Grant admired Lawler's aggressiveness and tenacity. He would later state: "When it comes to just plain hard fighting, I would rather trust old Mike Lawler than any of them.” good ole fashioned fighting Irishman
The brother of one of my direct ancestors was John Dolson, captain of Company G, 21st Iowa serving under Lawler at this battle. So proud of him, along with his other brother and 2 close family friends in this battle and the entire campaign.
Lawler's men were also the only troops to break through the Confederate defenses during the siege, on May 22, capturing the fortifications along the railroad. Lawler and his troops were some of the toughest.
This is a perfect example of why i love your channel. Your animated maps & explanation brings far more clarity than simply reading about it. I now have a much better understanding of this battle. Than you for all your hardwork
The 23rd Alabama infantry regiment which was part of general stephenson’s division was left behind when the other units were withdrawn due to not receiving orders to fall back, they stayed and held the union army back for 12 hours/until 10-11pm when they finally retreated, several confederate officers contributed the final confederate retreat to Vicksburg being so relaxed because of this.
Colonel Samuel Merrill was my great great grandfather’s younger brother. He was elected commander of the 21st Iowa Volunteer Infantry when it formed in 1862. He outfitted the regiment with their uniforms at his own expense. During his daring charge in the Battle of Big Black he was seriously wounded in the hip and was removed from the battle. He rejoined the Regiment in January of 1864 but the hip wound was too much for him and he terminated his military service in June of 1864. He was later elected 7th Governor of Iowa. He died in Los Angles in 1899 from injuries he received during an 1897 cable car accident. When US Grant was President he traveled to Des Moines, Iowa visiting Merrill while conducting government business. I understand them to have been good friends.
My 4th great grandfather Lewis Franklin Rader was in the 61st Tennessee mounted infantry, and he became a POW at this battle. And his brother died in this battle
Great video. I lived in Jackson MS for five years and saw all these monuments. They mean a great deal more with your telling of the story. I drove through Raymond almost every day because I was a Chaplain at the County Jail there and wondered about the real story of the events. Now I know more. Could you do an animated map of the Battle of Raymond some day? It would be much appreciated.
Both sides fought with tenacity and courage that was and still should be, the admiration of the country. Grant was unstoppable. He was the one type of commander that didn't let losing a battle slow up his plans. It made him unique in that respect. Against that kind of doggedness, is very tough to push away.
It helped that the North outnumbered the South about 5 to 1. Hard to lose in the long run with those odds. And that doesn't begin to talk about industry.
@@docbrosk LIke the man said, one arm tied behind its back. I agree, the South never had a chance against a President that wouldn't back down. The election was the CSA's last, best hope.
@@docbrosk it was actually the Vicksburg Campaign that tipped the scales into numerical superiority. Before Vicksburg, southern armies were meeting northern armies with numerical parity. But Vicksburg gave the north control of the most densely populated slave territory in the country. The enforcement of the emancipation proclamation meant that these newly freed men could enlist in the federal army, and they did by the tens of thousands. In 1863, southern armies were facing off against northern armies. In 1864, they were facing off against northern army groups (examples: Johnston vs Army of the Tennessee, Army of the Cumberland, and Army of the Ohio, Lee vs Army of the Potomac and Army of the James).
uwantsun, only union troops fought with honor. Confederates were nothing but traitorous racists. I for one am glad for every one of those confederate dogs my ancestors put down as soldiers of The United States of America!
I really appreciate your narratives! One suggestion: Complete your argument about why you believe the poor defensive placement in this brief encounter represents potentially history's biggest blunder. It's something of a "for want of a nail argument," right? I know from another of your excellent videos how important Grant's victory at Vicksburg was to Union victory in the Civil War, and if I understand the implications, those victories can be traced directly back to Pemberton's poor tactics. IMHO, this video is missing that final argument, which would provide a great capstone to the whole. I used to teach composition, so if this were an essay, I'd say that in looking at the title, it's missing its final paragraph. Thanks!
The last fort on the river was Port Hudson Louisiana. That and Vicksburg were the last securing a length of the river to allow supplies from TX and Louisiana to cross in safety. When one fell it was pointless to hold the other. July 4th and July 9th.
To my humble opinion it had been the Union victory at Vicksburg, which decided the Civil war, and not Gettysburg. Gettysburg always got all the attention, even already back in the days. It is another proof the American Civil war was the first modern war, because media (here the newspapers) played a vital role in telling the story, or framing it in 21st century parlance. Journalists from Washington DC could reach the Gettysburg battlefield in a convenient train ride of about an hour, while travelling to Vicksburg, then essentially in the middle of nowhere, meant a week-long and dangerous journey. But once more, without Grant's victory, Gettyburg would have been worth nothing. Lee was all but defeated when he left Pennsylvania, the war would continue for another 2 years. But the Mississippi was the lifeline for the Rebels. Vicksburg was their Stalingrad.
My second great grandfather, John Walton, was captured at the Big Black River Battle. He was serving with the 10th Tennessee (Lilliard's) Infantry and was paroled. After exchange, he and a large number of his comrades refused to return to combat. In fact, so few of the men from the 10th Tennessee were willing to return to combat that the unit was disbanded. It was later reorganized into the 10th Tennessee Mounted Infantry. I often wonder if his refusal to return to the fighting indicated a deep Unionist feeling since he was from East Tennessee. John Walton relocated from Tennessee to North Alabama. That area was a hotbed of Union sympathy and he was safe living there. He and his family stayed in North Alabama until they relocated to Texas in the very early 1880's. He is listed as a Confederate veteran from Tarrant County (Fort Worth), Texas. There is no mention regarding his capture.parole, or refusal to return to combat after that parole.
Another great vid. I have read of this battle several times but these animations make it much clearer. The only possible reason I can think of for Pemberton to place the troops where he did would be time. With the pressure that Grant was known to apply strategically maybe Pemberton didn't think he had time to get all of his troops across the river. This is a guess on my part as I'm not particularly knowledgeable of the timing of the events before the battle.
Incidentally Vaughn ended up being one of the last Confederate generals to surrender, and was trying to get to Texas with Jefferson Davis in mid-May 1865 when they finally got caught in Washington, Georgia. That would be an interesting story to tell.
My 4th great grandfather was in the 49th Indiana. But unfortunately gotten wounded at Chickasaw Bayou, died month after, and was no longer with the regiment starting 1863 onward.
I have been a civil was history buff since I was a little feller and I have felt, with some justification, that Pemberton was treated unfairly by his peers and history. Johnston's refusal to work in tandem with Pemberton and his taking of Pemberton's cavalry, effectively blinding Pemberton, are criminal in my opinion. Having said that, his placement of troops on the low instead of the high ground is almost unforgiveable...I am aware Pemberton was never a 'top tier' general, but not putting your troops on the high ground is about as basic as it gets.
As a fellow Civil War buff (I admit to being a Yankee, I lived in the South for many years, which puts me in the category of Damned Yankee versus just a Yankee). I believe the Pemberton was treated unfairly for his role in Vicksburg. He made tactical errors, but his superiors did worse.
@@marks1638 Gen Pemberton was also given conflicting orders. Gen Johnston, his superior officer told him to evacuate Vicksburg, President Davis, his commander-in-Chief told him to hold Vicksburg at all costs. President Davis was right as the loss of Vicksburg was far more fatal to the South than Gettysburg. However, his orders should have gone thru Johnston and Johnston should have been ordered, early on, to either aid Pemberton or be relieved of command.
