antietam - a watershed of blood - part three of seven

My personal take on this critical battle of the civil war - part three - more to come

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Civil
• War
• American
• Confederate
• Union
• Yankee
• Rebel
• States
• Guns
• Artillery
• Antietam
• Killed
• Battle
• History

[pillowbugg]

whats the difference between major general and brigadier general?

[darmok4349]

@pillowbugg It is basically a matter of the size of the units they command. In the case of the Civil War a Brigadier General usually commanded a Brigade or Division. A Lieutenant General usually commanded a corps. However, this rule was loosely applied depending on attrition among the officer corps. It was not uncommon for example, to see Colonels commanding brigades during the war because the Brigadier was killed or wounded.

[mickmizzou]

This is pretty good stuff, darmok. Puts some admin issues in perspective I hadn't seen before. Wish I had prepared a little more when I toured Antietam a few years ago. Their library has a good interactive DVD with troop battle movements and casualties. Thanks for posting.

[s6u6r6f6]

18th...my horse trembled under me in terror, looking down at the ground, sniffing the scent of blood stepping falteringly as a horse will over human flesh, afraid to stand still, hesitating to go on...his foot slid into a shallow filled with blood and spurted a stream on his legs and my boots. I had a surfeit of blood that day and I couldn't stand this. I dismountd and giving the reins to my courier I went on foot into the wood of Dunker Church...

Henry Kyd Douglas from "I Rode with Stonewall"

[davemoore52266]

@pillowbugg major general is 2 stars. brigadier general is one star

[badism]

@darmok4349 There were no Lieutenant General's at corps command level in the union army. Confederate only. :)

Not even the army field commanders went beyond the rank of Major General. Except for Grant, who was general and chief of all union armies everywhere and Sherman who's rank was really just an honorary title until after the war when he took over for Grant.

[badism]

@pillowbugg major general is a higher rank. A major general may command a corps or indeed the entire army. Brigadier general's in the union army typically commanded a brigade, though sometimes they commanded divsions while waiting for their promotion to major general. Int the confederate army Lieutenant generals commanded corps and major generals could only go as high as divsion command level.

[Zhikaaku]

Such bloodshed. It's hard to imagine if you go there now.