Essay

My research project led me on many different paths to find who was the greatest general of the Civil War. The best part of the project was getting to go to Appomattox Courthouse in Lexington, Virginia and visiting the museum there. The books, articles, videos I read and watched all had valid points on who they thought was the greatest general. I thoroughly enjoyed researching this topic and learned many great things about great men.

I learned that there were several great generals during the Civil War, not just one. I also learned that the South was gifted with better trained and capable generals than the north. The southern generals had far less supplies and men and still put up a tremendous fight. If I were to pin down who the greatest general in the Civil War I would say General Robert E. Lee. He was the leader of the southern troops and had the best leadership skills of any general and knew the best way to utilized his men and supplies. General Lee never backed down to the Union during the war, but knew towards the end that he had far less men, and knew he must surrender. He showed me how to take a loss with dignity and continue on with his life.

If I could do it over again I would probably go somewhere else other than Appomattox Courthouse because it was so far away. I would probably try harder to find someone to interview that would have gave me good input on my topic and allowed me to learn from them. I'd have read more extensive literature on my topic, so it would have been easier to find a clearer picture on who was the greatest general of the Civil War. The youtube videos I watched weren't the most educational videos on the market, but I couldn't find much other videos on my topic. All in all I am satisfied with the research I put forward and thought my research was good enough to complete my project. I wouldn't have changed my topic because I enjoyed it so much.

Stonewall Jackson

"Stonewall Jackson" the online resource I read, spoke of one the most highly regarded generals of the Civil War, Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson. "No war has produced a military celebrity more remarkable, nor one whose fame will be more enduring" the article claimed. Thomas Jackson started out with a humble childhood, loosing both his parents and was raised by his uncle. He was a boyhood leader and a very diligent learner though his mind was slow to develop. In June 1842, when he was eighteen years old, he was appointed to a cadet-ship in the military academy at West Point. He graduated June 30, 1846, receiving brevet rank as second lieutenant at the beginning of the Mexican War, and was ordered to report for duty with the First Regular artillery, with which he shared in the many brilliant battles which General Winfield Scott fought from Vera Cruz to the city of Mexico. In the outbreak of the Civil War in early 1861, Jackson sided with his home state of Virginia and served the Confederacy. At the battle of First Manassas, General Jackson was given the name "Stonewall" because he remained steady and calm although bullets were flying past him. General Jackson's most memorable campaign was in Chancellorsville where he drove the Union Troops back. Sadly, he died that very night in a friendly fire incident in 1863.

General Jackson has always been a man I have had tremendous respect for. He was a man of extreme bravery and dedication to his Christian values. Not only was he a superb general, but also a devoted christian and family man. General Jackson was one of the major reasons the Confederacy made such strides against the Union during his life. General Jackson will forever be regarded as one of the most brilliant military strategist that ever lived. He will also be remembered as one of the greatest generals in the Civil War.

"Stonewall Jackson." Son of the South. 2003-2008. Web. 21 Apr 2010.
http://www.sonofthesouth.net/leefoundation/Stonewall_Jackson.htm

Best Generals

"Best Generals of the Civil War" the online article I read, listed the top ten greatest generals of the Civil War. It listed Ulysses S. Grant as number one, primarily because he was the lead general during the surrender at Appomattox. The article stated, "It was Grant's understated brilliance that won the Civil War" It listed General Robert E. Lee as second for his ability to get the most out of his men and his resources, which were very few. The article also listed General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson number four because of his military brilliance and his major victory at Chancellorsville. The article listed William Tecumseh Sherman number five because of his aggressiveness and brilliance.

I don't necessarily agree with the article's rankings, but I do agree with the men that it included in the list. These generals were men of valor and integrity. Each of these men led fascinating lives and deserve to be studied for many years to come. These generals were all effective in many different facets of battle. All of these generals in this list, in my opinion, were the best generals during the Civil War.

http://blueandgraytrail.com/features/bestgenerals.html

"Best Generals of the Civil War." Best Generals of the Civil War. Web. 15Apr 2010.

Generals of North and South

"Civil War: Generals of the North and South" was an informational video that discussed the four major generals of the Civil War. The video included facts and important quotes spoken by the generals during their lives. The video had a quote of General Robert E. Lee "It is well that war is so terrible, lest we should grow to fond of it" It discussed the brilliance and tremendous teamwork of Confederate Generals Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson and General Robert E. Lee; their tactics are still being studied at West Point. It also discussed the two major Union Generals, Ulysses S. Grant and William Tecumseh Sherman. The video explained why these men were the best generals during that time.