Whilst I was in the US Navy I met two sailors whose ancestors fought at Big Black River. One under General Grant and the other under General Pemberton. On that basis alone they became friends. They even married each other’s sisters! Unbelievable….
Ok, but if the Confederate line was broken that easily, I don‘t think it was just a matter of terrain or placement. It looks as if they must have been either completely exhausted or demoralized. It‘s not like it seems likely they could have actually stopped Grant from taking Vicksburg in any case.
john white I’m not saying that Pemberton was a good general, but he had very little time to prepare for this fight. His army was shattered, morale was in the sewer, and Grant followed up Champion Hill so fast that Pemberton really had no time to prepare. “Most battles are won before they are fought” rarely held more truth than Champion Hill and Big Black River Bridge.
@@mjfleming319 Champions Hill has been called the decisive battle of the Vicksburg campaign. Having now learned of the soon after defeat at Big Black River ZI can see them as combined disaster.
Any game that allows Pemberton to set up on the west bank of the river should also allow the federals to cross at Bridgeport or Jone's Ford, or Bush, Birdsong, Coaker's or Hooker's Ferries. :D TL;dr - Grant didn't have to try to force a crossing at the bridge, the position could be easily flanked.
Good presentation of the situation. It should be placed into context however in Grant's Vicksburg Campaign. Big Black River was a poorly executed delaying action. It was never going to stop Grant's Army or change the outcome of the upcoming battle at Vicksburg. At most, it just changed the surrender date a little. I grew up in this area and it's the biggest thing that ever happened there.
Fighting a battle with something behind you that can keep you from retreating if necessary or even maneuvering is a classic military error. It might be worst in the sense of dumbest error, but surely Hooker and Burnside made blunders of much greater importance. Personally, I think Burnside's charging up a hill into the teeth of Confederate trenches and artillery was just as stupid. I think Custer at Little Big Horn might own the record for must major military errors in one battle. He failed to use combined arms by leaving his artillery at the fort; he failed to listen to his "G-2", e.g. the Crow scouts who told him the Sioux overwhelmingly outnumbered him; he divided his army into not two but three parts, none of which could coordinate with the others; allowed his troopers to be divided by a river barrier, and attacked piecemeal in an uncoordinated manner. Having the troopers under his immediate command dismount and form a circle was not too bright either.
Actually Custer divided into 4 partys. Rarely is Cpt Weir mentioned. He was given a detail of 88 men to bring up the ammunition train. When he arrived at where Reno and Benteen were he advocated riding to assist Custer. They refused. He did ride in Custer's direction but was cut off. Probably for the better. With the sounds of gunfire no more he decided to ride back to Reno and Benteen
One of your colleagues suggested that Pemberton had his troops on the flood plain to keep the bridge open for the third division which had been cut off after Champions Hill. In hindsight Pemberton made a mistake.
So many people asking WHY WOULD HE DO THIS? Because there were extensive prepared defenses on the east bank and none on the west bank. Withdrawing across the river and throwing up even basic rifle pits would have taken all night, and his men were fought to exhaustion. If Pemberton holds the bridge and Loring crosses instead of flaking out and marching the opposite direction, Pemberton is on a rough numerical parity with Grant, and after a short rest inside the defenses of the city, could have taken up the offense to break Grant's encirclement. Without Loring, Pemberton either has to accept a siege or abandon the city.
I appreciate seeing the western theater getting some attention, but I think categorizing this as the biggest blunder of the war does a disservice to the quality of Grant’s generalship and even more so the quality of the western fighting men. But I loved seeing my Iowa regiments moving across the map! The 22nd Iowa was in reserve in this battle, but was one of the most far-ranging units in the whole war and holds the distinction of the highest single-engagement casualty percentages, 94% in an assault on Vicksburg. Their regimental history “Vanishing Footprints” is an absolute must-read.
I'm not sure it's the biggest blunder. It seems to me that Pemberton probably thought he had anchored his flanks on the curves of the Big Black and could trade space for time by putting his men on the east side (and perhaps put together a second line of defense on the west side if they could hold out for a while on the east). It clearly did not go as intended, and may not have been the smartest plan, but it doesn't seem evidently stupid. Also, I am sure that the East Tennesseans got an unfair amount of criticism. I have been recently writing short regimental histories of the 60th, 61st, 29th, 19th and other East Tennessee CSA regiments (based on previous histories written by Lindsley, the Tennessee Civil War Centennial commission, etc.) and they consistently were scapegoated by other Confederates.
I think Pemberton was trapped on that side of the river because of all the traffic on the bridge. I can’t believe the Confederates lost 18 cannon right before the siege started! To me that’s a bigger loss than the men.
Check out Eugene A. Carr's second report of the battle, which has more detail than his first. He was placed in direct command of the pursuit. McClernand had been called to Grant's HQ to explain his lack of action at Champion Hill. Lawler wouldn't have had the authority to command the 49th and 69th IN to do anything, those were Osterhaus' men. The only one who would have had that authority was Eugene A. Carr, which means he organized the attack contrary to the standard story that the attack was somewhat spontaneous.
Well done our teacher I so enjoy your maps and the animation your adding of eye witness accounts of the events is the best of all . Please please some how some way do a live event I would love to meet you face-to-face .
Arguably one of the top five most incompetent generals on the Confederate side. Pemberton was, for the most part, indecisive and chose locales that were ill-suited for defense upon an open battlefield. He also failed to exploit his numerical superiority to the fullest when he left Forney's division to stay at the defense of Vicksburg when there were already significant local militia elements that could have secured the vital port city. Furthermore, Pemberton frittered away as many as 20,000 men chasing Grant's two cavalry expeditions, a third of his entire strength.
After reading about many battles and the generals who fought them I came across a quote the content of which I already knew. Generals don't win wars they lose them. This may seem odd but if you read enough battles you realise this is true. It is the ones who make the most mistakes who lose wars and the one who make the fewest mistakes who win them.
Pemberton had his faults. But people forget that Pemberton held Grant at bay for 4 months, fending off attacks at Chickasaw Bayou, Steele's Bayou, Yazoo Pass. But Grant was a bulldog. Grant created confusion for Pemberton at the start of this last part of the campaign with Grierson's raid and Sherman's feint to the north of Vicksburg which drew Pemberton's cavalry support away blinding him and distracting him from the real threat. At this point Pemberton was just too confused to understand the situation. That was Grant's doing. It's easy to assume that anyone could see that Grierson's and Sherman's distractions were exactly that. But Grant saw to it that Pemberton was barraged by contradictory information about multiple threats all flowing together at once. The story has always been that Pemberton had to have been incompetent to have been fooled by Grant (which comes with the knock on Grant that he was a drunken buffoon). Actually Grant's final part of this campaign is masterful. Grant was a superb, creative, and stubborn general.
Thanks great presentation Sir, i found this searching for my 2 Great grandfathers unit, Vaughn's birgade he was captured there and then pow in Delaware.
Great video, I honestly think Pemberton got screwed over at Vicksburg. Johnston and him could've held off Grant's force, but Johnston said he was too late and ordered an evacuation soon after arriving, Pemberton now had to deal with Sherman advancing from the North, Grant's cavalry in central Mississippi, protecting Vicksburg, protecting Jackson, and dealing with Grant's main force.
