Abner Doubleday. His leadership on Day 1 at Gettysburg. Doubleday kept his men fighting on McPherson and Seminary Ridges for five crucial hours. His troops fought so well that they captured Confederate Brigadier General James Archer and shattered parts of the enemy line early in the day. This stubborn defense slowed the Confederate advance and let the rest of the Union army safely retreat to high ground at Cemetery Hill.
He then gets relieved of command of the 1st Corps.
At least, baseball announcers will state in a crucial part of a Worlds Series, “This is the way Abner wanted the game to be played”
Built a strong reputation before Second Manassas, where he lost his leg. Cross Keys was a very important victory against a numerically superior opponent. His wound at Manassas, unlucky in its own way, then caused him to miss Sharpsburg/Fredericksburg/Chancellorsville, which turned him into somewhat of an outsider. As a person, he was also a bit weird and eccentric. But he had a great mind.
He then has the misfortune of being the first to permanently take Stonewall Jackson’s role after Chancellorsville. His many accomplishments on the advance to Gettysburg (big win at Second Winchester, getting to the outskirt of Harrisburg) end up memoryholed because he didn’t exceed his orders on Night 1 by interpreting “if practicable” to mean “go take it with no additional assistance”. His Corp fought well after all the marching they’d done/the tough terrain + opponent they faced and attacked on time for all 3 days. Yet he left Gettysburg stigmatized as ‘Not Stonewall Jackson’ instead of respected for his overall performance on the campaign. Meanwhile AP Hill, who had the other part of Jackson’s old command and did not always attack on time or accomplish as much overall, gets a mulligan for being sick.
Then post-Gettysburg, he became burnt out and Lee had enough of him. His Overland Campaign performance against the new type of war totals up to mediocre in sum; a mix of good and bad choices. Again, Jackson had performed well in the same woods (against a less relenting opponent) while ‘Not Stonewall Jackson’ ultimately lost his job. Ewell’s role in the defense of Richmond and the end of the war can best be likened to trying to hold an umbrella during a monsoon without getting wet, so I’m not going to blame him.
Ewell being the next man up after Jackson doomed him. Nobody could match a dead legend; even the real Thomas J. Jackson had flaws, personal eccentricities and would be out of position at times – things the mythical veneer of Stonewall Jackson covered up. Jackson died at the peak of the Army of Northern Virginia’s success. Ewell missed most of the big wave of late 1862-1863 victories so didn’t have any piece of those victories to claim. That set him up perfectly to be bashed by Lost Causers, including his former subordinates + Lee’s staff, and armchair generals who think they (or Stonewall Jackson as their proxy) could do a better job on July 1, 1863. Unfair and unlucky.
George Thomas – Virginia’s secession forced him to make the very difficult decision to support the nation over his state. Then, as a Virginian he was never trusted by his fellow U.S. officers despite saving the Army of the Cumberland at Chickmauga and destroying the Army of Tennessee at Nashville. Despite the victory of the U.S. that he played such an important role in bringing about, he was ostracized by his family and forced to watch other Virginians like Lee, Jackson, and Stuart get lionized in the post-war world. He deserves a new biography – is anyone aware of one that is in the process of being written?
Ambrose Burnside is my nominee. Being a pretty poor officer already gets him off to a bad start, but to further his streak of bad luck his best moments (North Carolina Expedition, Knoxville) are almost completely overshadowed by his worst (Antietam, Fredericksburg, Mud March, the Crater), especially in terms of memory. Everyone has heard of Burnside’s Bridge, Marye’s Heights, and the Crater. Many fewer have heard of Fort Sanders.
Agreed. Good synopsis. Burnside was well aware of his significant limitations, and yet still had some really solid performances that were unfortunately overshadowed by his failures.
I would add the lousy luck of the pontoons being held up at Fredericksburg. He had surprised Lee but lost the advantage because Washington failed to send the pontoons. He was also unlucky that Meade nixed use of the USCT division that had trained to lead the attack at The Crater. Of course, he didn’t help himself in the wake of that decision by having his division commanders draw straws to see which one would go instead.
Abraham Lincoln. As the Top Civil War Officer leading the Military, he endured bad Generals, misery, death, hate, greed, and death destruction. Only to be shot as he neared the end of the tunnel
CF Smith. He injured his leg getting out of a boat, it became infected, and he died. If he lived, he would have been a major player in the Union war effort.