All these had their own distinct military tactics but teamed together (Jackson and Lee, Grant and Sherman) they worked twice as good in coming up with the best ways to attack their enemies. These generals were all brilliant generals and served their respective causes valiantly. These men had extreme bravery as well as intelligence when they took the battlefield, as the video showed. These generals were all great, probably the best generals in the Civil War.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDfAa6jVQRQ

"Civil War: Generals of the North and South." Youtube. Web. 15 Apr 2010.

Appomattox Court House

About two weeks ago I went to Appomattox Court House in Virginia, the place of the Confederate surrender by General Robert E. Lee the commander of the Army of Northern Virginia. This is one of the most important places in American History because it signaled the end of the War Between the States when General Lee met with Union General Ulysses S. Grant. There was a museum on the historical park filled with artifacts and paintings of the courthouse and the generals that met that day. I walked the courtyard in the very place that General Lee rode in, on his famed horse Traveler, full of sorrow because he knew he must surrender.

Right as I stepped foot on the grounds of the park I felt the amazing history come over me. It was an amazing experience because I knew the importance of the Courthouse to American history and the impact of the event that took place there. The courthouse brought an end to a War that had the most impact on the United States as we know it. Without the courthouse we would be a divided nation and no longer be united.

Critical Essay

Robert E. Lee, Confederate Commander by Jennifer Blizin Gillis is a biography of the Confederate General Robert E. Lee. The biography discussed the entire life of Robert E. Lee from birth to death. General Lee's remarkable life from his career at west point to his command of the Confederate army is elaborately reviewed in the biography. The biography showed how General Lee rose to fame and had as much military success as he did.

This biography was in very intriguing to anyone who enjoys studying U.S. History. Jennifer Blizin Gillis goes in great depth in describing the type of man and General that General Lee was. General Lee was a man of devout faith and sense of duty. Duty is what played into his decision into leading the Confederate Troops. He felt a greater sense of duty to protect his home state of Virginia, than to lead the Union Troops against it. Jennifer Gillis also did a fantastic job of including quotes about the general. For example: "No other youth ... so united the qualities that win warm friendship and command high respect. For he was full of sympathy and kindness, genial and fond of gay conversation, and even fun" this was Joseph E. Johnston a classmate, who later fought with Lee in the Civil War talking about General Lee.

The biography was one of the best biographies I have read on General Lee because it gave me an insight on what General Lee was like. The biography went into such detail that I felt like I knew General Lee. General Lee was a great General and an even better human being, he put others before himself. From what I read in the biography, General Lee seemed to be if not the greatest general in the Civil War, one of the top generals of that time.



Gillis, Jennifer Blizin.Robert E. Lee, Confederate Commander. Minneapolis, MN: Compass Point Books. 2005. 23-29. Print

Nathan Bedford Forrest

The online article I read entitled, "Nathan Bedford Forrest" by Stewart Sifakis, discussed the famous life of General Nathan B. Forrest. A man with no formal military training, who became one of the leading cavalry figures of the Civil War. General Forrest enlisted in the Confederate army as a private in Josiah H. White's cavalry company on June 14, 1861. Forrest's genius on the battlefield was quickly shown and Forrest eventually rose to the rank of Lt. General. When the mass Confederate breakout attempt at Fort Donelson failed, Forrest led most of his own men, and some other troops, through the siege lines and then directed the rear guard during the retreat from Nashville. At Shiloh there was little opportunity for the effective use of the mounted troops and his command again formed the rear guard on the retreat. The day after the close of the Battle of Shiloh, Forrest was wounded, at the Battle of Falling Timbers. After serving during the Corinth siege he was promoted to brigadier general, and he raised a brigade with which he captured Murfreesboro, its garrison and supplies. Forrest had numerous successes on the battle field, but the aftermath of the war left him wiped out financially.

This article was very interesting to me. General Forrest was a Confederate hero as well as being a general. He was a superior commander of cavalry and his knowledge of battle led to many victories for the Confederacy during the war. General Forrest always seemed to know where and when the union would attack and he would make plans to beat the union to the punch. He was without a doubt, one of the Confederacy's greatest generals.

Sifakis, Stewart. "Nathan Bedford Forrest." n. pag. Web. 8 Apr 2010. .