DOCSLIB.ORG

DAVE POWELL Tactics Were Also Derived from the Europeans

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
DAVE POWELL Tactics Were Also Derived from the Europeans PRESENTATION MONTHLY DISCUSSION GROUP AT THE PRESENTATION REVIEW AT MCCWRT October 8, 2019 Presentation by Laurence Schiller Cavalry on the First Day at Gettysburg Laurence Schiller is President of the Northern Illinois Civil War Roundtable. He is a retired Adjunct Professor of History and fencing coach at TO Northwestern University. He pointed out that there are a number of connections between the Union cavalry and the northern Illinois area. AT THE He is currently writing a book on cavalry tactics. In the 1800s U.S. Cavalry Tactics were generally OF PRESENTED BY derived from European Cavalry Tactics, mainly by the French. Also at that time. Mexican Cavalry DAVE POWELL Tactics were also derived from the Europeans. In the U.S., Cavalry was generally engaged in small actions. There were Three Types of Mounted Soldiers, not all of which could be considered Traditional Cavalry: 1) The Dragoons. Originally, developed as mounted infantry, but over time they evolved into what we would consider traditional cavalry, which carried out cavalry duties (reconnaissance, raiding THE and screening) however, they could also fight CHATTANOOGA dismounted. 2) Mounted Infantry. Forrest’s “cavalry” were CAMPAIGN mainly mounted infantry, and Wikipedia 3. Partisans, such as Mosby’s or Morgan’s forces. The Chattanooga Campaign consisted of a series of maneuvers and battles in October and Originally, the U.S. Dragoons were a mix between November 1863, during the American Civil War. Light Cavalry and Light Infantry, but by the latter Following the defeat of Maj. Gen. William S. and mid-18th century, they had evolved to the point Rosecrans's Union Army of the Cumberland at where they generally ceased fighting by being off the Battle of Chickamauga in September, 1863. their horses and dismounted anymore. Chattanooga, Tennessee. Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant was given command of Union forces in the West, now consolidated under But from 1833 to 1861, frontier fighting in the U.S. brought back the practice of dismounted fighting. During the Civil War, Federal Cavalry commanders mixed the concepts of dismounted fighting and By: Daniel Nardini traditional cavalry roles. Additionally, the Federal Borrowed From Cavalry were issued better up to date weapons, The Decatur, Illinois such as breechloading carbines and Spencer Civil War Roundtable Newsletter Repeaters. As part of the 150th anniversary of the start of What distinguishes true cavalry from mounted the U.S. Civil War (1861-1865), I can infantry is the mission. Generally, the uses of remember visiting the Savanna Museum and cavalry were for reconnaissance, screening, Cultural Center for a special exhibit on 100 covering the flanks and rear, shock charges, various mannequins wearing uniforms of the picketing, and seizing and holding strong points until many regiments of both the Union and Confederate armies. the infantry would show up. FOR OUR The period prior to the Battle of Gettysburg was a The exhibit, which was the courtesy of Gene critical period for the development of the Federal Wright, showed the different regimental Cavalry, which had been quite ineffective and uniforms from all the states from whichever inferior to the Confederate Cavalry. General George side their state was on. There was even a McClellan did not know how to utilize cavalry. mannequin of an Illinois Union soldier and General George Stoneman was not a great cavalry also a mannequin of an Illinois Confederate commander at first, but over time he began to soldier. develop the cavalry, to the point that later generals, WITH MUSIC BY Wait a minute! An Illinois Confederate rebel?! such as James Wilson and Phillip Sheridan, made strong use of cavalry. You mean that there were native Illinois residents— from the land of Lincoln—fighting General Joseph Hooker was the first Army of the for the Confederacy? Potomac commander to begin to organize the AT THE cavalry. He established a cavalry corps, with Weirdly enough the answer is “Yes.” WOODSTOCK COUNTRY CLUB General Alfred Pleasonton as Corps Commander. The Corps was composed of three divisions, A state that was solidly for the Union did have commanded by generals Buford, Duffie, and Gregg. some parts that actually sympathized with the John Buford was a gifted leader who was brought in Confederacy. a by General John Pope and performed well at the In 1861, one-third of the State of Illinois Battle of Second Bull Run. actually sympathized