. He was later promoted to brigadier general. Grant first saw action at a confederate camp in Kentucky. His men broke rank to ransack the camp but Grant was able to hold them together. Grant's next campaign would be in Tennessee. He had great success in defeating Fort Henry and Donelson. During this campaign Grant said his most famous words. "No terms except Unconditional Surrender and immediate surrender can be accepted"
Grant was then promoted by the President to a Major General and his first campaign was Shiloh . Grant was heavily criticized for this campaign. He had outnumber the confederates by a big margin but still took heavy causalities. Next Grant took on Vicksburg on the Mississippi. This was a key battle for the Union since it would split the confederacy. He won many battles after then in Tennessee and Mississippi. After being so successful, Grant was promoted twice, then given a gold medal for his success. He was finally promoted to general in chief. Once he was charge, he took charge and made a plan to attack the confederates on three fronts. If you remember the Union wanted a quick victory and Lincoln could not stand McClellan's lallygagging and hesitation. Vicksburg could very well be the turning point in Grants life.
Grant's plan was to use his 3 main generals to attack at different spots. Meade, Sherman, Butler and Grant himself. This plan worked even though the union took heavy causalities. Probably the most of the generals was Sherman who manage to cut supply lines and create havoc in the south. His famous march the "Sherman's march to the sea" was key in Grant's success and more importantly a Union victory. Finally the war end at the Appomattox's Court house on April 9th, 1865.
After the war, Grant was a instant President. He was so popular but this Presidency proved to be full of scandals and among other things. The main reason for these scandals was because Grant hired all of his friends and this made a corrupted government. Grant died poor, he wrote his autobiography and personal memoirs to make money and sold his war mementos. Grant died in 1885 on July 23rd. Grant was great military man but not so great at anything else. If you want more information on Ulysses S Grant just type in on Google or look it up in a encyclopedia. Grant is also on the 50 dollar bill as is Lincoln, Washington are on the 5 and 1 dollar bill respectively.




Next:William Tecumseh Sherman

Confederate Officer: Robert E Lee

Confederate officer Robert E Lee fought in the civil war and he was a great military general for the confederates. Lee was born in Virginia, January 19th,1807. This biography of him will give a summary of his life. I will be using outside information from a book called The Everything Civil War. I will be doing four more officers after this: Ulysses S Grant, Thomas Jackson, Jeb Stuart, William Tecumseh Sherman. Then I will start a battle breakdowns of battles such as Gettysburg, Antietam, Bulls run and more.
Robert E Lee was a great military leader and he was a loyal southerner. He was up against unimaginable odds. These losses were do to his lack supplies and troops. Robert E Lee entered West Point in 1825. After graduating second in his class without a single demerit. In 1829, he was assigned to the corps of engineers. He spent 17 years with the engineers. Lee like most civil war generals got their experience in the Mexican War. Lee was made the superintendent of west point but found it to be boring and transferred to the 2nd cavalry division. He spent much of his time in Texas from 1855 to the start of the civil war.
Lee was a very coveted general in the civil war, by June 1861 he was offered the total control of the union army but refused and decided to stay with his beloved state of Virginia. After turning down the Union offer, he was appointed to be a general in the Confederate army. Lee's first mission was to stop Union advances through the border line states. Especially West Virginia and he also organized defenses on the coast of South Carolina and Georgia. Finally in the end May of 1861 Lee took command of the Confederate army. Lee was out numbered by McClellan army by a least a 100,000. He made plan to condense the army and pin it against the union advances. In the battle of Bulls run, Lee somehow managed to push back McClellan's army and then in the second battle of Bulls run. Lee attack the Union army and the confederates won both of these battles. His troops morale were high and he decide to continue the invasion. Unfortunately McClellan somehow got his plans and had to take a defensive position at Antietam. This would prove to be one of Lee's greatest battles in the civil war. Neither side got anywhere and Lee retreated back to Virginia. Lee remained a underdog for most of the war but at the Fredricksburg, Lee defeat the Union and stop them from taking over the town. This was key to the south since the Union was close to Richmond. Lee also got victory in the Battle of Chancellorsville in May of 1863. Lee lost his most trusted general Thomas Jackson. Lee kept trying to advance north and eventually reached Pennsylvania. In PA, Lee took part in one of the deadly-est battle in American History. Lee had to retreat after taking heavy casualties in Gettysburg. Lee start the Wilderness campaign against another great union general Ulysses S Grant. Lee wasn't so successful and he could not hold the capture of Richmond. Lee fought very hard with very few troops and little supplies. But finally on April 9th, 1865 Lee surrender to Grant and that ended the war.
After the war Lee went home and he was indicted for treason. But he never faced trial. Lee became the President of Washington College in Virginia. Lee established the first Journalism and business colleges. Robert E Lee died on October 12th, 1870. Lee was great military leader and man.