My great ×2 grandfather Joseph B. Weaver faught in this campaign under Grant. Also at prairie grove arkansas. Would love to see a video about prairie grove.
Bowen's Missourians retreated because the East Tennessee troops fled opening up a hole in the line. The Missourians referred to as MO brigade was one of best brigades in civil war and Bowen, Cockrell and Green very good commanders.
@@HistoryGoneWilder Nice job on a battle that only the hard core students of the war know about. Just a minor point but I would have said that Grant started his campaign against Vicksburg in late 1862 as he tried to advance on it overland from SE TN but was thwarted by cavalry raids by Van Dorn and Forrest. Sherman also got repulsed at Chickasaw Bluffs
Nice video, certainly not one of history's biggest blunders, but tactically a failure. I've never quite understood why Loring was not court-martialed and cashiered from the army. He basically abandoned the rest of the army and his commander in order to save himself from being trapped in Vicksburg.
My gr gr grandfather was captured there, he was a sergeant in the 60th Tennessee mounted infantry. He was sent to the POW camp in Maryland, eventually patrolled and swapped in a pow exchange. he went home to Jonesborough.
I have been to where the locals said was the site of the Battle of Champion Hill but it seems to have been excavated and became a gravel pit over the years.
When an eastern Union general blunders, it is required to praise Lee in the same breathe. When Grant completely outgenerals and outfights 80,000 Confederate soldiers defending the state of Mississippi who have the benefit of significant fortifications, with just 45,000 federals, then it is important to talk about Confederate mistakes first. Honestly Pemberton was slow and hesitant, but not actually stupid. Davis gave him strong instructions to not vacate Vicksburg. Johnston was correct to warn Pemberton to not get trapped in Vicksburg, but the man was otherwise useless. They needed an actual plan for how and when to combine the very numerous forces available in Mississippi. Pemberton was left hanging, to just figure it out on his own without useful guidance or assistance from either Johnston or Davis.
Placing your men with their backs to a river rarely ends well. If you have to retreat you have no where to go. And knowing how badly these can end I think the Confederates were lucky to have so few causalities. Often those trying to escape end up drowning in the river. Does this make it to the top of the list as the quickest battle of the Civil War.
Really cause in the art of war they say do it. It makes your men know there is no retreat. Fight hard or die. They call it putting your men on deaths ground. They fought hard enough to get most of the army back across the river in the end.
@@theodoresmith5272 The "Art of War" was written in a time when if you were taken prisoner: A. You were later executed anyway or B. the more likely outcome-you became a slave!. So there wasn't any good reason to surrender back then. But I get your point. And they had very few actual casualties. 1700 men(taken prisoner) would have made no difference in the siege of Vicksburg.
@@theodoresmith5272 Sometimes you have no option but to retreat. Then many of your men end up drowning in the river. Which means there value to your side is now lost. Remember it takes time to raise an army, train them and get them battle ready. Usually about two years. Also standing behind the river means crossing that river now becomes your enemies problem not yours. Yes it will make attack that enemy difficult but you should include that in your planning with troops place in concealed flanking positions.
@@bigblue6917 in a lecture the professor says he set up there in order to be able to let a lost division under Lloyd to hopefully rejoin them. Look up lectures on vicksburg. He says it about 1 hour and 13 minutes in or there abouts.
@@theodoresmith5272 W W Loring knew Pemberton was backing the Confederate Army into a besieged trap at Vicksburg. He joined J E Johnston at Jackson MS with his division so his men could fight another day.
This was just an army giving up at the end of a war, this was NOT "History's Biggest Blunder". This was just the inevitable result of an army taken to it's breaking point and the certain end result.
@@StephenPaulTroup totally agree. Johnston was in Jackson sending mixed messages to Pemberton, and Johnston was a higher ranking officer. Johnson could have actually pressed Grant amd actually would have done something. He and Pemberton did have Grant outnumbered. It took Lee taking over for Johnston the Peninsula for the rebs to win.
Always wondered why Johnson come to Vicksburg an attack Grant when Grant had Vicksburg under seize . Grant would then be in a bad position . Some say Johnson wanted to not risk his army so they could fight later . Was that a huge blunder
Grant posted Sherman's Corps to keep tabs on Johnston during the siege. Johnston hated risky attacks and going for Sherman was certainly that. As well, while Johnston hesitated Grant kept receiving reinforcements.
L. T. Gen.(O-9) Pemberton was from Pennsylvania. His wife was from Virginia (VIRGIN). A division was commanded by Maj. Gen.(O-8) Martin Luther Smith from New York State.
A full strength Union division would be a little over 5000 men, and a Confederate division over 6000. Of course, the reality was a lot of divisions were understrength, and might be as little as 3000 soldiers.
Good description of a major cock up in US Civil War. Ridiculous to place it at the top of all time world historical context, how about Verdun? Stalingrad? Get a sense of perspective
Great story. Not every general can be a Lee or Grant, there will be the occasional Homer ! :D By this time I expect most in the South knew the End was nigh.
@@rubyait You're right! The shotgun wedding at Appomattox was just a temporary fix. Before the Civil War, we were citizens of a republic. After the Civil War and Reconstruction, we all became subjects of an empire.
why was it a blunder? was it because pemberton's men routed? I wish "Have history will travel" discuss more of the afterwards of the battle. One other things is the wording of the people who fought the battle were hard to read.
Pemberton had come from the North to marry a southern girl. I have always wondered whether he harbored an unconscious desire for the North to win. Other than that, he was a horrible commander
Your characterization as the biggest blunder of the war is perplexing? Nothing Pemberton could have done at the Big Black, except maybe delay slightly longer, would have prevented the Army of the Tennessee from laying siege to Vicksburg. I think Pemberton was just trying to make sure the majority of his forces made it back to Vicksburg. The real blunder was allowing Grant to slip past Vicksburg, and then not meeting that force with sufficient strength to repel his crossing of the Mississippi below Vicksburg! In Pemberton's defense, Jefferson Davis was extremely lacksidasical about operations in the West and did not place near enough importance(ie: reinforcing Vicksburg that spring) on holding Vicksburg until it was too late! My vote for the biggest blunder of the war was Lee's ill-conceived decision to invade Pennsylvania. He broke the ANV, and it would never be the same!
Not sure it is the biggest blunder in the history of war. Many of Roman's top generals were fools vs Hannibal were he would lead the troops out, than trap them.
Hannibal had an eery ability to read the mind of the opposing Roman general, and then manipulate him into a trap. Hannibal did so to devastating effect 5 or 6 times, so it was not a matter of luck.
@@ComradeOgilvy1984 But most often that Roman general had a LARGER army than Hannibal. I know Hannibal was great, but losing to a force that you out number like 5 to 1 has to be a blunder somewhere. Speaking of the Great, he did beat many Persian armies that out number his greek armies.
not good moves but the American Army prior to the Civil War was so small, most were amateurs from other occupations...Gotta admire the aggressiveness of Grant and his generals...
Pemberton and Grant were both West Point graduates as were their commanders. By this time Pemberton had veterans all the way from First Manassas (Bull Run) in his army
I know i was not there nor felt the weight of command. But to set your defense in front of a huge advantage for defense? Am i missing something? It almost sounds like the act of a traitor
Funny you mention that. In a letter to his wife, General Loring said “Pemberton is either the worst General in either army or he’s a traitor, but I’ve yet to figure out which.”