with the Confederacy. In the spring of 1863 General Lee devised the This area, which was known as “Little Egypt” Gettysburg campaign. He had three reasons in (today’s southern Illinois), was originally mind, namely, political (by winning a battle on settled primarily by people from the southern northern soil), forage for supplies in Northern states. territory, and to avoid being ordered to send troops Some of them even held slaves in southern for the relief of Vicksburg. Hooker ordered Illinois, and those settlers definitely had family Pleasonton to attack Stuart’s Cavalry at Brandy and close relatives in the southern states. Station. Buford commanded the right wing of the attack, crossing the Rappahannock River at Beverly In fact, during the presidential election of Ford. Meanwhile, Meade and Pleasonton were re- 1860, the area of Little Egypt was the one part organizing the Federal cavalry, which consisted of of Illinois that voted solidly against Abraham approximately 12,700 horsemen, into three Lincoln. This area was not only solidly divisions, commanded by Buford, Gregg, and Democrat but had wished to secede from the Judson Kilpatrick. (Pleasonton disliked foreign Union just like South Carolina did. This of commanders, such as Duffie, a Frenchman.) course did not happen. Because President Pleasonton attempted to curry favor with U.S . Lincoln had managed to keep the slave Illinois Congressman Farnsworth (previously the holding states of Kentucky and Missouri in the commander of the 8th Illinois cavalry regiment) by Union, the people of Little Egypt did not promoting the Illinois congressman’s nephew, Elon secede either. Farnswoth, to brigadier general in the ranks of General Kilpatrick’s division. At that time, the Of course, while many of the people in Little DOOR PRIZES federal cavalry’s mission was to locate Lee’s army Egypt were sympathetic to the Confederacy, and find out exactly where it was going. this was not the same thing as taking action in support of it. BACK HOME: Stuart, however, was screening all of Lee’s However, 34 Illinois residents did take action movements and prevented Hooker from precisely in support of the Confederacy. These were CIVIL WAR FLAG determining where Lee was headed. Buford’s the men who volunteered to become RETURNED brigade commanders were William Gamble and Confederate soldiers. TO STREATOR Thomas Devin. Buford’s division moved out on June The Confederate government put them into THE PANTAGRAPH 12 NOVEMBER, 2016 28 and was able to penetrate Stuart’s screen, while G Company of the 15th Tennessee Regiment Gregg’s division provided a screen for the Army of Volunteer Infantry. This company was made STREATOR — As a Civil War history buff the Potomoc. up of soldiers mostly from other southern with a strong interest in local history, Streator states, and they proved to be very capable On June 30th Gamble and Devin’s brigades entered resident David Reed couldn’t turn away from fighters. a story about a LaSalle County soldier who Gettysburg. At the same time, Pettigrew’s Ironically, G Company fought against many of was wounded while trying to save a flag Confederate division, which had penetrated into the Union Illinois regiments at the Battle of during the siege of Jackson, Miss. Gettysburg, withdrew to the west. Buford himself rode into Gettysburg and determined that Cemetery Shiloh (in Tennesee) that lasted from April 6- 7,1862. The war then became a fight Sgt. George Poundstone, a native of Farm Hill and Culp’s hill were the prime locations for the Ridge Township in southern LaSalle County Federal infantry. He sent Gamble’s and Devin’s between Illinoisian and Illinoisian as the near Streator, joined the 53rd Volunteer brigades west of Gettysburg onto the Chambersburg Illinois Confederates defended Tennessee Infantry Regiment of the Union Army in the Pike. Buford sent word back to Meade to bring up against Union Illinois armies. fall of 1861. He served as color bearer, his infantry. Buford positioned his two brigades to carrying the flag to help soldiers locate the block the Chambersburg Pike to slow down the At the end of the war those Illinois regiment during and after battles. The advance of the Army of Northern Virginia so as to Confederate soldiers who had survived regiment was comprised mostly of men of allow the Federal infantry to secure Cemetery Hill returned to Illinois. LaSalle County. and Cup’s Hill. Buford positioned his division to block the Pike, with Gamble’s brigade to the south of “All of the men from Illinois and all For those who have an interest in knowing the Pike and Devin’s to the north. The 8th and the of the men who fought for the more about the Illinois Confederates, I 12th Illinois cavalry regiments were assigned to recommend the book: preservation of our union, made Gamble’s brigade. The 8th Illinois was slightly on Illinois Rebels: A Civil War History of great sacrifices and 150 years the south of the Pike. later, we shouldn’t forget those G Company Tennessee Regiment sacrifices,” Reed said. On the morning of July 1, Heth’s Army of Northern Volunteer Infantry Virginia division of AP Hill’s corps was proceeding By Ed Gleeson. Poundstone was carrying the flag on July 12, eastward toward Gettysburg and was not expecting 1863, when he was wounded, said Larry an engagement.