Next: Ulysses S Grant

Union Officer: George B McClellan

George B McClellan was a officer for the Union in the civil war. McClellan was born on December 3rd,1826 and he was a very cocky and arrogant general. Here is a short biography of him. I will be telling you his life and his military career. As you can see McClellan was pretty young, he was only 59 years of age when he died. Again this will be shorter then the two Presidents.
McClellan was born in the city of brotherly love, Philadelphia. He was born into a wealthy family and he enter west point at 16. McClellan became a brevet second lieutenant in the Mexican War. McClellan proved to be a great military men and was eventually promoted to captain. After the Mexican war, He taught engineering at west point and then spent much of his time until the civil war in the west and in Europe to fight. After he returned from Europe, he retired to work in the booming railroad industry. McClellan went to college at 13 for law and then changed his mind to work for the military. He was very smart man and this would do him in the war but also ratted him out later on.
In 1861, McClellan took command over the Ohio Volunteers. He won in West Virginia earning him the promotion to Major General in the army. His first big battle in the civil war came after a union loss to the confederate in the first battle bulls run. McClellan was very cocky and arrogant and did not get along with the President Lincoln. The only reason Lincoln brought him in, was because he had reputation to be strict and was very good at training troops which the union desperately needed. McClellan underestimated the size of his army at the Manassas junction and then pushed on to the capital of Richmond. His army had about 270,000 men that was twice the size of the other army. He could have had a easy win, even with Lincoln pushing him he would not go. After Winfield Scott resigned, McClellan was promoted to general in chief of the federal forces. In 1862, January, President Lincoln give orders to move out and take the enemy head on. McClellan was so cocky and arrogant he did not move for another two months. He finally began to proceed with his Peninsular Campaign against Robert E Lee. McClellan won some battles but Lincoln could not stand him. He keep pulling back, and if you remember the Union want to win quick and so did the confederates. He was demoted from the position but no one could replace him with and so he became the general in chief once again. McClellan kept with his policy of slow moving tactics and when he could have just defeat Lee's army in a few quick battles.
Two of the greatest Generals met at the Antietam in September of 1862. More then 27,000 died that day in one of the bloodiest one day battles. McClellan could have once again finished Lee again. But due to his slow decision making, the confederates manage to escape before he could. Lincoln was still pushing to win the war quicky but McClellan just wouldn't budge. Eventually Lincoln forced him out for good. Mclellan enter politics as most generals do. He was a democratic Presidential candidate in the 1864 election. McClellan toured europe after his loss then was elected to be the governor of New Jersey. After being governor he work in the railroad industry and wrote book about his ventures in the civil war. George B McClellan died on October 29, 1885.
If YOU want to find out more about George B McClellan, then type his name in Google or visit a encyclopedia. I have used a book call The Everything Civil War Book to get most of the information.


Next: Confederate Officer Robert E Lee...
I will be doing 4 more officers, not including Lee. I will start doing Battle Breakdowns and then I will ask questions and answer them.