Flag of Truce: How Civil War Battles Ended | Shiloh | Grant & Beauregard | Burial | Ceasefire Graves
Vložit
- čas přidán 1. 08. 2024
- How did civil war battles end?
How did both sides communicate with each other?
How were the dead gathered and buried?
We will examine these questions using the actual exchanges between General Grant and General Beauregard following the battle of Shiloh.
April 6, 1862, southwest Tennessee. the confederate Army of the Mississippi surprises General Grant's Army of the Tennessee at Pittsburg Landing. Grant is driven back toward Pittsburg Landing on the river. However, overnight reinforcements from General Don Carlos Buell's Army of the Ohio reform the union lines. the following day, April 7, the union lines drive the confederates back across the ground they had gained the previous day.
Confederate General Beauregard forms a defensive line to cover the path for retreat back to Corinth, Mississippi.
The following day, April 8, the Confederate army is a few miles distant from Grant.
Looking back, we sometimes wonder why wouldn't Grant just march south and destroy the half-broken Army of the Mississippi? People ask these questions after other big engagements like Gettysburg. After Lee's stalled attacks on July 2 and July 3, why wouldn't Meade just counterattack on July 4 and "finish off" the confederates?
The answer has less to do with armchair strategy and more to do with the actual experience of being on the field. Both sides are totally exhausted after a big battle. The casualties, the physical exhaustion, and the psychological exhaustion are too much. Back at Shiloh, on the evening of April 7th, many of these outfits have been engaged for two whole days. Everyone's exhausted.
In addition to the human factor, another very practical limiter is ammunition. A civil war cartridge box may have 40 rounds. Armies only have so much ammunition, and both sides are far from resupply. At some point you have to wait for wagon trains or supply boats.
On April 8, the day following the confederate retreat, General Beauregard sends messenger to Grant's headquarters under a flag of truce. The messenger carries a letter. This Shiloh example is an excellent example of generals from both armies communicating with each other after the silence.
The next day, April 9, Grant sends a response to General Beauregard, bringing his own messenger under a flag of truce to the confederate camp.
It's important to understand that although north and south are engaged in a terrible war with horrific losses, we have so many examples that show there isn't the personal animosity that many might assume. Their letters were cordial and respectful.
In this example at Shiloh, union soldiers on April 8th had spent the day burying the fallen from both sides.
The end of the battle of Shiloh shows us possible conclusions to a battle. The winner on the field, following proper protocol, would bury the dead of both sides, as Grant did on April 8. Or, the two sides could arrange a truce and the two armies would enter the same area to collect and bury the dead, as Beauregard proposed under a flag of truce.
And that is an example of how a civil war battle ended.
In today's climate of hatred this truce and respect among soldiers of different armies is unimaginable, but then those were different times that were commanded by with MEN of superior character. Thank you for shedding light on these details.
Thank You Sir, for this excellent and timely reminder of how some generals on both sides maintained cordial regards for one another, despite trying to kill one another.
We can't hate anyone.
The Lord prayed for His enemies.
Civility, even in inhuman conditions like the Civil War, is important. Thanks for watching!
Your animation of the troop movements is revolutionary. Everyone else just uses static versions of battle maps with confusing lines and arrows drawn everywhere - just like a static page in a book. Thank you for your innovation.
@@NotNguyening Thank you for that news. I have not seen them before.
Thank you for watching! I need to map things out to understand the battle, otherwise it's too confusing.
@@NotNguyening Thanks. Those are good channels that I did not know about.
Interesting. However, the video suggests the reason Grant did not follow up his victory at Shiloh by pursuing Beauregard to Corinth was that Grant's army needed time to recuperate from the battle. While this may have been true for Grant's actions at other battles, it was not the reason Grant did not pursue Beauregard after Shiloh. He didn't pursue Beauregard because his commanding officer, General Henry W. Halleck, had ordered him NOT to go to Corinth. Halleck wanted to assume personal command over the attack on Corinth and Grant was required to wait at Pittsburgh Landing for Halleck to arrive.