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • John Fulton Reynolds
    John Fulton Reynolds By COL. JOHN FULTON REYNOLDS SCOTT ( U. S. Army, retired ) Grand-nephew of General Reynolds I CAME here to give a talk on John Fulton Reynolds, and as I have sat here this evening I really feel superfluous. The stu- dents of this school have certainly outdone themselves in their essays on that subject, and I feel that what I may add is more or less duplication. For the sake of the record I will do my best to make a brief talk, and to try to fill in some of the gaps in Reynolds' life which have been left out because some of them have not yet been published. As you have heard, John Reynolds was the second son of the nine children of John Reynolds and Lydia Moore. Lydia Moore's ancestry was entirely Irish. Her father came from Rathmelton, Ireland, served as a captain at Brandywine with the 3rd Penn- sylvania. Infantry of the Continental Line, where he was wounded; also served at Germantown and at Valley Forge, and was then retired. Her mother was Irish on both sides of her family, and the Reynolds family itself was Irish, but, of course, the Huguenot strain came in through John Reynolds' own mother, who was a LeFever and a great-granddaughter of Madam Ferree of Paradise. Our subject was born on September 21, 1820, at 42 West King Street, Lancaster, and subsequently went to the celebrated school at Lititz, conducted by the grandfather of the presiding officer of this meeting, Dr. Herbert H. Beck. I have a letter written by John F.
    [Show full text]
  • 89.1963.1 Iron Brigade Commander Wayne County Marker Text Review Report 2/16/2015
    89.1963.1 Iron Brigade Commander Wayne County Marker Text Review Report 2/16/2015 Marker Text One-quarter mile south of this marker is the home of General Solomon A. Meredith, Iron Brigade Commander at Gettysburg. Born in North Carolina, Meredith was an Indiana political leader and post-war Surveyor-General of Montana Territory. Report The Bureau placed this marker under review because its file lacked both primary and secondary documentation. IHB researchers were able to locate primary sources to support the claims made by the marker. The following report expands upon the marker points and addresses various omissions, including specifics about Meredith’s political service before and after the war. Solomon Meredith was born in Guilford County, North Carolina on May 29, 1810.1 By 1830, his family had relocated to Center Township, Wayne County, Indiana.2 Meredith soon turned to farming and raising stock; in the 1850s, he purchased property near Cambridge City, which became known as Oakland Farm, where he grew crops and raised award-winning cattle.3 Meredith also embarked on a varied political career. He served as a member of the Wayne County Whig convention in 1839.4 During this period, Meredith became concerned with state internal improvements: in the early 1840s, he supported the development of the Whitewater Canal, which terminated in Cambridge City.5 Voters next chose Meredith as their representative to the Indiana House of Representatives in 1846 and they reelected him to that position in 1847 and 1848.6 From 1849-1853, Meredith served
    [Show full text]
  • Book Reviews
    REVIEWS On Behalf of the Family Farm: Iowa Farm Women’s Activism since 1945 by Jenny Barker Devine xi + 188 pages, illustrations, notes, bibliography, index. Iowa City: University of Iowa Press, 2013, paper $19.95. Historians have never disputed the significance of women’s roles in American agriculture; interpreting these roles, however, has yielded insight from various perspectives. Jenny Barker Devine’s On Behalf of the Family Farm: Iowa Farm Women’s Activism since 1945 contributes a feminist interpretation of twentieth-century Iowa farm women who engaged in political and local activities to preserve the family farm. Although working from an admittedly small number of farm women, Devine is particularly interested in tracing