@@ryanburns6780 make one wonder how some one fails so much that they get pushed into command. If Loring was in charge battle could uave ended very differently.
I do enjoy your well made and researched videos. And clearly Pemberton showed strikingly inept military sense in this battle. However, was it the most egregiously stupid blunder of the civil war? Sadly, as a northerner, I think the slaughter at Marye`s Heights and Hooker choking at Chancellorsville were worse (certainly in terms of total losses and strategic implications. After reading accounts of the Japanese civil wars (Sengoku period 1467-1600) there were some brutally stupid decisions there (on a tactical level Takeda Katsuyori charging headlong into more that 2 to 1 odds against him at the battle of Nagashino was particularly inane... He could have won the campaign there by storming the fortress there and then daring the Oda/Tokugawa forces to cross the river (and was urged by his staff to do so).... On a strategic level, the Hojo not bending to the Toyotomi was also a brutal failure of common sense... Love the video, but maybe the hyperbole over History`s greatest blunder was overdone. But again, the video (and similar videos are fantastic work and I thank you!
"...the biggest blunder...in military history"? Maybe. How does it rank with the British campaign against New Orleans in 1815, or Santa Ana dividing his army after the fall of the Alamo, or Custer's attack at the Little Big Horn?
Ouch, so all that hate Longstreet and Bragg get is misplaced. No coordination, lack of geographical awareness (twice), and a doomed defensive strategy . Other than that, it went well.
Love your channel but this battle isnt even in the top 20 all time losses. Islandwana. The British defeat by the Zulu was much worse. The Varian disaster, covadonga, siege of Toulouse, siege of Vienna (1622) with the Polish Calvary smashing the turks on the day they would have taken Vienna. Jaffa. Roger of Sicily in 1 battle with only about 150 knights crushed a Morris army in the thousands. Roger and robert, his brother, taking of Palermo, the 2nd biggest city and 1 of the top 3 most wealth cities Europe at the time. The siege of Malta turn back the turks huge army that thought they would take malta pretty quickly and then move on to the heart of Europe. The raid on diepe 6 day war.. The 3 battles of the first boer war. The black month's 3-4 battles in the 2nd Boer war. Hannibal had about 3 battles where he absolutely destoyed Roman armies.
Absolutely, I agree with you. I forgot to mention this in the video, but I think I said it in the description below the video. This is "tactically" one of the biggest blunders in history. Where the general goes against all military tactics. I would love to cover some of those battles you mentioned and I am actually working on one of those you mentioned. Thank you so much for watching.
@@HistoryGoneWilder you are a wonderful story teller. So many lectures I watch are nothing but names and dates that they dont tie it together very well. Just saw the picture and thought I don't think historically it was horrible. He and most of his men. Really all those men lost would have done was eat more food per day on Vicksburg. I question if the south was in a better position at big black river if grant would have fought at all. Or maybe just us a holding force to move around the southerners in a war of movement like Sherman did in Georgia and he had already done on the campaign in Mississippi.
@@HistoryGoneWilder ruclips.net/video/hyTVOPTTa6k/видео.html This lecture says they set up on the side of the river they did in order to allow a cutoff division under Lloyd to rejoin them if possible. It didnt end up like that but I guess there was reasons effecting the choice of defensive positions more then just the best ground.
Pemberton and Pillow were the only two generals in either army that would have done that. With Forest replacing Pemberton in January of 1863 totally different decisions would have been made and certainly with different outcomes. Neither Lee nor Davis realized just yet what they had in Forest. The conclusion was made too late.
Not so much a blunder as bad generalship which most wars have plenty, the charge of the light brigade during the Crimear war was what you would call a military blunder.
Half a league, Half a league, Half a league......Onward, into the valley of death rode the six hundred....... And, oh, the soldiers knew, someone had blundered------ Tennyson
@@michaelratliff905 I don't need to because I used to live in the neighborhood where General Pemberton is buried in Philly. By the way you can put General Polk on the bad list too!
An even bigger blunder was Pickett's charge. A terrible waste that could and should have been prevented...
Grant admired Lawler's aggressiveness and tenacity. He would later state: "When it comes to just plain hard fighting, I would rather trust old Mike Lawler than any of them.” good ole fashioned fighting Irishman
The brother of one of my direct ancestors was John Dolson, captain of Company G, 21st Iowa serving under Lawler at this battle. So proud of him, along with his other brother and 2 close family friends in this battle and the entire campaign.
Lawler's men were also the only troops to break through the Confederate defenses during the siege, on May 22, capturing the fortifications along the railroad. Lawler and his troops were some of the toughest.
This is a perfect example of why i love your channel. Your animated maps & explanation brings far more clarity than simply reading about it. I now have a much better understanding of this battle. Than you for all your hardwork
Oh, Raymond, 1864 is a *hoot* ....
The 23rd Alabama infantry regiment which was part of general stephenson’s division was left behind when the other units were withdrawn due to not receiving orders to fall back, they stayed and held the union army back for 12 hours/until 10-11pm when they finally retreated, several confederate officers contributed the final confederate retreat to Vicksburg being so relaxed because of this.
Colonel Samuel Merrill was my great great grandfather’s younger brother. He was elected commander of the 21st Iowa Volunteer Infantry when it formed in 1862. He outfitted the regiment with their uniforms at his own expense. During his daring charge in the Battle of Big Black he was seriously wounded in the hip and was removed from the battle. He rejoined the Regiment in January of 1864 but the hip wound was too much for him and he terminated his military service in June of 1864. He was later elected 7th Governor of Iowa. He died in Los Angles in 1899 from injuries he received during an 1897 cable car accident. When US Grant was President he traveled to Des Moines, Iowa visiting Merrill while conducting government business. I understand them to have been good friends.
Great video. The brother of my great grandfather was in the 61st Tennessee and became a POW as a result of this battle.
My 4th great grandfather Lewis Franklin Rader was in the 61st Tennessee mounted infantry, and he became a POW at this battle. And his brother died in this battle
Great video. I lived in Jackson MS for five years and saw all these monuments. They mean a great deal more with your telling of the story. I drove through Raymond almost every day because I was a Chaplain at the County Jail there and wondered about the real story of the events. Now I know more. Could you do an animated map of the Battle of Raymond some day? It would be much appreciated.
Both sides fought with tenacity and courage that was and still should be, the admiration of the country. Grant was unstoppable. He was the one type of commander that didn't let losing a battle slow up his plans. It made him unique in that respect. Against that kind of doggedness, is very tough to push away.
It helped that the North outnumbered the South about 5 to 1. Hard to lose in the long run with those odds. And that doesn't begin to talk about industry.
@@docbrosk LIke the man said, one arm tied behind its back. I agree, the South never had a chance against a President that wouldn't back down. The election was the CSA's last, best hope.