Grant wanted to quickly pursue Beauregard, but Halleck was much more cautious. The distance between Pittsburgh Landing and Corinth is only about 23 miles, yet it took Halleck about five weeks of maneuvering and entrenching to reach Corinth. Grant can be blamed (or praised) for much that happened at Shiloh, but a failure to follow up on the victory is not one of them.
Exactly. Short version: Grant wasn't in command.
When your videos start, I'm always confident I will learn new information or hear familiar information folded so neatly it cannot be forgotten. You never disappoint. Thanks again!
Thank you! That really made my day! Much appreciated.
This is a tale of two great men! "A man is a man for all that!" Rabbie Burns.
Thank you for posting🙏
Very interesting account of a rarely discussed topic.
Thanks!
Always wondered. Thanks for the video
Very interesting. Glad you made this video.
Thank you for watching!
Great explanation of how an engagement is concluded
Much appreciated!
Excellent !
Such well written letters by both generals. Civilized discourse was still possible in brutal times.
Thanks! Yes, letter writing was so formal then.
thank you so much for such an informative video!
Thank you for watching!
That was really cool and informative! I really liked the graphics and other visuals!
Much appreciated!
Superb video
Near Pittsburg landing- after the first day of the battle- a cousin of ours was sitting with his brother and others around the campfire.
A shot rang out as a confederate sniper shot him dead through the ear and brain- needless to say he was dead.
I have a copy of the letter his brother wrote their mother describing the incident…..
To: Jeffery the Librarian
Sir,
In recent days I have had the pleasure of renewing my interest in the Civil War and have found your videos to be superior to those of your colleagues. After viewing many from several sources it is clear to me that your product is of such high quality that it far outstrips the renderings of those that populate You Tube Civil War history with narrated graphic accounts of notable battles and history of that period. I look forward with anticipation to your next offering with much anticipation.
Your most avid admirer and fan,
Company Sergent Major
D Company
Royal Winnipeg Rifles, The Little Black Devils
Oh, you find yourself to be to superior to sing yourself as, Your Servant?
Respectfully, Your obedient Servant
Great Great Great-grandson of Fillyaw of Newton Co & Lemmond/Harper of Morgan Co G.A.
Thank you so much, Sergent Major. That means alot to me.
Perfect timing
Perfect timing because of the tensions between Russia and Ukraine?
Thank you!
Very good explanation, especially appropriate at this time in the nation’s history.
Thanks for watching!
Very interesting!
Thanks!
Very well done.🙏🏻
Thank you!
Civility. I love it.
Great video! I'm not familiar with any such exchanges taking place between Meade and Lee at Gettysburg, but a video examining these types of communications between commanders at other great battles like Gettysburg, Fredericksburg and Antietam would be very interesting indeed.
Thank you. I will look into more documents to see if I can find anything else like this.
good stuff Jeff
Thanks for watching!
Elegant
More videos longer more more and more and then thank you lol love the videos
More to come! Thanks for watching!
I didn’t mean to seam ungrateful, I was trying to show my exuberance for the quality and the attention to detail and the craftsmanship you have in these videos. Much appreciated.
It is so sad to know that the Civil War was often very civil and cordial. You can hear it in both Generals texts that they consider each other as servants. The language is very cordial. Men who spoke the same language and lived in the same country. Now they face each other as foes,but there is still honor amongst them. To care for men who have become casualties,so they could receive proper care or burial.
And let's not forget that many senior officers on both sides had served alongside each other before the outreak of the war.
@@alonsocushing2263 even further past that, classmates at West Point.
@@lufsolitaire5351 Of course. And also in the war against Mexico.