the post–World War II shift in rhetoric used to motivate women’s participation in agricultural organizations, from that of improving farms and their own voices, she surprisingly fails to connect her story with local communities to stemming their decline. Devine argues highly visible Populist women of the 1890s, such as Kansan Mary that farm women in Iowa—and, by extension, in Kansas and the Elizabeth Lease. These women, too, actively fought to save their Midwest—have been consistently attuned to agricultural issues midwestern farms, regardless of the discriminatory attitudes such as land and commodity prices, government policies, and that existed. True, Populism was less powerful in Iowa than in farm safety but have been less committed to rectifying gender other states, but, given the rising women’s rights movement
    [Show full text]
  • James Longstreet and the Retreat from Gettysburg
    “Such a night is seldom experienced…” James Longstreet and the Retreat from Gettysburg Karlton Smith, Gettysburg NMP After the repulse of Lt. Gen. James Longstreet’s Assault on July 3, 1863, Gen. Robert E. Lee, commanding the Army of Northern Virginia, knew that the only option left for him at Gettysburg was to try to disengage from his lines and return with his army to Virginia. Longstreet, commander of the army’s First Corps and Lee’s chief lieutenant, would play a significant role in this retrograde movement. As a preliminary to the general withdrawal, Longstreet decided to pull his troops back from the forward positions gained during the fighting on July 2. Lt. Col. G. Moxley Sorrel, Longstreet’s adjutant general, delivered the necessary orders to Maj. Gen. Lafayette McLaws, commanding one of Longstreet’s divisions. Sorrel offered to carry the order to Brig. Gen. Evander M. Law, commanding John B. Hood’s division, on McLaws’s right. McLaws raised objections to this order. He felt that his advanced position was important and “had been won after a deadly struggle; that the order was given no doubt because of [George] Pickett’s repulse, but as there was no pursuit there was no necessity of it.” Sorrel interrupted saying: “General, there is no discretion allowed, the order is for you to retire at once.” Gen. James Longstreet, C.S.A. (LOC) As McLaws’s forward line was withdrawing to Warfield and Seminary ridges, the Federal batteries on Little Round Top opened fire, “but by quickening the pace the aim was so disturbed that no damage was done.” McLaws’s line was followed by “clouds of skirmishers” from the Federal Army of the Potomac; however, after reinforcing his own skirmish line they were driven back from the Peach Orchard area.
    [Show full text]
  • Week 7: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania/Vicksburg, Mississippi
    Week 7: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania/Vicksburg, Mississippi Lee Moves North Question 1. Josiah Gorgas, a Confed- erate official, wrote this in his diary on July 28th, 1863: Events have succeeded one another with di- sastrous rapidity. One brief month ago we were apparently at the point of success. Lee was in Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, and even Philadelphia. Vicksburg seemed to laugh all Grant’s efforts to scorn....Now the picture is just as sombre as it was bright then....It seems incredible that hu- man power could effect such a change in so brief a space. Yesterday we rode on the pinnacle of success—today absolute ruin seems to be our portion. The Confedera- cy totters to its destruc- tion. Using your reading and this week’s lectures, explain how Gorgas’ high expec- tations for Confederate success was dashed by the two Union victories at Warnings of a coming military storm Gettysburg and Vicksburg. began to appear throughout Pennsylvania In your opinion, how did (above), as emergency militia, like the military success or fail- minutemen of old, formed units. In early ure specifically affect the June, the first of Confederate General morale of the homefronts? Robert E. Lee’s men began to march Use specific examples in from Fredericksburg, Va. through the your answer. Shenandoah Valley. “The morale of the Key Terms army was superb,” remembered a young rebel soldier, “officers and men alike • Fredericksburg inspired with confidence in the ability • George Gordon Meade of the army to beat its old antagonist • The Pennsylvania Campaign anywhere he chose to meet us.” • Rebel Yell • James Longstreet Among the militia units raised was the • The Gettysburg Address 26th Pennsylvania, which included a • The Vicksburg Campaign company from the small but prosperous • Mississippi River town of Gettysburg (left).
