From the Confederate point of view, it may have not been the longest, but it could be seen as one of the most important marches. The forced March of A.P. Hill’s Light Division on September 17th from Harper’s Ferry to Sharpsburg. You could make the case that it literally saved Lee’s Army from destruction.
Herron’s 3 day forced march of over 100 miles under severe winter conditions to reinforce Blunt & resulted in the strategic victory at the battle of Prairie Grove
Pull out a map put your finger on Cairo Illinois meander across Tennessee and end up in Vicksburg then trace to Chattanooga to Atlanta. Now wait till dead-of winter back at Atlanta head to Savanna then trace up through frozen swamps and overflowing rivers and end up at Goldsboro NC/ Virginia border…and be ready with rifle and cannon to tear into the Army of Northern Virginia.
I’m a big fan of Jackson’s flank march at Chancellorsville, but I see a lot of great suggestions here. It’s hard to argue with Sherman’s March to the Sea since it, moreso than any other mentioned, has earned capitalization over the years! 😉
Shilo has been a popular subject on these boards this month, so I’m going to go with Buell’s march there. The claims of what that accomplished are all over the spectrum, from Grant’s army being saved from a desperate situation to Grant’s ‘last line’ being more than adequately defended and thus Buell’s contribution was not that important. Both generals would feud about all of that. BUT, Buell’s arrival did serve as a morale booster to the Union forces, and Grant then had the troop numbers to go on the offensive the next day.
I’ll give an “honorable mention” to Jubal Early’s July 1864 march into Maryland and his hazarding of Washington, DC,, and Lew Wallace’s sortie out of Baltimore to intercept him.
I second Daniel Nettesheim above, on Herron’s to Prairie Grove. 100 plus miles, three days, December, the Ozarks. And much less heralded than others mentioned.
The Mud March
I enjoyed that you posted this! 😉
Sherman’s March to the Sea
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDBJ_FW8ato Thanks to Jay Ungar and Major Kong (post of 16 AUG 2008.)
The 6th Corps march to Gettysburg July 1-2.
I second this. Around 33 miles, much of it at night, arriving at the battlefield just in time.
Sedgwick’s Foot Cavalry
Grant’s march around Lee’s right flank from Cold Harbor to Petersburg, to include the construction of a large pontoon bridge across the James River.
From the Confederate point of view, it may have not been the longest, but it could be seen as one of the most important marches. The forced March of A.P. Hill’s Light Division on September 17th from Harper’s Ferry to Sharpsburg. You could make the case that it literally saved Lee’s Army from destruction.
Herron’s 3 day forced march of over 100 miles under severe winter conditions to reinforce Blunt & resulted in the strategic victory at the battle of Prairie Grove
Jackson’s flank march around Pope to Manassas and, after yesterday’s post, Morgan’s march out of the Cumberland Gap to the Ohio River.
Pull out a map put your finger on Cairo Illinois meander across Tennessee and end up in Vicksburg then trace to Chattanooga to Atlanta. Now wait till dead-of winter back at Atlanta head to Savanna then trace up through frozen swamps and overflowing rivers and end up at Goldsboro NC/ Virginia border…and be ready with rifle and cannon to tear into the Army of Northern Virginia.
I’m a big fan of Jackson’s flank march at Chancellorsville, but I see a lot of great suggestions here. It’s hard to argue with Sherman’s March to the Sea since it, moreso than any other mentioned, has earned capitalization over the years! 😉
Shilo has been a popular subject on these boards this month, so I’m going to go with Buell’s march there. The claims of what that accomplished are all over the spectrum, from Grant’s army being saved from a desperate situation to Grant’s ‘last line’ being more than adequately defended and thus Buell’s contribution was not that important. Both generals would feud about all of that. BUT, Buell’s arrival did serve as a morale booster to the Union forces, and Grant then had the troop numbers to go on the offensive the next day.
I’ll give an “honorable mention” to Jubal Early’s July 1864 march into Maryland and his hazarding of Washington, DC,, and Lew Wallace’s sortie out of Baltimore to intercept him.
It’s 2022 folks, all the marches were wonderful.
I second Daniel Nettesheim above, on Herron’s to Prairie Grove. 100 plus miles, three days, December, the Ozarks. And much less heralded than others mentioned.
A P Hill’s march from Harper’s Ferry to Antietam. It saved the day for Lee.
I’m surprised this wasn’t mentioned, seeing how it so recently presented on here!
https://emergingcivilwar.com/2022/04/10/morgans-magnificent-march-from-cumberland-gap/