@@alonsocushing2263 Grant, Longstreet, Reynolds, Stuart, Jackson, Hancock, etc were lieutenants/captains actively leading men while I think Lee at that point was a major/colonel on Winfield Scott’s staff. Conflicts are always fought with the previous war’s tactics and at the time everyone had smoothbores against Mexico so it wasn’t really understood how much of an effect the mere act of rifling the barrel would have on accuracy and thus the death toll. Their West Point instruction helped but it also made it a bit harder for them to adapt, Grant being somewhat of an exception as he always did things his way and his taking of fort Henry/Donnelson and Vicksburg show that. As was Jackson as his Shenandoah valley campaign was magnificent and still being studied today.
@@alonsocushing2263 Also, I thought you got merked at cemetery ridge?
Such an interesting video. When we buried my father at Arlington in 2001 his graveside service included a Three Rifle Volley. Seven marksmen firing three rounds. In my research into this part of the ceremony I learned this is performed at Arlington in recognition of the Three Rifle Volley that occurred after battles to enable each side to enter the battlefield and remove their dead. The sound of the Three Rifle Volley signified that hostilities had officially ended. Even though the Union Army in your video buried the dead for the reasons you note I assume a Three Rifle Volley would've been performed if the Confederate General's initial offer had been accepted. I found it very poignant that Arlington still maintains this tradition because as you probably know Arlington has a special significance in the Civil War.
I can't remember who said it--Clausewitz, maybe, or Napolean?--in any case, some military mind said that it was important to set aside a reserve force who would not be committed to the battle except under the most dire of circumstances, because an entirely fresh body of troops was needed for pursuit in case of victory. Only unfought troops could be counted on to affect that strenuous service, and while victorious troops might initially have the enthusiasm to chase after a beaten enemy, they will soon be too short on energy, organization, and supplies to do the job properly. Equally important, no matter how enthusiastic the winners might be, a defeated enemy running for its life will always outrun (and fight harder than) troops who are only trying to enlarge upon a victory they've already won. Stonewall Jackson might have disagreed with this maxim, but then again, he was shot by his own men while trying to prove it wrong, and the Federal army got safely back over the Potomac shortly thereafter. Chasing N.P. Banks up the valley with a few thousand men isn't the same thing as routing an entire army.
He was shot at night when he was mistaken by his men as a federal patrol.
I don't really call the lack of pursuit a failure. Both sides had relatively green combatants. Moving from a defensive stance to an offensive position requires time and care. Grant couldn't just send men down one road because if they're attacked by the enemy in their front they could easily get rolled up before they could deploy in lines of battle. So pursuit would necessarily be slow and cautious because most of Beauregard's army was still intact and dangerous. Imagine trying to move tens of thousands of men and thousands of supply wagons down a single road. It took Stonewall Jackson and 30,000 men most all day to march down a single road for 13 miles. The front of the column had reached the attack destination when the rear had just started. They couldn't attack until most of the troops and artillery were moved into attack formations. While on the march, Jackson's men were highly vulnerable to being attacked and cut off from the main army and destroyed piecemeal.
At Gettysburg, Meade had lost as many officers as had Lee. It can be argued that Pickett's Charge was a combination of a possible Hail Mary victory, that even if it failed, would severely cripple Meade's army and allow Lee to move his army away without being counterattacked while in the process. Meade did pursue cautiously and his cavalry made some successful attacks and captures. However, when Lee got to the Potomac River it was too high to cross. Lee built some amazing earthworks with well place artillery and infantry positions. They were completed just as Meade's army arrive at the scene. Lee was inviting attack. Meade held a council of war and his army began digging their own earthworks. Lee was upset that Meade didn't attack stating, "That is too long for me; I can not wait for that. ... They have but little courage!" Lee's men had a new pontoon bridge up and Lee crossed over the river. Meade would likely have been crippled if he attacked Lee with a large force and vulnerable to counterattack. Meade was criticized but I give him a pass on attacking Lee's prepared position which was much better than Meade's at Gettysburg.
Exactly, three days of sustained brutal combat took its toll on both armies. Meade doesn't deserve the criticism levied at him for not going after Lee's army.