    [Show full text]
  • Battle of Gettysburg Day 1 Reading Comprehension Name: ______
    Battle of Gettysburg Day 1 Reading Comprehension Name: _________________________ Read the passage and answer the questions. The Ridges of Gettysburg Anticipating a Confederate assault, Union Brigadier General John Buford and his soldiers would produce the first line of defense. Buford positioned his defenses along three ridges west of the town. Buford's goal was simply to delay the Confederate advance with his small cavalry unit until greater Union forces could assemble their defenses on the three storied ridges south of town known as Cemetery Ridge, Cemetery Hill, and Culp's Hill's. These ridges were crucial to control of Gettysburg. Whichever army could successfully occupy these heights would have superior position and would be difficult to dislodge. The Death of Major General Reynolds The first of the Confederate forces to engage at Gettysburg, under the Command of Major General Henry Heth, succeeded in advancing forward despite Buford's defenses. Soon, battles erupted in several locations, and Union forces would suffer severe casualties. Union Major General John Reynolds would be killed in battle while positioning his troops. Major General Abner Doubleday, the man eventually credited with inventing the formal game of baseball, would assume command. Fighting would intensify on a road known as the Chambersburg Pike, as Confederate forces continued to advance. Jubal Early's Successful Assault Meanwhile, Union defenses positioned north and northwest of town would soon be outflanked by Confederates under the command of Jubal Early and Robert Rodes. Despite suffering severe casualties, Early's soldiers would break through the line under the command of Union General Francis Barlow, attacking them from multiple sides and completely overwhelming them.
    [Show full text]
  • American Presidents and the Civil War Teacher Guide
    the union dissolved american presidents and the civil war teacher guide © Mort Kunstler, Candlelight and Roses, oil on canvas, 1998, 32 x 46” interdisciplinary classroom activities a nd student field trip program Updated Summer 2017 Bartow County Educator Externs Stephanie Diamond, JoAnn Jenkins, Shannon Hensley Booth Western Art Museum Education Department Go For the Blue and Gray How much do you know about the Civil War? See how many questions you can answer. Record answers on a separate page. Score ten points for each correct answer. Score 1. Who risked her life to care for the wounded and later founded the American Red Cross. _____ 2. Which Civil War battle is considered the greatest battle fought in the Western Hemisphere? _____ 3. What did Southerners call the Battle of Bull Run? _____ 4. What Civil War general later died in a standoff with the Sioux and Cheyenne Indians in Montana? _____ 5. What was William T. Sherman’s destructive campaign through the South called? _____ 6. What Union general fought heroically at the Battle of Gettysburg and is also credited with inventing baseball? _____ 7. Why was the Battle of Vicksburg so important? _____ 8. How many Americans were killed during the Civil War? _____ 9. What was the importance of Appomattox Court House in the Civil War? _____ 10. What was Ulysses S. Grant’s full name? _____ 11. What was the “Emancipation Proclamation”? _____ 12. Who was the journalist who did wide research on the Civil War and wrote the book called The Red Badge of Courage? _____ Pre-Visit Activity Total _____ Standard: SS4H5/ SS8H5 Go for the Blue and Gray Answer Key 1.