@@docbrosk Pemberton outnumbered Grant in Mississippi
@@docbrosk it was actually the Vicksburg Campaign that tipped the scales into numerical superiority. Before Vicksburg, southern armies were meeting northern armies with numerical parity. But Vicksburg gave the north control of the most densely populated slave territory in the country. The enforcement of the emancipation proclamation meant that these newly freed men could enlist in the federal army, and they did by the tens of thousands. In 1863, southern armies were facing off against northern armies. In 1864, they were facing off against northern army groups (examples: Johnston vs Army of the Tennessee, Army of the Cumberland, and Army of the Ohio, Lee vs Army of the Potomac and Army of the James).
uwantsun, only union troops fought with honor. Confederates were nothing but traitorous racists. I for one am glad for every one of those confederate dogs my ancestors put down as soldiers of The United States of America!
Love your presentations. Well researched and superbly told. Thank you
Thank you so much for watching!
I really appreciate your narratives! One suggestion: Complete your argument about why you believe the poor defensive placement in this brief encounter represents potentially history's biggest blunder. It's something of a "for want of a nail argument," right? I know from another of your excellent videos how important Grant's victory at Vicksburg was to Union victory in the Civil War, and if I understand the implications, those victories can be traced directly back to Pemberton's poor tactics. IMHO, this video is missing that final argument, which would provide a great capstone to the whole. I used to teach composition, so if this were an essay, I'd say that in looking at the title, it's missing its final paragraph.
Thanks!
Thank you for another excellent video. The graphics are wonderful and really help me understand the battles.
The last fort on the river was Port Hudson Louisiana.
That and Vicksburg were the last securing a length of the river to allow supplies from TX and Louisiana to cross in safety.
When one fell it was pointless to hold the other. July 4th and July 9th.
Grant's attack against the entrenched Army of Northern Virginia at Cold Harbor was a bigger blunder. Great video as always
To my humble opinion it had been the Union victory at Vicksburg, which decided the Civil war, and not Gettysburg. Gettysburg always got all the attention, even already back in the days. It is another proof the American Civil war was the first modern war, because media (here the newspapers) played a vital role in telling the story, or framing it in 21st century parlance. Journalists from Washington DC could reach the Gettysburg battlefield in a convenient train ride of about an hour, while travelling to Vicksburg, then essentially in the middle of nowhere, meant a week-long and dangerous journey. But once more, without Grant's victory, Gettyburg would have been worth nothing. Lee was all but defeated when he left Pennsylvania, the war would continue for another 2 years. But the Mississippi was the lifeline for the Rebels. Vicksburg was their Stalingrad.
My second great grandfather, John Walton, was captured at the Big Black River Battle. He was serving with the 10th Tennessee (Lilliard's) Infantry and was paroled. After exchange, he and a large number of his comrades refused to return to combat. In fact, so few of the men from the 10th Tennessee were willing to return to combat that the unit was disbanded. It was later reorganized into the 10th Tennessee Mounted Infantry. I often wonder if his refusal to return to the fighting indicated a deep Unionist feeling since he was from East Tennessee.
John Walton relocated from Tennessee to North Alabama. That area was a hotbed of Union sympathy and he was safe living there. He and his family stayed in North Alabama until they relocated to Texas in the very early 1880's. He is listed as a Confederate veteran from Tarrant County (Fort Worth), Texas. There is no mention regarding his capture.parole, or refusal to return to combat after that parole.
Another great vid. I have read of this battle several times but these animations make it much clearer.
The only possible reason I can think of for Pemberton to place the troops where he did would be time. With the pressure that Grant was known to apply strategically maybe Pemberton didn't think he had time to get all of his troops across the river.
This is a guess on my part as I'm not particularly knowledgeable of the timing of the events before the battle.
Note that the Union troops got up at 2:00 AM to start their march. Pemberton had all night to get his troops across.
3 greats grandfather got captured at this battle and got sent to point lookout pow camp. Thankfully he made it out so I could be here.
Incidentally Vaughn ended up being one of the last Confederate generals to surrender, and was trying to get to Texas with Jefferson Davis in mid-May 1865 when they finally got caught in Washington, Georgia. That would be an interesting story to tell.
My 4th great grandfather was in the 49th Indiana. But unfortunately gotten wounded at Chickasaw Bayou, died month after, and was no longer with the regiment starting 1863 onward.
I have been a civil was history buff since I was a little feller and I have felt, with some justification, that Pemberton was treated unfairly by his peers and history. Johnston's refusal to work in tandem with Pemberton and his taking of Pemberton's cavalry, effectively blinding Pemberton, are criminal in my opinion. Having said that, his placement of troops on the low instead of the high ground is almost unforgiveable...I am aware Pemberton was never a 'top tier' general, but not putting your troops on the high ground is about as basic as it gets.
As a fellow Civil War buff (I admit to being a Yankee, I lived in the South for many years, which puts me in the category of Damned Yankee versus just a Yankee). I believe the Pemberton was treated unfairly for his role in Vicksburg. He made tactical errors, but his superiors did worse.
@@marks1638 Gen Pemberton was also given conflicting orders. Gen Johnston, his superior officer told him to evacuate Vicksburg, President Davis, his commander-in-Chief told him to hold Vicksburg at all costs. President Davis was right as the loss of Vicksburg was far more fatal to the South than Gettysburg. However, his orders should have gone thru Johnston and Johnston should have been ordered, early on, to either aid Pemberton or be relieved of command.
My great great grandfather served in co. B 23rd Iowa Infantry of Lawyer’s Brigade
Imagine Pemberton waiting for thousands of Loring’s Confederate troops, and instead seeing Union Blue.
Great video. Your channel gets better and better.
Whilst I was in the US Navy I met two sailors whose ancestors fought at Big Black River. One under General Grant and the other under General Pemberton. On that basis alone they became friends. They even married each other’s sisters! Unbelievable….
Thank you so much for sharing and watching the channel. Thank you for your service.
How do you compare Lee ordering Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg to this battle ❓
as always a interesting and informative post.
Ok, but if the Confederate line was broken that easily, I don‘t think it was just a matter of terrain or placement. It looks as if they must have been either completely exhausted or demoralized. It‘s not like it seems likely they could have actually stopped Grant from taking Vicksburg in any case.
I have gamed this battle a few times and no one sets up as Pemberton did. Turns into a hard fight
What is normally done?
Take and keep the high ground on the west side of the river.
john white I’m not saying that Pemberton was a good general, but he had very little time to prepare for this fight. His army was shattered, morale was in the sewer, and Grant followed up Champion Hill so fast that Pemberton really had no time to prepare. “Most battles are won before they are fought” rarely held more truth than Champion Hill and Big Black River Bridge.
@@mjfleming319 Champions Hill has been called the decisive battle of the Vicksburg campaign. Having now learned of the soon after defeat at Big Black River ZI can see them as combined disaster.
Any game that allows Pemberton to set up on the west bank of the river should also allow the federals to cross at Bridgeport or Jone's Ford, or Bush, Birdsong, Coaker's or Hooker's Ferries. :D TL;dr - Grant didn't have to try to force a crossing at the bridge, the position could be easily flanked.
I have family that was with Cockrells missourians, Would fight in the Vicksburg campaign would fight until April 9th 1865 at Fort Blakely
I love all your shows
Good presentation of the situation. It should be placed into context however in Grant's Vicksburg Campaign. Big Black River was a poorly executed delaying action. It was never going to stop Grant's Army or change the outcome of the upcoming battle at Vicksburg. At most, it just changed the surrender date a little.
I grew up in this area and it's the biggest thing that ever happened there.
