Turning Point of the American Civil War

[Keshik]

There have been a lot of excellent points made here, but the most important one was missed. The turning point of the war was the moment when Lincoln dismissed McCellan as commander of the Army of the Potomac, forever. Yes, the Union lost battles after that, but from that moment on, the North fought to smash the Confederacy, not just to "contain" it.

I agree. McClellan was a train wreck.

 

[Nate128]

The South lost the war because you can't eat cotton

 

[YNCS]

I agree. McClellan was a train wreck.

McClellan suffered from a problem that George Patton warned against: "Do not take counsel of your fears." McClellan expected the Confederates to have everything they needed and, as a result, always needed more for his army. Overestimating the enemy is as bad as underestimating them.

 

[YNCS]

I'm rereading Shelby Foote's The Civil War: A Narrative and I just noticed an interesting thing. Most Civil War battles had two names. The North tended to name battles after nearby rivers and the South called them after nearby towns. However, the Battle of Chickamauga was so-called by both sides for the river running through the battlefield. The nearest town was Snodgrass (Georgia), which didn't have the right ring for the name of a battle.

 

[Dreadnought]

I'm rereading Shelby Foote's The Civil War: A Narrative and I just noticed an interesting thing. Most Civil War battles had two names. The North tended to name battles after nearby rivers and the South called them after nearby towns. However, the Battle of Chickamauga was so-called by both sides for the river running through the battlefield. The nearest town was Snodgrass (Georgia), which didn't have the right ring for the name of a battle.

Some exambles: Bull Run (Mansasses) and Antietam (Sharpsburg)

 

[Dreadnought]

I agree. McClellan was a train wreck.

The southern generals in the west were worse. Davis was pulling out his hair he was so mad with them...Hood, Johnson, Beauregard, etc.

 

[sabo]

I thought they lost the war because the north had railroads, more states, better economy, etc it was inevitable that the north would kick their ass

that's exactly right, the south (mostly agriculture) could not keep up with the industrialized North, plus the North could put a heck of alot more men in uniform.