John S. Bowen. Commanded a brigade under Van Dorn’s terrible leadership at the Second Corinth fiasco, was undersupported by Pemberton at Port Gibson, nearly broke Grant’s lines at Champion Hill only to have another general order his ammunition wagons away, was given an impossible situation at the Big Black River Bridge the next day, and then died of disease shortly after Vicksburg surrendered.
We all know the story… how the brave defenders of Fort Sumter endured the battering of their island sanctuary for 34 hours… until further resistance was futile. And then the American flag was lowered… and the garrison that witnessed firsthand the beginning of the War of the Rebellion was transported north out of Charleston Harbor to New York… where “the gallant men of Fort Sumter” were treated to a Heroes Welcome. Major Robert Anderson, the officer who had commanded the Union garrison, was the man of the hour. But, after the parades, and the exhibitions of the rescued American flag, and the promotion by President Lincoln to Brigadier General, Robert Anderson had a job to do. He was sent west, installed as Commander of the Department of Kentucky [soon renamed Department of the Cumberland] and his HQ was established at Cincinnati. But Robert Anderson’s performance in “securing Kentucky for the Union” did not meet expectations. In October 1861 he was relieved by Bull Run veteran and newly-minted Brigadier General William Tecumseh Sherman; and Robert Anderson was “ordered home to await orders.” His promotion to Brigadier General was never confirmed by the Senate and after a brief stint as Staff Officer, Major Robert Anderson retired from active service in October 1863.
Too many – in 1861 alone we can say some of the unlucky were Elmer E. Ellsworth, Robert S. Garnett, John Augustine Washington, Theodore Winthrop, John Trout Greble, Charles Didier Dreux, James Harman Ward, Barnard Bee, Francis S. Bartow, Nathaniel Lyon, and Philip St. George Cocke.
It would probably be those officers who were Southerners and chose to remain in the Federal service and fight for the Federal/Northern cause – very few, if any, ever went home again after the war.
Who would you consider the unluckiest Civil War military or naval officer? Why?
John Sedgwick. Bad timing.
Abner Doubleday. His leadership on Day 1 at Gettysburg. Doubleday kept his men fighting on McPherson and Seminary Ridges for five crucial hours. His troops fought so well that they captured Confederate Brigadier General James Archer and shattered parts of the enemy line early in the day. This stubborn defense slowed the Confederate advance and let the rest of the Union army safely retreat to high ground at Cemetery Hill.
He then gets relieved of command of the 1st Corps.
At least, baseball announcers will state in a crucial part of a Worlds Series, “This is the way Abner wanted the game to be played”
Richard Ewell.
Built a strong reputation before Second Manassas, where he lost his leg. Cross Keys was a very important victory against a numerically superior opponent. His wound at Manassas, unlucky in its own way, then caused him to miss Sharpsburg/Fredericksburg/Chancellorsville, which turned him into somewhat of an outsider. As a person, he was also a bit weird and eccentric. But he had a great mind.
He then has the misfortune of being the first to permanently take Stonewall Jackson’s role after Chancellorsville. His many accomplishments on the advance to Gettysburg (big win at Second Winchester, getting to the outskirt of Harrisburg) end up memoryholed because he didn’t exceed his orders on Night 1 by interpreting “if practicable” to mean “go take it with no additional assistance”. His Corp fought well after all the marching they’d done/the tough terrain + opponent they faced and attacked on time for all 3 days. Yet he left Gettysburg stigmatized as ‘Not Stonewall Jackson’ instead of respected for his overall performance on the campaign. Meanwhile AP Hill, who had the other part of Jackson’s old command and did not always attack on time or accomplish as much overall, gets a mulligan for being sick.
Then post-Gettysburg, he became burnt out and Lee had enough of him. His Overland Campaign performance against the new type of war totals up to mediocre in sum; a mix of good and bad choices. Again, Jackson had performed well in the same woods (against a less relenting opponent) while ‘Not Stonewall Jackson’ ultimately lost his job. Ewell’s role in the defense of Richmond and the end of the war can best be likened to trying to hold an umbrella during a monsoon without getting wet, so I’m not going to blame him.