Fighting a battle with something behind you that can keep you from retreating if necessary or even maneuvering is a classic military error. It might be worst in the sense of dumbest error, but surely Hooker and Burnside made blunders of much greater importance. Personally, I think Burnside's charging up a hill into the teeth of Confederate trenches and artillery was just as stupid.
I think Custer at Little Big Horn might own the record for must major military errors in one battle. He failed to use combined arms by leaving his artillery at the fort; he failed to listen to his "G-2", e.g. the Crow scouts who told him the Sioux overwhelmingly outnumbered him; he divided his army into not two but three parts, none of which could coordinate with the others; allowed his troopers to be divided by a river barrier, and attacked piecemeal in an uncoordinated manner. Having the troopers under his immediate command dismount and form a circle was not too bright either.
Actually Custer divided into 4 partys. Rarely is Cpt Weir mentioned. He was given a detail of 88 men to bring up the ammunition train.
When he arrived at where Reno and Benteen were he advocated riding to assist Custer. They refused. He did ride in Custer's direction but was cut off. Probably for the better. With the sounds of gunfire no more he decided to ride back to Reno and Benteen
One of your colleagues suggested that Pemberton had his troops on the flood plain to keep the bridge open for the third division which had been cut off after Champions Hill. In hindsight Pemberton made a mistake.
So many people asking WHY WOULD HE DO THIS? Because there were extensive prepared defenses on the east bank and none on the west bank. Withdrawing across the river and throwing up even basic rifle pits would have taken all night, and his men were fought to exhaustion. If Pemberton holds the bridge and Loring crosses instead of flaking out and marching the opposite direction, Pemberton is on a rough numerical parity with Grant, and after a short rest inside the defenses of the city, could have taken up the offense to break Grant's encirclement. Without Loring, Pemberton either has to accept a siege or abandon the city.
I appreciate seeing the western theater getting some attention, but I think categorizing this as the biggest blunder of the war does a disservice to the quality of Grant’s generalship and even more so the quality of the western fighting men. But I loved seeing my Iowa regiments moving across the map! The 22nd Iowa was in reserve in this battle, but was one of the most far-ranging units in the whole war and holds the distinction of the highest single-engagement casualty percentages, 94% in an assault on Vicksburg. Their regimental history “Vanishing Footprints” is an absolute must-read.
I'm not sure it's the biggest blunder. It seems to me that Pemberton probably thought he had anchored his flanks on the curves of the Big Black and could trade space for time by putting his men on the east side (and perhaps put together a second line of defense on the west side if they could hold out for a while on the east).
It clearly did not go as intended, and may not have been the smartest plan, but it doesn't seem evidently stupid.
Also, I am sure that the East Tennesseans got an unfair amount of criticism. I have been recently writing short regimental histories of the 60th, 61st, 29th, 19th and other East Tennessee CSA regiments (based on previous histories written by Lindsley, the Tennessee Civil War Centennial commission, etc.) and they consistently were scapegoated by other Confederates.
I think Pemberton was trapped on that side of the river because of all the traffic on the bridge. I can’t believe the Confederates lost 18 cannon right before the siege started! To me that’s a bigger loss than the men.
Check out Eugene A. Carr's second report of the battle, which has more detail than his first. He was placed in direct command of the pursuit. McClernand had been called to Grant's HQ to explain his lack of action at Champion Hill. Lawler wouldn't have had the authority to command the 49th and 69th IN to do anything, those were Osterhaus' men. The only one who would have had that authority was Eugene A. Carr, which means he organized the attack contrary to the standard story that the attack was somewhat spontaneous.
Well done our teacher I so enjoy your maps and the animation your adding of eye witness accounts of the events is the best of all . Please please some how some way do a live event I would love to meet you face-to-face .
You must have been associated with the 101st 187th.
@@carloste3ichert120 yes sir!
Please consider detailing the Hunter’s raid and the battle of Lynchburg.
Arguably one of the top five most incompetent generals on the Confederate side. Pemberton was, for the most part, indecisive and chose locales that were ill-suited for defense upon an open battlefield. He also failed to exploit his numerical superiority to the fullest when he left Forney's division to stay at the defense of Vicksburg when there were already significant local militia elements that could have secured the vital port city. Furthermore, Pemberton frittered away as many as 20,000 men chasing Grant's two cavalry expeditions, a third of his entire strength.
After reading about many battles and the generals who fought them I came across a quote the content of which I already knew. Generals don't win wars they lose them. This may seem odd but if you read enough battles you realise this is true. It is the ones who make the most mistakes who lose wars and the one who make the fewest mistakes who win them.
Yep Pemberton was the Best Yankee in that battle...not Grant
Pemberton had his faults. But people forget that Pemberton held Grant at bay for 4 months, fending off attacks at Chickasaw Bayou, Steele's Bayou, Yazoo Pass. But Grant was a bulldog. Grant created confusion for Pemberton at the start of this last part of the campaign with Grierson's raid and Sherman's feint to the north of Vicksburg which drew Pemberton's cavalry support away blinding him and distracting him from the real threat. At this point Pemberton was just too confused to understand the situation. That was Grant's doing. It's easy to assume that anyone could see that Grierson's and Sherman's distractions were exactly that. But Grant saw to it that Pemberton was barraged by contradictory information about multiple threats all flowing together at once. The story has always been that Pemberton had to have been incompetent to have been fooled by Grant (which comes with the knock on Grant that he was a drunken buffoon). Actually Grant's final part of this campaign is masterful. Grant was a superb, creative, and stubborn general.
Thanks great presentation Sir, i found this searching for my 2 Great grandfathers unit, Vaughn's birgade he was captured there and then pow in Delaware.
Thank you so much for sharing. Please consider subscribing if you have not done so already and check out my other videos.
Subbed!
Great video, I honestly think Pemberton got screwed over at Vicksburg. Johnston and him could've held off Grant's force, but Johnston said he was too late and ordered an evacuation soon after arriving, Pemberton now had to deal with Sherman advancing from the North, Grant's cavalry in central Mississippi, protecting Vicksburg, protecting Jackson, and dealing with Grant's main force.
Awesome research and explanation as always. Thank you sir.
Great videos! Keep it up 👍
My great ×2 grandfather Joseph B. Weaver faught in this campaign under Grant. Also at prairie grove arkansas. Would love to see a video about prairie grove.
That's wonderful. Thank you for sharing. I hope this animation helped clarify your ancestor's role in the Campaign.
@@HistoryGoneWilder love all your videos in ACW. Thanks for the work you share!
Mime was killed in this battle. Got his leg blow off on day 2.
Bowen's Missourians retreated because the East Tennessee troops fled opening up a hole in the line. The Missourians referred to as MO brigade was one of best brigades in civil war and Bowen, Cockrell and Green very good commanders.
I agree. They had to retreat because their flank was compromised
@@HistoryGoneWilder Nice job on a battle that only the hard core students of the war know about. Just a minor point but I would have said that Grant started his campaign against Vicksburg in late 1862 as he tried to advance on it overland from SE TN but was thwarted by cavalry raids by Van Dorn and Forrest. Sherman also got repulsed at Chickasaw Bluffs
The Crater at Petersburg would certainly make the list as well.
Excellent, clear presentation. What is your home state please? Just curious.
I'm born and raised in Virginia, but I live on the Virginia/Tennessee/Kentucky line. Thank you so much for watching and supporting the channel.