Yup, Civil War generals were usually just so relieved to have “won” one of these chaotic, bloody, often indecisive collisions, that they were quite content to allow a defeated adversary to leave. This is where a commander like Lee or Jackson really stood out among their contemporaries-especially early in the war-but what were the results of their determined pursuits? Often nothing more than a lengthening of the butcher’s bill for both sides and at most nothing more than confirmation that they had indeed scored what passed for a victory in those days as signified by their opponent continuing to retreat toward their supply base. To really conclude a successful campaign, what was required was the strategic vision of a Grant or a Sherman wherein the enemy’s base became the objective, rather than simply holding the field in the wake of a violent collision. The badly outnumbered Confederates rarely had the opportunity to go after Union Army bases of supply and operations in any meaningful way (rebel cavalry raids did strike at such places, but the damage would be soon repaired and the course of the overall campaign remain unaltered).
Rich man's war, poor man's fight. Same as it ever was.
That was the saying then.
If only our politicians today treated each other with the same civility as shown by these battlefield foes.
Interesting, but much more to say here. Enemy wounded, for example, were not always cordially cared for or allowed to be cared for. Many men died as a result. For example, after the disastrous Union attacks at Cold Harbor, Grant refused to ask for a truce to care for the thousands of wounded between the trenches because he didn't want to admit he'd lost the battle. Most died over two days of polite notes between Grant and Lee.
yes and I have read the prison camps for POW's were horrible on both sides. but I guess they were lucky they didn't get bayoneted like the Japanese or Germans did.
To this day, I am appalled what this country went through. It's too bad the South attacked first and we had to respond. I wish the Democrat's would have dealt with the mess they had created with slavery. Then perhaps we wouldn't have had all this hatred.
Interesting. "We're going to shoot the hell out of your ass!" "Oh, the battle seems to have ceased. Tea and crumpets, perhaps?"
Interesting, I wonder how Grant handle this situation when became the general-in-chief and he was going total war.
Explain "Your obedient servant"!
I think they were being cordial, and both relieved that the battle was over. I think they also respected each other.
GOOD VID JEFF ! MEADE AT GETTYSBURG WAS CRITICIZED SO MUCH AT GETTYSBURG FOR A COUPLE OF GOOD REASONS THE MAIN REASON HIS LARGEST CORP THE 12TH BETWEEN 18000 AND 22000 MEN HAD SEEN LITTLE ACTION IF MEADE WOULD HAVE THOUGHT A HEAD HE PROBALY COULD HAVE CRUSHED LEE BUT THAT IS A HUGH IF GOMMING OFF SUCH A HUGH 3 DAY BATTLE
Hugh gomming off?
Sorta kinky dude that hugh.
Excellent point about Gettysburg. Another factor for Meade was not to turn a victory into a defeat by counterattacking and having Lee return the damage.
@@stripeytawney822 sorry auto correction not edited in a hurry to get to supper bowl party
@@greaserbubtheoriginal7923
Supper bowl party?
BWAHAHAHAHA!
Now that is a festivity I could sink my teeth into.
You evidently know the creator of this content, right? Maybe consider what it looks like from the peanut gallery reading cringey commentary?
If you are in so much of a hurry to not be bothered with a proofread, do you really need to make the comment? The internet wont disappear before noon tomorrow.
Not just the run of the mill grammar cop, more like someone who wonders why you do not consider what your crap (sorry but all cap no punct butchered commentary IS crap) does to others experience?
Help him out!
Dont puke up a stain, BE QUALITY.
He put the work in. Does he not deserve better from us?
@@stripeytawney822 Dude, you're being way too uptight about the grammar of a CZcams comment. His grammar takes away from neither the respect of the creator of this video, nor the points that the commenter was making. You're just nit-picking.
Jeffrey, I sent an email to you about a family account of this battle. Let me know if you are interested in it. I am loving your content!