Ewell being the next man up after Jackson doomed him. Nobody could match a dead legend; even the real Thomas J. Jackson had flaws, personal eccentricities and would be out of position at times – things the mythical veneer of Stonewall Jackson covered up. Jackson died at the peak of the Army of Northern Virginia’s success. Ewell missed most of the big wave of late 1862-1863 victories so didn’t have any piece of those victories to claim. That set him up perfectly to be bashed by Lost Causers, including his former subordinates + Lee’s staff, and armchair generals who think they (or Stonewall Jackson as their proxy) could do a better job on July 1, 1863. Unfair and unlucky.
George Thomas – Virginia’s secession forced him to make the very difficult decision to support the nation over his state. Then, as a Virginian he was never trusted by his fellow U.S. officers despite saving the Army of the Cumberland at Chickmauga and destroying the Army of Tennessee at Nashville. Despite the victory of the U.S. that he played such an important role in bringing about, he was ostracized by his family and forced to watch other Virginians like Lee, Jackson, and Stuart get lionized in the post-war world. He deserves a new biography – is anyone aware of one that is in the process of being written?
Ambrose Burnside is my nominee. Being a pretty poor officer already gets him off to a bad start, but to further his streak of bad luck his best moments (North Carolina Expedition, Knoxville) are almost completely overshadowed by his worst (Antietam, Fredericksburg, Mud March, the Crater), especially in terms of memory. Everyone has heard of Burnside’s Bridge, Marye’s Heights, and the Crater. Many fewer have heard of Fort Sanders.
Agreed. Good synopsis. Burnside was well aware of his significant limitations, and yet still had some really solid performances that were unfortunately overshadowed by his failures.
I would add the lousy luck of the pontoons being held up at Fredericksburg. He had surprised Lee but lost the advantage because Washington failed to send the pontoons. He was also unlucky that Meade nixed use of the USCT division that had trained to lead the attack at The Crater. Of course, he didn’t help himself in the wake of that decision by having his division commanders draw straws to see which one would go instead.
Gouverneur K. Warren. I’ll just leave it at that.
Abraham Lincoln. As the Top Civil War Officer leading the Military, he endured bad Generals, misery, death, hate, greed, and death destruction. Only to be shot as he neared the end of the tunnel
CF Smith. He injured his leg getting out of a boat, it became infected, and he died. If he lived, he would have been a major player in the Union war effort.
John S. Bowen. Commanded a brigade under Van Dorn’s terrible leadership at the Second Corinth fiasco, was undersupported by Pemberton at Port Gibson, nearly broke Grant’s lines at Champion Hill only to have another general order his ammunition wagons away, was given an impossible situation at the Big Black River Bridge the next day, and then died of disease shortly after Vicksburg surrendered.
We all know the story… how the brave defenders of Fort Sumter endured the battering of their island sanctuary for 34 hours… until further resistance was futile. And then the American flag was lowered… and the garrison that witnessed firsthand the beginning of the War of the Rebellion was transported north out of Charleston Harbor to New York… where “the gallant men of Fort Sumter” were treated to a Heroes Welcome. Major Robert Anderson, the officer who had commanded the Union garrison, was the man of the hour. But, after the parades, and the exhibitions of the rescued American flag, and the promotion by President Lincoln to Brigadier General, Robert Anderson had a job to do. He was sent west, installed as Commander of the Department of Kentucky [soon renamed Department of the Cumberland] and his HQ was established at Cincinnati. But Robert Anderson’s performance in “securing Kentucky for the Union” did not meet expectations. In October 1861 he was relieved by Bull Run veteran and newly-minted Brigadier General William Tecumseh Sherman; and Robert Anderson was “ordered home to await orders.” His promotion to Brigadier General was never confirmed by the Senate and after a brief stint as Staff Officer, Major Robert Anderson retired from active service in October 1863.
Albert Sidney Johnston because the severity of his wound at Shiloh was not recognized in time.
Fitz John Porter.
Too many – in 1861 alone we can say some of the unlucky were Elmer E. Ellsworth, Robert S. Garnett, John Augustine Washington, Theodore Winthrop, John Trout Greble, Charles Didier Dreux, James Harman Ward, Barnard Bee, Francis S. Bartow, Nathaniel Lyon, and Philip St. George Cocke.
It would probably be those officers who were Southerners and chose to remain in the Federal service and fight for the Federal/Northern cause – very few, if any, ever went home again after the war.