Hussar Yeomanry
Sergeant
- Joined
- Dec 6, 2017
- Location
- UK
This post is continued from Part One https://www.civilwartalk.com/forums/first-bull-run-manassas.98/
Previously we looked at the Cavalry – or lack thereof. (and to a lesser degree the c.31% of the Army that were Ninety Day Men whose enlistments were due to expire.
In this article I wish to compare the Army of Northeastern Virginia to its successor the Army of Potomac. Certainly in the latter standardisation seems to be the order of the day. At the very least it seems to be the goal for McClellan faces many of the same challenges McDowell faces – albeit perhaps not as grave ones.
So, lets look at the ANV – It has no Corps structure. Indeed is probably just small not enough to need one. Instead it has five divisions. Five very uneven divisions.
1st Division – 4 Brigades, each comprising 3-5 Infantry Regiments and 1 or 2 Artillery Batteries.
2nd Division – 2 Brigades.
The 1st of 1 Full strength Infantry Regiment, 3 Regiments with only 8 companies and 1 Regiment with but 4 companies. Additionally it has 1 Artillery Battery and the understrength Cavalry Battalion.
The 2nd with 3 Full strength Infantry Regiments. 1 Regiment of 9 companies (and 2 Artillery Pieces). Additionally it has 1 Artillery Battery.
3rd Division – 3 Brigades of 4 Infantry Regiments. 2 Brigades have an Artillery Battery. 1 Does not. Furthermore at the last minute the 1st Brigade loses the 4th Pennsylvania which decides to go home and therefore fights with only 3 Infantry Regiments.
As only the 2nd and 3rd have a Headquarters Guard of 1 Cavalry Squadron does McDowell only expect these troops to be in the thick of the fighting? Or is there just not enough Cavalry for the 1st Division to get any despite the hefty bulk of the 1st Division which looks like it has been created with combat in mind?
4th (Reserve?) Division – 8 Regiments. Sometimes divided in to 4 Militia and 4 Volunteer Regiments but seemingly never officially formed in to Brigades.
5th Division – 2 Brigades, both with 4 Infantry Regiments. 1 with 1 Artillery Battery. 1 with 2 Artillery Batteries.
1 or 2 unassigned Brigades – Runyon (6 Regiments) and to some degree McCunn (4 Regiments).
There is no Artillery Reserve and the Cavalry, what there is of it, is assigned to an all arms brigade.
This leaves big divisions. Small divisions. Big brigades. Small brigades. In theory there is no problem with this. 'Simply' assign the best division or brigade to each task. Of course in the heat of battle this may not always be possible. Also given the wide variety how is McDowell supposed to remember which is which? Now, my guess and it's only a guess is that McDowell can see the problem but he seems to have done little to even things out.
Of course if one looks even closer it gets worse.
Let us look at Colonel Richardson's 4th Brigade of the 1st Division.
In it we find Brethschneider's Battalion Light Infantry, under a Captain G R Brethschneider this ad hoc formation comprises at a minimum troops drawn from the 3rd Michigan and 12th New York (in the same brigade) and reminds me of the European (and later Confederate) practice of creating Light/Sharpshooter battalions. No other Brigade does this and I have to wonder how much authority McDowell is delegating to his brigade commanders as this seriously looks to be a brigade based decision. Alternatively are we seeing experimentation? Either way it doesn't look that much like a Commander in charge of his army.
Or the 71st New York State Militia Infantry that brings two small artillery pieces with them. Yes this increases their firepower but decreases their mobility. Indeed perhaps it decreases the rest of the brigade for they are the sole regiment to bring artillery with it. It is also something of an antiquated notion.
This doesn't even look at their glorious, glorious uniforms and mismatch of weapons. Yes some are modern. Many are not. Even by Gettysburg there are a few regiments armed with smoothbores in the AoP but they are exceedingly scarce. The Irish Brigade is I believe the only remaining brigade still totally armed with smoothbores and by this point it is the smallest in the army. At Bull Run things are very different. However at least here I do not think we can blame McDowell. He has to make do with what he has and this is the same organisationally.
My real question here is could he have done (an albeit mammoth task) better? Do people think he did as best he could given the circumstances and lack of experience in such tasks that his subordinates had?
