Is leading a Brigade, by putting a hat on the end of your sword... Unique?

Hannover

Private
Joined
Jan 30, 2020
Everyone knows about Lewis Armistead leading his brigade during Pickett's charge by putting his hat on the end of his sword, but are there any other examples of either Confederate or Union generals doing the same thing in other battles?
1582738077295.png
 
Don't know about the hat thing, but I'm interested in how many major-generals were at the front of their troops in a battle. I've read about several brigadiers (like Armistead) who did that, but the only major general on the Union side I know of was Sumner. Don't know about the Confederate side.
 
Vote Here:
Don't know about the hat thing, but I'm interested in how many major-generals were at the front of their troops in a battle. I've read about several brigadiers (like Armistead) who did that, but the only major general on the Union side I know of was Sumner. Don't know about the Confederate side.

If a major general is in front of his troops, he's not doing his job. I don't imagine it happened all that often.

Ryan
 
Vote Here:
Don't know about the hat thing, but I'm interested in how many major-generals were at the front of their troops in a battle. I've read about several brigadiers (like Armistead) who did that, but the only major general on the Union side I know of was Sumner. Don't know about the Confederate side.
Well, Lee tried to do similar a few times... but was stopped by his men.
Jackson got him self killed being infront of his own lines.

We have some corp commanders and division commanders who decided to be close to the action.
Hancock is one. But I do think what he did made some sense.

Not that different to how Wellington did things at Waterloo.
 
Vote Here:
If a major general is in front of his troops, he's not doing his job. I don't imagine it happened all that often.

I have read that this is so. Schurz seems to have tried to lead a charge (three times) during the panic of the Eleventh Corps at Chancellorsville, but then he wasn't very bright.
 
Vote Here:
I read recently about someone else doing that. Smith at Donelson?

yes -
When the Federals reached the abatis, they necessarily slowed. Smith put his cap on the point of his sword, raised it high, and picked his way upward as he called out to the men behind him, "No flinching now, my lads, here this is the way, come on." The brigade followed.

p.279
Men of Fire: Grant, Forrest, and the Campaign that Decided the Civil War Jack Hurst 2007

Brig. Gen. C F Smith, Grant's commandant and instructor at West Point, much admired by Grant, who felt awkward giving him orders.
 
Vote Here:
Don't know about the hat thing, but I'm interested in how many major-generals were at the front of their troops in a battle. I've read about several brigadiers (like Armistead) who did that, but the only major general on the Union side I know of was Sumner. Don't know about the Confederate side.
Cleburne at Franklin
 
Vote Here:
I have read that this is so. Schurz seems to have tried to lead a charge (three times) during the panic of the Eleventh Corps at Chancellorsville, but then he wasn't very bright.

I don't know if I would go that far since he seems to have been quite bright. I would say in the example of Chancellorsville, he was desperate.

Ryan
 
Vote Here:
I'm confused: was the original question about generals' leading their troops from in front or about
generals leading with their hats on their swords? I guess either one is interesting.
 
Vote Here:
It would seem a hat would soon have a hole in it. Also if one ran with a hat on the tip of their sword, it would seen like it would get blown of or fly off do to the officer running.
 
Vote Here:
I'm confused: was the original question about generals' leading their troops from in front or about
generals leading with their hats on their swords? I guess either one is interesting.
I am particularly interested in generals who made a show of leading their men by putting their hat or cap onto their sword as Armistead did at Gettysburg. I was interested whether this was a unique event or did others do this before or after Gettysburg. I have not heard of any other examples similar to this in European battles, was Armistead the first to do this?
 
Vote Here:
On the Union side Rousseau did so at Perryville, though if I´m not mistaken not in an advance. And like so many other things the French had done that before.

EDIT: As for more specific examples, a search through google books brings up e.g. Massena at Arcole, Francois Lanusse at Dego (both the same campaign) and ... ... Wellington at Waterloo? Also one more for the Union, Charles F. Smith around Fort Donelson.
 
Last edited:
Vote Here:
Back
Top