@@HistoryGoneWilder Tazewell County, VA here neighbor.
@@mindshock9101 I've got a good friend who grew up in Tazewell! Do you know any of the Billips?
Nice video, certainly not one of history's biggest blunders, but tactically a failure. I've never quite understood why Loring was not court-martialed and cashiered from the army. He basically abandoned the rest of the army and his commander in order to save himself from being trapped in Vicksburg.
After this video i put on my rebel kepi and let out a good ol’ rebel yell!
We... we lost this battle...
Lieutenant General Joseph Wheeler doesn’t matter
I always cheer when I lose.
@@bunterhiden7321 why did he cheer is what I'm wondering
@@rubyait Hm. Interesting
After Grant left Jackson, it was known "Chimneyville."
My gr gr grandfather was captured there, he was a sergeant in the 60th Tennessee mounted infantry. He was sent to the POW camp in Maryland, eventually patrolled and swapped in a pow exchange. he went home to Jonesborough.
Eventually paroled,
I have been to where the locals said was the site of the Battle of Champion Hill but it seems to have been excavated and became a gravel pit over the years.
Would hardly call the greatest military blunder ever. Bad decisions were made because of grants military genius
When an eastern Union general blunders, it is required to praise Lee in the same breathe. When Grant completely outgenerals and outfights 80,000 Confederate soldiers defending the state of Mississippi who have the benefit of significant fortifications, with just 45,000 federals, then it is important to talk about Confederate mistakes first.
Honestly Pemberton was slow and hesitant, but not actually stupid. Davis gave him strong instructions to not vacate Vicksburg. Johnston was correct to warn Pemberton to not get trapped in Vicksburg, but the man was otherwise useless. They needed an actual plan for how and when to combine the very numerous forces available in Mississippi. Pemberton was left hanging, to just figure it out on his own without useful guidance or assistance from either Johnston or Davis.
Always does a great job.
Jes like Sgt. Joe Friday and "Just The Facts Ma'am" but wit, style and flair" with salient quips and quotes aplenty. Good Stuff.
Awesome, my Great Great Great Grandfather was serving in the 49th Indiana at the time
Placing your men with their backs to a river rarely ends well. If you have to retreat you have no where to go. And knowing how badly these can end I think the Confederates were lucky to have so few causalities. Often those trying to escape end up drowning in the river.
Does this make it to the top of the list as the quickest battle of the Civil War.
Really cause in the art of war they say do it. It makes your men know there is no retreat. Fight hard or die. They call it putting your men on deaths ground. They fought hard enough to get most of the army back across the river in the end.
@@theodoresmith5272 The "Art of War" was written in a time when if you were taken prisoner: A. You were later executed anyway or B. the more likely outcome-you became a slave!. So there wasn't any good reason to surrender back then. But I get your point. And they had very few actual casualties. 1700 men(taken prisoner) would have made no difference in the siege of Vicksburg.
@@theodoresmith5272 Sometimes you have no option but to retreat. Then many of your men end up drowning in the river. Which means there value to your side is now lost. Remember it takes time to raise an army, train them and get them battle ready. Usually about two years.
Also standing behind the river means crossing that river now becomes your enemies problem not yours. Yes it will make attack that enemy difficult but you should include that in your planning with troops place in concealed flanking positions.
@@bigblue6917 in a lecture the professor says he set up there in order to be able to let a lost division under Lloyd to hopefully rejoin them. Look up lectures on vicksburg. He says it about 1 hour and 13 minutes in or there abouts.
@@theodoresmith5272 W W Loring knew Pemberton was backing the Confederate Army into a besieged trap at Vicksburg. He joined J E Johnston at Jackson MS with his division so his men could fight another day.
This was just an army giving up at the end of a war, this was NOT "History's Biggest Blunder". This was just the inevitable result of an army taken to it's breaking point and the certain end result.
The Civil war being fought in the first place was a huge blunder
The biggest blunder in that situation was sending Johnston to Mississippi and ask him to actually do anything. Should have sent PGTB
YES! Though Pemberton was no Grant or Lee, I consider Johnston far more responsible for the fall of Vicksburg than Pemberton.
@@StephenPaulTroup totally agree. Johnston was in Jackson sending mixed messages to Pemberton, and Johnston was a higher ranking officer. Johnson could have actually pressed Grant amd actually would have done something. He and Pemberton did have Grant outnumbered. It took Lee taking over for Johnston the Peninsula for the rebs to win.
sir it is good to hear aboutf from your representation would never see it on tv thank you sir.
My great grandfather was one the tenn volunteer s captured that day....
Always wondered why Johnson come to Vicksburg an attack Grant when Grant had Vicksburg under seize . Grant would then be in a bad position . Some say Johnson wanted to not risk his army so they could fight later . Was that a huge blunder
Grant posted Sherman's Corps to keep tabs on Johnston during the siege. Johnston hated risky attacks and going for Sherman was certainly that. As well, while Johnston hesitated Grant kept receiving reinforcements.
What about the other big black bridge battle near Canton, Ways Bluff Bridge
If I could get enough info on it, I would love to animate it.
@@HistoryGoneWilder 10-4 that, info is near impossible for those battles
What about Mill Spring?
L. T. Gen.(O-9) Pemberton was from Pennsylvania. His wife was from Virginia (VIRGIN). A division was commanded by Maj. Gen.(O-8) Martin Luther Smith from New York State.
How many soldiers were in a division during the civil war. What was the order of battle?
A full strength Union division would be a little over 5000 men, and a Confederate division over 6000. Of course, the reality was a lot of divisions were understrength, and might be as little as 3000 soldiers.
Biggest military blunder of all time? I disagree. Great video!
Samuel Peebles 😖 I believe the narrator spoke of it in the context of the American Civil War.
A 12 year old kid could have been a better general than Pemberton…it’s sort of embarrassing…
Good description of a major cock up in US Civil War. Ridiculous to place it at the top of all time world historical context, how about Verdun? Stalingrad? Get a sense of perspective
Great story. Not every general can be a Lee or Grant, there will be the occasional Homer ! :D By this time I expect most in the South knew the End was nigh.
RemusKingOfRome5 They still don’t know it is.
@@rubyait You're right! The shotgun wedding at Appomattox was just a temporary fix. Before the Civil War, we were citizens of a republic. After the Civil War and Reconstruction, we all became subjects of an empire.
why was it a blunder? was it because pemberton's men routed? I wish "Have history will travel" discuss more of the afterwards of the battle. One other things is the wording of the people who fought the battle were hard to read.
It is considered by many that Vicksburg was a more important battle thsn Gettysburg.
I'm one of those people. But I do believe the true turning point of the Civil War was the Union capture of East Tennessee.
@@HistoryGoneWilder Interesting. When was that? Who did it? I think E, TN was largely pro Union, wasn't it?
My ggg grandfather was with the 55th alabama with Loring.
Pemberton had come from the North to marry a southern girl. I have always wondered whether he harbored an unconscious desire for the North to win. Other than that, he was a horrible commander
Your characterization as the biggest blunder of the war is perplexing? Nothing Pemberton could have done at the Big Black, except maybe delay slightly longer, would have prevented the Army of the Tennessee from laying siege to Vicksburg. I think Pemberton was just trying to make sure the majority of his forces made it back to Vicksburg. The real blunder was allowing Grant to slip past Vicksburg, and then not meeting that force with sufficient strength to repel his crossing of the Mississippi below Vicksburg! In Pemberton's defense, Jefferson Davis was extremely lacksidasical about operations in the West and did not place near enough importance(ie: reinforcing Vicksburg that spring) on holding Vicksburg until it was too late! My vote for the biggest blunder of the war was Lee's ill-conceived decision to invade Pennsylvania. He broke the ANV, and it would never be the same!
