I've got the worst..........................

[Borderruffian]

General.

Major General Earl Van Dorn.

1. After taking command of his grandly named "Army of the West" He without familerizing himself with his command, officers, dept, logistics etc goes rushing pellmell to invade Missouri and ends up getting whooped at Pea Ridge.

2. Leaves Pea Ridge in such haste that his retreat turns into a deplorable route.

3. Blames the defeat at Pea Ridge on at least one fictional ordanance officer and pretty much all his subordinates.

4. Promises Beauregard 20000 troops for the Tennessee offensive at Shiloh then pares it down to 15000 when he corresponds with Johnson. Again over extends his command trying to reach the Mississippi. Troops don't reach Shiloh in time, but in stripping the Trans-Miss of men, supplies, and Arms in the process insures that no formidable CS force will ever operate there again. In essence he lost the Trans-Miss for the CS.

5. Once again at Cornith he over estimates his and Prices ability and tanks one for the South.

6. Relieved and placed in command of a Cavalery Division he destroys the Union supply depot in Holly Springs Ms.His only victory of the war.

7. Gets killed by a jealous husband in Spring Hill Tn 1863. Doubtless saving the AoT the pain of other debacles.

Comments?

[johan_steele]

I'm not certain I could argue w/ much of that.

[larry_cockerham]

Van Dorn did actually gain victory at Thompson's Station in 1863, though most of the credit goes to N.B. Forrest.

[Borderruffian]

Originally Posted by larry_cockerham

Van Dorn did actually gain victory at Thompson's Station in 1863, though most of the credit goes to N.B. Forrest.

I think that most historians give the credit at Thompsons Station to Forrest because it's rightfully his and not Van Dorns.

Van Dorn at Holly Springs I compare with the blind squirrel and the acorn.

[larry_cockerham]

Sr. officer always took home the grapes. As you mentioned earlier, Van Dorn had other things on his mind.

[Borderruffian]

So as not to let Van Dorn off the hook. Here's another one to hold against him.

When he had command of the district of Mississippi it was his bright idea to send Breckenridge on the Baton Rouge expedition. Which turned into a meat grinder for John C. and failed.

[Borderruffian]

Just found some qoutes from a letter from Senator James Phelan to Jeff Davis concerning General Van Dorn that I found interesting.

"I doubt not you have ascertained.....the unhappy condition of affairs in this state. The army is in a deplorable state....It is yet referred to as Van Dorns Army and the universal opprobrium which covers that office and the lower than the lowest depths to which he has fallen in the estimation of the community of all classes, you cannot be aware of.


" He is regarded as source of all woes and diaster it is prophesid will attend us so long as he is connected with this army. The atmosphere is dense with horrid narratives of his negligence, whoring and drunkeness...so fastened in the public belief an aqquittal by a court matrial of angels would not relieve him of the charge."


The letter was written after Cornith. So apparently the good people of his home state also had his number.

[Dred]

anybody throw in McLernand yet? A political general with little to no military prowess. Good thing Grant was able to cashier him when he did otherwise Vicksburg would have been a mess. The one time Grant should thank Halleck for anything lol

[Borderruffian]

Aside from the failed assaults he wasn't that bad as Corps Commander. His problem was he wanted Grants Command and publicly denounced him in the press and in correspondence.

I believe his political aspirations are what got his goat more than anything he did or didn't do on the field.

He was in over his head but performed pretty well given that fact.


Now Franz Segal on the other hand well..................

[ole]

McClernand, as a political general, did manage to hold his own. Had he kept his mouth such, he might have ridden through the war as a capable Division Chief. But he couldn't and didn't. C'est la guerre.

ole