    [Show full text]
  • Battle-Of-Waynesboro
    Battlefield Waynesboro Driving Tour AREA AT WAR The Battle of Waynesboro Campaign Timeline 1864-1865: Jubal Early’s Last Stand Sheridan’s Road The dramatic Union victory at the Battle of Cedar Creek on October 19, 1864, had effectively ended to Petersburg Confederate control in the Valley. Confederate Gen. Jubal A. Early “occasionally came up to the front and Winchester barked, but there was no more bite in him,” as one Yankee put it. Early attempted a last offensive in mid- October 19, 1864 November 1864, but his weakened cavalry was defeated by Union Gen. Philip H. Sheridan’s cavalry at Kernstown Union Gen. Philip H. Sheridan Newtown (Stephens City) and Ninevah, forcing Early to withdraw. The Union cavalry now so defeats Confederate Gen. Jubal A. Early at Cedar Creek. overpowered his own that Early could no longer maneuver offensively. A Union reconnaissance Strasburg Front Royal was repulsed at Rude’s Hill on November 22, and a second Union cavalry raid was turned mid-November 1864 back at Lacey Spring on December 21, ending active operations for the winter season. Early’s weakened cavalry The winter was disastrous for the Confederate army, which was no longer able is defeated in skirmishes at to sustain itself on the produce of the Valley, which had been devastated by Newtown and Ninevah. the destruction of “The Burning.” Rebel cavalry and infantry were returned November 22, to Lee’s army at Petersburg or dispersed to feed and forage for themselves. 1864 Union cavalry repulsed in a small action at Rude’s Hill. Prelude to Battle Harrisonburg December 21, McDowell 1864 As the winter waned and spring approached, Confederates defeat Federals the Federals began to move.
    [Show full text]
  • The Battle of Sailor's Creek
    THE BATTLE OF SAILOR’S CREEK: A STUDY IN LEADERSHIP A Thesis by CLOYD ALLEN SMITH JR. Submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS December 2005 Major Subject: History THE BATTLE OF SAILOR’S CREEK: A STUDY IN LEADERSHIP A Thesis by CLOYD ALLEN SMITH JR. Submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS Approved by: Chair of Committee, Joseph Dawson Committee Members, James Bradford Joseph Cerami Head of Department, Walter L. Buenger December 2005 Major Subject: History iii ABSTRACT The Battle of Sailor’s Creek: A Study in Leadership. (December 2005) Cloyd Allen Smith Jr., B.A., Slippery Rock University Chair: Dr. Joseph Dawson The Battle of Sailor’s Creek, 6 April 1865, has been overshadowed by Lee’s surrender at Appomattox Court House several days later, yet it is an example of the Union military war machine reaching its apex of war making ability during the Civil War. Through Ulysses S. Grant’s leadership and that of his subordinates, the Union armies, specifically that of the Army of the Potomac, had been transformed into a highly motivated, organized and responsive tool of war, led by confident leaders who understood their commander’s intent and were able to execute on that intent with audacious initiative in the absence of further orders. After Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia escaped from Petersburg and Richmond on 2 April 1865, Grant’s forces chased after Lee’s forces with the intent of destroying the mighty and once feared iv protector of the Confederate States in the hopes of bringing a swift end to the long war.
    [Show full text]
  • NATIONAL REGISTER of HISTORIC Placet MULTIPLE PROPERTY
    NFS Form 10-900-b 4-0018 (March 1992) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACEt SHGISfER, HISTORY MULTIPLE PROPERTY DOCUMENTATION F RM NATIONAL PARK SERVICE This form is used for documenting multiple property groups relating to one or several historic contexts. See instructions in How to Complete the Multiple Property Documentation Form (National Register Bulletin 16B). Complete each item by entering the requested information. For additional space, use continuation sheets (Form 10-900-a). Use a typewriter, word processor, or computer to complete all items. X New Submission Amended Submission A. Name of Multiple Property Listing The Civil War in Virginia, 1861-1865: Historic and Archaeological Resources B. Associated Historic Contexts (Name each associated historic context, identifying theme, geographical area, and chronological period for each.) The Civil War in Virginia, 1861-1865: Historic and Archaeological Resources C. Form Prepared by name/title John S. Salmon organization _Virginia Department of Historic Resources street & number 2801 Kensington Avenue telephone 804-367-2323 ext. 117 city or town Richmond_____________ state VA zip code 23221 D. Certification As the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, I hereby certify that this documentation form meets the National Register documentation standards and sets forth requirements for the listing of related properties consistent with the National Register criteria. This submission meets the procedural and professional requirements set forth in 36 CFR Part 60 and the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and Guidelines for Archeology and Historic Preservation. (__ See continuation sheet for additional comments.) Signature and title of certifying official Date of tate or FeaeraHgency and ureau I hereby certify that this multiple property documentation form has been approved by the National Register as a basis for evaluating related properties for listing in the National Register.