👍🇺🇸
Was there any way to tell the specific identity of a soldier who laid dead on a battlefield. I'm guessing that a good amount of them had letters or something of that sort on their person but that could still leave a large amount of dead soldiers without any way of being identified. I imagine it's even harder if you are a soldier whose army was defeated as there would be no soldier of your army around to identify you.
They would pin names onto their clothing. The American Red Cross was founded at this time and Clara Barton went around to the battlefields to identify Union dead and notify the families.
If allowed, I'm sure the victorious side would take the weapons, ammo and other items of worth first
At Gettysburg Mead let Lee escape, telegraphing Lincoln the he had "Driven the enemy from our soil." Lincoln was livid that Mead had let Lee escape. Neither side buried much of the dead, that was left to the citizens of Gettysburg.
After Grant took personal command of The Army of the Potomac the Union kept constant pressure on the Army of Northern Virginia until Lee surrendered at Appomattox.
Grant did apply constant pressure. And the cold calculus of numbers caught up with the south.
@@JeffreytheLibrarian The next general to fight the same way was Patton.
Have you ever ready Shelby footes 3 part history of the civil war?
Excellent books. Would advise everyone to read them.
Yes, I really enjoy Shelby's work. They are written beautifully.
All of this is true!
Thanks for watching!
Not sure I agree with your excuse for these generals not pursuing the enemy after certain battles.
For example at Gettysburg Sedgewick and Kilpatrick were fresh and on the south end of the line. Had Meade ordered them to move south west and cut off the retreat they could have done it.
Instead Kilpatrick did a useless calvary charge and Sedgwick sat there.
In fact in most battles a significant portion of each army wouldn't be engaged and therefore would be able to pursue at least to some extent.
To me at gettysburg the most frustrating thing is Lee spent an entire day to withdrawl and made it pretty obvious. How did Meade not pursue? Lincoln realized the blunder and replaced Meade.
Like I get the troops might be exhausted but if they just pushed a bit more they could have ended the war much earlier.
Meade also could of had some foresight to send some troops or calvary around to the southwest and seize some of the passes and cut Lee's retreat during the battle.
After a particularly futile attack on an entrenched Confederate position where Grant ran up 7000 casualties in about 20 minutes, Grant sent a message to General Lee for a truce so they could "mutually collect their dead and wounded." Lee replied, "General Grant, I do not believe I have a single man on that field."
Amazing amount of shade from General Lee and Grant knew he was right. "One Union officer observed his soldiers sewing their names in their jackets the night before the attack so that their bodies could be identified when it was over. Despite this ominous action by the soldiers, Grant and his officers sent the men into a storm of shot, shell and bullets at 4:30 AM June 3, 1864. The attack was a complete disaster. One of the worst of the war. Grant’s army lost 6,000-7,000 men in the span of about 30 minutes. Grant would call Cold Harbor one of his biggest regrets of the war. It was his worst moment of the Overland Campaign."
@@77Cardinal The remarkable thing about it, unlike Pope, Banks, McClellan, Burnside, Hooker and Meade, Grant wasn't immediately fired and replaced.
What an arrogant reply from Lee. He paid for his arrogance later.
@@film50565 It was arrogant of Grant to throw 30,000 men at a fortified position. Lee had made the same mistake at Gettysburg as did Burnside at Fredericksburg, and McDowell at Bull Run. Richmond, VA is 97 miles from Washington DC. It took the Union Army 4 years and 430,000 lives to get there, largely because of RE Lee.
Translated into less polite terms: Beauregard: "Since we kept killing your guys for two days but more of you kept coming, we decided to back off a bit to refresh ourselves. Would you mind if we carted off the few dead we left behind?" Grant: "Well, because it was very hot out, we decided to bury all of your dead ourselves. Which was a lot of work because there sure were a hell of a lot of them. Your welcome."
After visiting Shilo, the union army dead were (are) buried in a well-kept National cemetery, The southern army dead were (are) buried in 3 mass graves.