Not sure it is the biggest blunder in the history of war. Many of Roman's top generals were fools vs Hannibal were he would lead the troops out, than trap them.
Hannibal had an eery ability to read the mind of the opposing Roman general, and then manipulate him into a trap. Hannibal did so to devastating effect 5 or 6 times, so it was not a matter of luck.
@@ComradeOgilvy1984 But most often that Roman general had a LARGER army than Hannibal. I know Hannibal was great, but losing to a force that you out number like 5 to 1 has to be a blunder somewhere. Speaking of the Great, he did beat many Persian armies that out number his greek armies.
Well you can't blame Pemberton. He wasn't there.
not good moves but the American Army prior to the Civil War was so small, most were amateurs from other occupations...Gotta admire the aggressiveness of Grant and his generals...
Pemberton graduated from West Point. Class of 1837.
Pemberton and Grant were both West Point graduates as were their commanders. By this time Pemberton had veterans all the way from First Manassas (Bull Run) in his army
Fredericksburg is a strong contender for worst blunder.
Very true. Have you checked out my animated battle map for Fredericksburg?
@@HistoryGoneWilder I may have seen it but enjoy your reporting of History enough to watch again.
@@michellejean11 thank you so much.
I know i was not there nor felt the weight of command. But to set your defense in front of a huge advantage for defense? Am i missing something?
It almost sounds like the act of a traitor
Funny you mention that. In a letter to his wife, General Loring said “Pemberton is either the worst General in either army or he’s a traitor, but I’ve yet to figure out which.”
@@ryanburns6780 make one wonder how some one fails so much that they get pushed into command. If Loring was in charge battle could uave ended very differently.
@@ryanburns6780 Pemberton was from Pennsylvania.
I do enjoy your well made and researched videos. And clearly Pemberton showed strikingly inept military sense in this battle. However, was it the most egregiously stupid blunder of the civil war? Sadly, as a northerner, I think the slaughter at Marye`s Heights and Hooker choking at Chancellorsville were worse (certainly in terms of total losses and strategic implications. After reading accounts of the Japanese civil wars (Sengoku period 1467-1600) there were some brutally stupid decisions there (on a tactical level Takeda Katsuyori charging headlong into more that 2 to 1 odds against him at the battle of Nagashino was particularly inane... He could have won the campaign there by storming the fortress there and then daring the Oda/Tokugawa forces to cross the river (and was urged by his staff to do so).... On a strategic level, the Hojo not bending to the Toyotomi was also a brutal failure of common sense... Love the video, but maybe the hyperbole over History`s greatest blunder was overdone. But again, the video (and similar videos are fantastic work and I thank you!
I think romans at Cannae will disagree
"...the biggest blunder...in military history"? Maybe. How does it rank with the British campaign against New Orleans in 1815, or Santa Ana dividing his army after the fall of the Alamo, or Custer's attack at the Little Big Horn?
Custer's defeat wasn't as big as loosing 1700 captured, they also pretty much destroyed the Indians ability to wage war after that
Ouch, so all that hate Longstreet and Bragg get is misplaced. No coordination, lack of geographical awareness (twice), and a doomed defensive strategy . Other than that, it went well.
Thank you so much for watching and supporting the channel. Please check out my other videos and consider subscribing if you have not done so already.
@@HistoryGoneWilder long time subscriber and advocate of your work. Extra credit for US history classes. Keep up the good work!
@@Necron990 thank you so much!
More great stuff in the coming weeks
What about Barbarossa? Hitler's Wehrmacht was wrecked as a result.
Love your channel but this battle isnt even in the top 20 all time losses. Islandwana. The British defeat by the Zulu was much worse.
The Varian disaster, covadonga, siege of Toulouse, siege of Vienna (1622) with the Polish Calvary smashing the turks on the day they would have taken Vienna.
Jaffa.
Roger of Sicily in 1 battle with only about 150 knights crushed a Morris army in the thousands.
Roger and robert, his brother, taking of Palermo, the 2nd biggest city and 1 of the top 3 most wealth cities Europe at the time.
The siege of Malta turn back the turks huge army that thought they would take malta pretty quickly and then move on to the heart of Europe.
The raid on diepe
6 day war..
The 3 battles of the first boer war.
The black month's 3-4 battles in the 2nd Boer war.
Hannibal had about 3 battles where he absolutely destoyed Roman armies.
Hoof.
@@ColinH1973 what?
Absolutely, I agree with you. I forgot to mention this in the video, but I think I said it in the description below the video. This is "tactically" one of the biggest blunders in history. Where the general goes against all military tactics. I would love to cover some of those battles you mentioned and I am actually working on one of those you mentioned. Thank you so much for watching.
@@HistoryGoneWilder you are a wonderful story teller. So many lectures I watch are nothing but names and dates that they dont tie it together very well. Just saw the picture and thought I don't think historically it was horrible. He and most of his men. Really all those men lost would have done was eat more food per day on Vicksburg. I question if the south was in a better position at big black river if grant would have fought at all. Or maybe just us a holding force to move around the southerners in a war of movement like Sherman did in Georgia and he had already done on the campaign in Mississippi.
@@HistoryGoneWilder ruclips.net/video/hyTVOPTTa6k/видео.html
This lecture says they set up on the side of the river they did in order to allow a cutoff division under Lloyd to rejoin them if possible.
It didnt end up like that but I guess there was reasons effecting the choice of defensive positions more then just the best ground.
Tennesseans lost this one
Thank God Grant won
The end was near. Those fools wouldn't quit though.
Pemberton placed his men on killing ground with no where to go..Would Caesar or
Stone wall Jackson done the same?
Pemberton and Pillow were the only two generals in either army that would have done that. With Forest replacing Pemberton in January of 1863 totally different decisions would have been made and certainly with different outcomes. Neither Lee nor Davis realized just yet what they had in Forest. The conclusion was made too late.
Ceasar once built a wall around an enemy to seige them then another wall to keep the relief force from helping. He and his men were stuck inside.
@@theodoresmith5272 But they won!
wow
Not so much a blunder as bad generalship which most wars have plenty, the charge of the light brigade during the Crimear war was what you would call a military blunder.
Half a league, Half a league, Half a league......Onward, into the valley of death rode the six hundred....... And, oh, the soldiers knew, someone had blundered------ Tennyson
We Brits were very good at military blunders, like King Harold forgetting his PPE at Hastings.
Edwin C. Bearss had little respect for the Confederate leadership, with a few exceptions.
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Very good job! But I think Hitler's invasion of Russia was a bigger blunder.
Yeah, shoulda completely annihilated Britain instead, nuked New York.
And here I thought Bragg was the worst general ever.......🤔🙄🤔🙄🤔
I say Ewell ranks up there as well..
Pemberton was a Yankee..look it up..
@@michaelratliff905 I don't need to because I used to live in the neighborhood where General Pemberton is buried in Philly. By the way you can put General Polk on the bad list too!
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