The Life of General Albert Sidney Johnston:

5fish

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Here ia William Johnston's book on his dad... in Paperback...

Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Life-Gener...s=books&sr=1-10&text=William+Preston+Johnston

The Life of General Albert Sidney Johnston: His Service in the Armies of the United States, the Republic of Texas, and the Confederate States Paperback



Amazon Summary:

Today Albert Sidney Johnston (1803- 1862) is one of the most overlooked generals of the Civil War, but in April 1862 he was widely considered the Confederacy’s best general. After graduating from West Point, where he befriended classmates Jefferson Davis and Robert E. Lee, Johnston had a distinguished military career that ensured he would play a principal role in the Civil War. The fact that he was friends with Davis didn’t hurt either, and near the beginning of the war Johnston was given command of the Western Department, which basically comprised the entire Western theater at the time. The Confederates were served poorly in that theater by incompetent officers who Johnston and the South had been saddled with, and from the beginning of the Civil War the Confederates struggled to gain traction in the battlegrounds of Kentucky and Missouri. After critical Confederate setbacks at Fort Henry and Fort Donelson in early 1862, Johnston concentrated his forces in northern Georgia and prepared for a major offensive that culminated with the biggest battle of the war to that point, the Battle of Shiloh. On the morning of April 6, Johnston directed an all out attack on Grant’s army around Shiloh Church, and though Grant’s men had been encamped there, they had failed to create defensive fortifications or earthworks. They were also badly caught by surprise. With nearly 45,000 Confederates attacking, Johnston’s army began to steadily push Grant’s men back toward the river. As fate would have it, the Confederates may have been undone by friendly fire at Shiloh. Johnston advanced out ahead of his men on horseback while directing a charge near a peach orchard when he was hit in the lower leg by a bullet that historians now widely believe was fired by his own men. Nobody thought the wound was serious, including Johnston, who continued to aggressively lead his men and even sent his personal physician to treat wounded Union soldiers taken captive. But the bullet had clipped an artery, and shortly after being wounded Johnston began to feel faint in the saddle. With blood filling up his boot, Johnston unwittingly bled to death. The delay caused by his death, and the transfer of command to subordinate P.G.T. Beauregard, bought the Union defenders critical time on April 6, and the following day Grant’s reinforced army struck back and pushed the Confederate army off the field.
 

Kirk's Raider's

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Here ia William Johnston's book on his dad... in Paperback...

Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Life-General-Albert-Sidney-Johnston/dp/1530189918/ref=sr_1_10?qid=1574428024&refinements=p_27:William+Preston+Johnston&s=books&sr=1-10&text=William+Preston+Johnston

The Life of General Albert Sidney Johnston: His Service in the Armies of the United States, the Republic of Texas, and the Confederate States Paperback



Amazon Summary:

Today Albert Sidney Johnston (1803- 1862) is one of the most overlooked generals of the Civil War, but in April 1862 he was widely considered the Confederacy’s best general. After graduating from West Point, where he befriended classmates Jefferson Davis and Robert E. Lee, Johnston had a distinguished military career that ensured he would play a principal role in the Civil War. The fact that he was friends with Davis didn’t hurt either, and near the beginning of the war Johnston was given command of the Western Department, which basically comprised the entire Western theater at the time. The Confederates were served poorly in that theater by incompetent officers who Johnston and the South had been saddled with, and from the beginning of the Civil War the Confederates struggled to gain traction in the battlegrounds of Kentucky and Missouri. After critical Confederate setbacks at Fort Henry and Fort Donelson in early 1862, Johnston concentrated his forces in northern Georgia and prepared for a major offensive that culminated with the biggest battle of the war to that point, the Battle of Shiloh. On the morning of April 6, Johnston directed an all out attack on Grant’s army around Shiloh Church, and though Grant’s men had been encamped there, they had failed to create defensive fortifications or earthworks. They were also badly caught by surprise. With nearly 45,000 Confederates attacking, Johnston’s army began to steadily push Grant’s men back toward the river. As fate would have it, the Confederates may have been undone by friendly fire at Shiloh. Johnston advanced out ahead of his men on horseback while directing a charge near a peach orchard when he was hit in the lower leg by a bullet that historians now widely believe was fired by his own men. Nobody thought the wound was serious, including Johnston, who continued to aggressively lead his men and even sent his personal physician to treat wounded Union soldiers taken captive. But the bullet had clipped an artery, and shortly after being wounded Johnston began to feel faint in the saddle. With blood filling up his boot, Johnston unwittingly bled to death. The delay caused by his death, and the transfer of command to subordinate P.G.T. Beauregard, bought the Union defenders critical time on April 6, and the following day Grant’s reinforced army struck back and pushed the Confederate army off the field.
We can never know if Johnson was or would of been the best Confederate general since his career was so short .
Johnson led from the front which has its good and bad points death being one of the bad points.
We know that Shiloh ended in defeat for the Confederacy. Yes General Buel and the Union Navy had something to do with that.
Was it Johnson's fault for the Confederate defeat?
Kirk's Raiders
 
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jgoodguy

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We can never know if Johnson was or would of been the best Confederate general since his career was so short .
Johnson led from the front which has its good and bad points death being one of the bad points.
We know that Shiloh ended in defeat for the Confederacy. Yes General Buel and the Union Navy had something to do with that.
Was it Johnson's fault for the Confederate defeat?
Kirk's Raiders
Impossible to determine. We cannot determine if he would have won either.
 

rittmeister

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We can never know if Johnson was or would of been the best Confederate general since his career was so short .
Johnson led from the front which has its good and bad points death being one of the bad points.
We know that Shiloh ended in defeat for the Confederacy. Yes General Buel and the Union Navy had something to do with that.
Was it Johnson's fault for the Confederate defeat?
Kirk's Raiders
in my book getting shot at and in the process being killed by the enemy counts as bad generalship.
 

Kirk's Raider's

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in my book getting shot at and in the process being killed by the enemy counts as bad generalship.
General George Thomas led from the front as did other successful ACW generals such as Forrest. Back in the day some generals had the brass balls to lead their men by personal example.
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rittmeister

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General George Thomas led from the front as did other successful ACW generals such as Forrest. Back in the day some generals had the brass balls to lead their men by personal example.
Kirk's Raiders
no problem wit that - it's the 'getting killed in the process' part
 

Kirk's Raider's

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no problem wit that - it's the 'getting killed in the process' part
True modern generals tend not to lead from the front. However back in the day warfare was different and many successful generals led from the front both to inspire their men and coordinate their troops.
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