Be proud to be rebel. The south has risen again are you ready for it
One of the greatest myths about the Civil War is the Genius of the Confederate Generals. With the exception of Stonewall Jackson, most rebel generals had an overall losing strategy.
The south's eastern generals were more successful. Lee did turn back multiple armies though.
@@JeffreytheLibrarian maybe you haven't heard of Nathan Bedford Forrest.
An age, wherein, people lived and died in grace of faith.
Would that society were now thus.
No personal animosity? Hear that descendants of freed slaves.
I was referring to the opposing generals. Some of the opposing generals were actually friends, and the war was tragic to them.
They will cry fore ever, no matter what you give them., As if the war was fought over slavery
If the losses ot the 54th Massachset's at Fort Wagnet and the units at Fort Pillow had been treated so graciously.
@@richardhopkins9022 The treatment of the Confederate prisoners in Chicago says it all. The Union had plenty of money and resources yet they still tortured the men.
@@darrinrentruc6614 I'm referring to those lost in action or captured on the field. The treatment of prisoners in rear echelon sites was often despicable on both sides.
When you watch what is happening in Ukraine you must understand why the brave southern people opposed the same type of invasion by a tyrant! That bravery is why monuments were erected to the courage of those who oppose tyranny against overwhelming odds.
Tyrants (plural) started the war in Ukraine!
Maybe this happens at the start of the the war. Do you really believe they felt this way at the end?
Actually, the final meeting between Grant and Lee at Appomattox was quite sincere, and the spirit of the moment was to reintroduce the southerners as compatriots, not enemies.
our country tearing itself apart,its officers having gone to academies together,then forced to serve there states. And family bonds.
Many families and friends were on both sides. That's the tragedy.
The Civil War could have been avoided. We were at the doorstep, of the Industrial age. The War could have been avoided and all groups could have benefited from it. After the Civil war was over. There more to the story.
I think people should read Genises, Exodus in the Bible to see the parallels. Where conflict could have been avoided. The Civil wars was colorful, until you're in it. The Civil War had no winners.
States gave up their rights. Many black people, move northward. Were they had to fit into society in the north.
A bit more respectful than Napoleon wars those maniacs had no respect for the dead and wounded
You just viewed an amazing piece of American history that most spoiled entitled college students weren't even taught during their 4-5 years of class studies.
we have never had so many slaves that we have today
Despite their differences, Grant clearly held his opponent in high Beau-regard.
HAHAHAHA
A true beau geste.
The essential problem was that rag tag southern troops with light equipment and poor logistics could always run away faster than well organized and properly equipped Union troops.
Beauregard = Army of Mississippi NOT Army of the Mississippi. Only Union armies were named for rivers.
Thank you!
I have spent my life learning Civil War history from the homeland of the 1861 Pratt Street Riot. Sadly, I don't ever think the war ended. We the People still have to fight for our freedoms every day and the ones we were fighting against are sitting in office.
Before the Civil War, there were 20 years of pre-riots happening, from Anti-Catholic, to Know-Nothings, to Bank Riots and finally the Civil War.
In 2015, for the anniversary, they hosted an "Uprising" at the grave site of Solomon Etting after the boy in "Blue" killed a man named "Gray." The protest reached it's national propaganda moment with the recreation of the Pratt Street riot on the front page and the first game with no fans at the Camden Train Station.
Religious Freedom was a main player in the death of the country's men. That was also started here, in Maryland, which was first established as a Jesuit Slave Province. Robert E. Lee didn't make it to the heart of the evil beast.
It's not the 1800s anymore and they have upgraded the weapons system. Be sure to protect yourself and your family. The North has Truckers protesting, The South has Border Patrol agents protesting - the hand in the middle pulling the strings. Be safe everyone.
♥w♥o♥w♥. Wow, you need to research Promo-SM!!
Not vaguely worth the effort and doesn't add anything that everyone doesn't already know. Skip this video.