Quotes are from Harry Williams' 1955 biography of Beauregard, which is excellent but, of course, reflects the attitudes of its own time. Beauregard is perhaps the most interesting figure among the Confederate generals, as well as being emblematic of why they lost the war.
-
-
Show this thread
-
Maybe the most insane thing in Beauregard's career is that he was appointed to head West Point...at the end of 1860, when it should have been quite obvious that his loyalty would be questionable at best.
Show this thread -
He was an excellent soldier, as good a commander of a defensive position as anyone in the war, but also a wildly impractical schemer in drafting offensive plans, out of his depth commanding an army in motion, & one of the worst infighters in the Confederacy's dysfunctional team.
Show this thread -
Beaurgeard was the Zelig of the Confederate Army: Ft Sumter, First Bull Run, Shiloh, Fort Wagner, the Hunley, Petersburg, Sherman's March. He ordered the first shots of the war fired; he & Johnston sat with Jefferson Davis & told him it was over & time to give up.
Show this thread -
His path after the war was a middle ground between Longstreet & Mosby, who repented & tried to make amends, & people like Forrest who aimed to continue the war by other means & fought against black equal rights. Not an honorable path, but a practical one.
Show this thread -
Beauregard actually came fairly close after the war to taking a foreign military command. He had talks, & occasionally even offers, with Brazil, Egypt, Romania, France, & Argentina. The Brazilian job would have put him in the midst of the War of the Triple Alliance.
Show this thread -
In strictly military terms, Beauregard's defense of the siege of Charleston looks more impressive when you consider how few of the great sieges between Rome in 1849 & Paris in 1871 were defended successfully. Davis erred by not sending him to defend Vicksburg or Atlanta.
Show this thread -
With a few exceptions - Lucknow, Chattanooga, Shanghai - the roll call of great sieges in those years were mostly won by the besiegers: Rome, Sevastopol, Nanjing (x2), Vicksburg, Humaita, Petersburg, Anqing, Delhi, Hakodate, Queretaro, Paris (x2), etc.
Show this thread -
Emblematic of Beauregard's career is how he reacted to the deaths of Abraham Lincoln & Jefferson Davis:pic.twitter.com/eCO0LbH264
Show this thread
End of conversation
New conversation -
-
-
This is interesting…. What is this from, Dan?
- Show replies
New conversation -
-
Show additional replies, including those that may contain offensive content
Loading seems to be taking a while.
Twitter may be over capacity or experiencing a momentary hiccup. Try again or visit Twitter Status for more information.