Civil War author lauds Confederate general

The Capital-Journal ^ | 10/21/2002 | Steve Fry

[wardaddy]

McPherson?.....strange company Doug...no offense.

[stainlessbanner]

Sword's "Southern Invicibility" was pretty good. Don't let the title scare you off, Sword presents many of the WBTS issues in a balance manner. He sure gets readers fired up at Hood and Bragg for some of their decisions.

I wish I could hear him speak - I'll bet it's a good presentation, informative at least.

[vetvetdoug]

Most of the battlefield is developed. Carnton Mansion, Carter house, and Winstead Hill are about the only untouched locations. Before you visit, I would highly recommend getting a book that overlays the 1864 map to the current map so that you can envision the battle. Sword's book on Franklin, Cozzens book, and a Union Generals book (I cannot remember his name right now) are the best three on the battle. Schofield had a grasp of the situation and performed brilliantly. Hood was a fool. Strahl, Carter, Adams, Cleburne, and many others gave their lives needlessly. Pickett's Charge was an attack over one mile with artillery support into a hastily formed position. Franklin was a charge over two miles without artillery support into an entrenched position.

[wardaddy]

The South had a propensity period for hitting more of what they aimed at. Shame they could aim well but not distinguish uniforms (if any) better.

Jackson was in a slicker on a rainy night.

Now you're going to make me go google all night to record Union commanders shot by their own damn it....lol

[Non-Sequitur]

Good luck. Union corps commander losses like Sedgwick, Reynolds, McPherson, and Reno were legitimate kills by the confederates.

Sedgewick's last words were "They couldn't hit an elephant at that dist..." True story

[Snuffington]

Sedgewick's last words were "They couldn't hit an elephant at that dist..." True story

Quick... someone put an elephant in charge, and haul away Sedgewick.

[vetvetdoug]

From time to time, I have to take historians across the battlefields of Farmington, Corinth, Hatchie Bridge, Iuka, Parker's Crossroads, Shiloh, and Brice's Crossroads. I do this for the city and historians. We do have some spirited conversations and when I mention that a certain historian is arrogant, an opening into the abdomen, or a class act it is from first hand experience. McPherson....well he does have some good redeming qualities.

[Tallguy]

...died at the Pizza hut at Franklin.

That must be one bad neighborhood!

[Seti 1]

That's the first I heard of AS Johnston being shot by his own men

That's a new one for me, too. I doubt it although it happened frequently (both Jackson and Longstreet, among others).

Cleburne was the best the South had--a better subordinate commander than Jackson. One of my gr-grandfathers was in the 35th Illinois which freqently drew Cleburne as the opponent. Whoever gave his eulogy said (paraphrase): He never lost a position he was ordered to hold and never failed to take one he was ordered to take, save once, and there lay Cleburne. That pretty well says it all.

[wardaddy]

I'm just kidding....I'm sure someone will have a reason why what you state was so.

Many a combatant has thought he was out of range...to his chagrin

You should go to AR-15.com and check out the remains of a Taliban/Al Queada gent who thought he was out of range of a MacMillan .50BMG....stuck his little raghead up thru the window opening and .....well....the results are not too pretty. Best to view it on an empty stomach.

Regards..

[Seti 1]

Is there much left to see?

Sadly, no. Even more sadly, the townsfolk seem to care little about the battle, at least the ones I talked to.

[wardaddy]

Hey....I know. I have plenty of acquaintances that are liberals....my own mom is anti-anti-abortion (I can't bring myself to call it "choice")....we all have to fraternize with the enemy to some degree.

McPherson simply came to mind because he has been touted by South bashers and ravaged by heritage defenders and he keeps some pretty poor company at times...(excluding you of course).

There was a thread on here today whereby most history professors who answered a poll identified themselves as liberals....I think at Cornell it was 100%,

When I was at Ole Miss, history and even Poli Sci was fairly conservative....25 years ago.

Shame.

[wardaddy]

When I went there 23 years ago to Shiloh to tour the place, the story was that Albert Sidney had been shot by a Union sharpshooter.

If Doug hangs at these TN and North Mississippi battlefields to the extent he claims, I'll take his word for it.

[wardaddy]

Actually most of Franklin is pretty posh these days.

[Cleburne]

Thanks for the ping! Nice to see General Cleburne recognized. I was in Franklin, TN, a few months back, and found the spot he was killed. It is currently a Dominoes pizza parking lot, which is rather upsetting to me. However, I understand a group is in the proccess of aquiring the land and will likely erect some sort of memorial to the great general on it.

[wtc911]

Always learning from you WD....I tried the ar-15 site and got Wilson Combat site....that's ok though...I'm hoping Santa will bring me a KZ 45 compact this year...

[STONEWALLS]

..."As for his military experience, it is exaggerated. He had less than one hour of combat experience and that was against the Mormons." .....hmm, I didn't know that...I thought he'd fought for Texas before the War...I know they think a right good bit of him down there....his death was rare...I think he and McPherson [killed at Atlanta] were the only two Army commanders KIA on either side...

Good luck to everybody!

Stonewalls

[wardaddy]

I'll get my black gun fan little bro to link the pic to you when he stops by manana.

I don't know my way around the site like he does. I'm not a member.

Regards

[Pompah]

In your short list of Southern Generals killed by Confederate bullets you mentioned General Hill.
Would that be General A.P.Hill.? or D.H.Hill.? It has been my understanding that "Little Powell" was killed by two very surprised bluecoats during the retreat from Richmond in the spring of 65'.

[Seti 1]

Not D.H.--he survived the war. AP was killed at Petersburg in April, '65 just days before Appomatox. I'm not positive, but I think he was KIA, not by friendly fire.