Further, should Part Three look at the Artillery? In theory that is the strongest part of McDowell's army. Certainly comparatively that is the case and yet...
Previously we looked at the Cavalry – or lack thereof. (and to a lesser degree the c.31% of the Army that were Ninety Day Men whose enlistments were due to expire.
In this article I wish to compare the Army of Northeastern Virginia to its successor the Army of Potomac. Certainly in the latter standardisation seems to be the order of the day. At the very least it seems to be the goal for McClellan faces many of the same challenges McDowell faces – albeit perhaps not as grave ones.
So, lets look at the ANV – It has no Corps structure. Indeed is probably just small not enough to need one. Instead it has five divisions. Five very uneven divisions.
1st Division – 4 Brigades, each comprising 3-5 Infantry Regiments and 1 or 2 Artillery Batteries.
2nd Division – 2 Brigades.
The 1st of 1 Full strength Infantry Regiment, 3 Regiments with only 8 companies and 1 Regiment with but 4 companies. Additionally it has 1 Artillery Battery and the understrength Cavalry Battalion.
The 2nd with 3 Full strength Infantry Regiments. 1 Regiment of 9 companies (and 2 Artillery Pieces). Additionally it has 1 Artillery Battery.
3rd Division – 3 Brigades of 4 Infantry Regiments. 2 Brigades have an Artillery Battery. 1 Does not. Furthermore at the last minute the 1st Brigade loses the 4th Pennsylvania which decides to go home and therefore fights with only 3 Infantry Regiments.
As only the 2nd and 3rd have a Headquarters Guard of 1 Cavalry Squadron does McDowell only expect these troops to be in the thick of the fighting? Or is there just not enough Cavalry for the 1st Division to get any despite the hefty bulk of the 1st Division which looks like it has been created with combat in mind?
4th (Reserve?) Division – 8 Regiments. Sometimes divided in to 4 Militia and 4 Volunteer Regiments but seemingly never officially formed in to Brigades.
5th Division – 2 Brigades, both with 4 Infantry Regiments. 1 with 1 Artillery Battery. 1 with 2 Artillery Batteries.
1 or 2 unassigned Brigades – Runyon (6 Regiments) and to some degree McCunn (4 Regiments).
There is no Artillery Reserve and the Cavalry, what there is of it, is assigned to an all arms brigade.
This leaves big divisions. Small divisions. Big brigades. Small brigades. In theory there is no problem with this. 'Simply' assign the best division or brigade to each task. Of course in the heat of battle this may not always be possible. Also given the wide variety how is McDowell supposed to remember which is which? Now, my guess and it's only a guess is that McDowell can see the problem but he seems to have done little to even things out.
Of course if one looks even closer it gets worse.
Let us look at Colonel Richardson's 4th Brigade of the 1st Division.
In it we find Brethschneider's Battalion Light Infantry, under a Captain G R Brethschneider this ad hoc formation comprises at a minimum troops drawn from the 3rd Michigan and 12th New York (in the same brigade) and reminds me of the European (and later Confederate) practice of creating Light/Sharpshooter battalions. No other Brigade does this and I have to wonder how much authority McDowell is delegating to his brigade commanders as this seriously looks to be a brigade based decision. Alternatively are we seeing experimentation? Either way it doesn't look that much like a Commander in charge of his army.
Or the 71st New York State Militia Infantry that brings two small artillery pieces with them. Yes this increases their firepower but decreases their mobility. Indeed perhaps it decreases the rest of the brigade for they are the sole regiment to bring artillery with it. It is also something of an antiquated notion.
This doesn't even look at their glorious, glorious uniforms and mismatch of weapons. Yes some are modern. Many are not. Even by Gettysburg there are a few regiments armed with smoothbores in the AoP but they are exceedingly scarce. The Irish Brigade is I believe the only remaining brigade still totally armed with smoothbores and by this point it is the smallest in the army. At Bull Run things are very different. However at least here I do not think we can blame McDowell. He has to make do with what he has and this is the same organisationally.
My real question here is could he have done (an albeit mammoth task) better? Do people think he did as best he could given the circumstances and lack of experience in such tasks that his subordinates had?
Further, should Part Three look at the Artillery? In theory that is the strongest part of McDowell's army. Certainly comparatively that is the case and yet...