    [Show full text]
  • Failure in 1813: the Decline of French Light Infantry and Its Effect on Napoleon’S German Campaign
    United States Military Academy USMA Digital Commons Cadet Senior Theses in History Department of History Spring 4-14-2018 Failure in 1813: The eclineD of French Light Infantry and its effect on Napoleon's German Campaign Gustave Doll United States Military Academy, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usmalibrary.org/history_cadet_etd Part of the European History Commons, and the Military History Commons Recommended Citation Doll, Gustave, "Failure in 1813: The eD cline of French Light Infantry and its effect on Napoleon's German Campaign" (2018). Cadet Senior Theses in History. 1. https://digitalcommons.usmalibrary.org/history_cadet_etd/1 This Bachelor's Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of History at USMA Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Cadet Senior Theses in History by an authorized administrator of USMA Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. United States Military Academy USMA Digital Commons Cadet Senior Theses in History Department of History Spring 4-14-2018 Failure in 1813: The eclineD of French Light Infantry and its effect on Napoleon's German Campaign Gustave Doll Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usmalibrary.org/history_cadet_etd UNITED STATES MILITARY ACADEMY FAILURE IN 1813: THE DECLINE OF FRENCH LIGHT INFANTRY AND ITS EFFECT ON NAPOLEON’S GERMAN CAMPAIGN HI499: SENIOR THESIS SECTION S26 CPT VILLANUEVA BY CADET GUSTAVE A DOLL, ’18 CO F3 WEST POINT, NEW YORK 19 APRIL 2018 ___ MY DOCUMENTATION IDENTIFIES ALL SOURCES USED AND ASSISTANCE RECEIVED IN COMPLETING THIS ASSIGNMENT. ___ NO SOURCES WERE USED OR ASSISTANCE RECEIVED IN COMPLETING THIS ASSIGNMENT.
    [Show full text]
  • Did Meade Begin a Counteroffensive After Pickett's Charge?
    Did Meade Begin a Counteroffensive after Pickett’s Charge? Troy D. Harman When examining the strategy of Union Major General George Gordon Meade at the battle of Gettysburg, one discovers lingering doubts about his leadership and will to fight. His rivals viewed him as a timid commander who would not have engaged at Gettysburg had not his peers corralled him into it. On the first day of the battle, for instance, it was Major General John Fulton Reynolds who entangled the left wing of the federal army thirty miles north of its original defensive position at Westminster, Maryland. Under the circumstances, Meade scrambled to rush the rest of his army to the developing battlefield. And on the second day, Major General Daniel Sickles advanced part of his Union 3rd Corps several hundred yards ahead of the designated position on the army’s left, and forced Meade to over-commit forces there to save the situation. In both instances the Union army prevailed, while the Confederate high command struggled to adjust to uncharacteristically aggressive Union moves. However, it would appear that both outcomes were the result of actions initiated by someone other than Meade, who seemed to react well enough. Frustrating to Meade must have been that these same two outcomes could have been viewed in a way more favorable to the commanding general. For example, both Reynolds and Sickles were dependent on Meade to follow through with their bold moves. Though Reynolds committed 25,000 Union infantry to fight at Gettysburg, it was Meade who authorized his advance into south-central Pennsylvania.
    [Show full text]