You are undoubtably correct about Kearny, but I must add a shout-out for the musicians, for The Battle of Williamsburg was possibly their finest hour: Taken from The Cass County Republican (Michigan), 22 May 1862: "Heintzelman flew everywhere among the New Jersey and other troops, who gave indications of breaking out of the fight. He bawled himself hoarse, and stiffened the arm wounded at Bull Run, in ordering, coaxing, encouraging, beckoning and waving to outnumbered men into their ranks again. To infuse enthusiasm into them, he wandered around to find a band of music. He saw three in a group, and ordered them to play Yankee Dooodle in force! The men, professional in the face of defeat and death, said that they had not the requisite number of instruments to do justice to all the notes of the tune! The General then hurried around for more-found a part of another band-united them to the professional three, and electrified the worn out infantry with the “Star-Spangled Banner,” “Yankee Doodle,” and “Gem of the Ocean.” The effect was that of war magic. It is in the small things as well as the great that the true commander is known." There are numerous other first-hand accounts of this incident. I especially enjoyed one which describes how the assembled musicians huddled up to discuss what songs they could perform together. I would LOVE to have heard that conversation! If you want to read more about this incident, there is a good write up in, “Civil War to the Bloody End, The Life and Times of Major General Samuel P. Heintzelman” by Jerry D. Thompson which you can read by searching google for the book and going to page 186 which is part of the free sample.

@Tigerheart01

2 жыл бұрын

Actual Dungeons and Dragons Bards, lol!

I’m from Kearny NJ named in the Generals honor. This is great history. Thank you gentlemen

My g-g-g-great grandfather was in this battle. He was a musician/private in the 5th South Carolina Volunteers 2nd Company E. The 5th SCVs was in Richard H. Anderson's Brigade in Longstreet's Division.

Great pocket history of this first major tilt of the Peninsula Campaign! Thank you!!! Can't wait till we get to all the Seven Days battles to come!!!

Again very well summarized and informative. I´ve overlooked the role of Kearny so far. Again something learned. 😄

Excellent presentation gentlemen, thank you.

That drawing of Kearny and his brigade arriving looks quite epic really.

I may be a one armed son of a bitch from New Jersey. But, at least I'm not a coward. Thank You Phil Kearny. Lol

Excellent presentation.

I have been a member of the 3rd VA Ify. Living History organization since 1992. I also had ancestors in the regiment.

Men like Kearny were known by men of both sides and few would willingly target such men. When Kearny did fall at 2nd Manassas Confederates were just as sad at his passing as their Union counterparts. The psychology of war in America was different, it wasn't win at all costs but to do so bravely and with honor. Before trench warfare chivalry still existed as a code. Jubal Early was wounded at Williamsburg - surely worthy of mention?

@dashsocur

2 жыл бұрын

One of the more interesting "what-if" scenarios I've read about involved McClellan being killed during the Peninsula Campaign and being replaced by Kearny in command of the Army of the Potomac. Very interesting scenario.

@liverpoolirish208

2 жыл бұрын

@@dashsocur A sure path to Confederate victory. However, Kearny was relatively junior. Sumner was next in seniority, then Heintzelman, Keyes, Andrew Porter, FJ Porter, Franklin, McCall, then it should have been Hooker then Kearny. There was a minor mix-up on the Army Register, placing Major Kearny above Lt-Col Hooker, but these were sorted out. This mix-up had an effect at Williamsburg. Kearny wrongly asserted seniority over Hooker, and then came close to losing the fight on the left.

@dashsocur

2 жыл бұрын

@@liverpoolirish208 That is absolutely true. I was very much glossing over things. It was one of the Porters who initially took charge with Kearny taking over the vacated Corps (and Lincoln writing a personal apology to Hooker for passing him over). Kearny then in pseudo-independent command (that is, creatively interpreting Porter's orders) saved the day in that timeline's version of a 2nd Manassas before Porter arrived on the field and quashed any thoughts of aggressive action in the aftermath of the Confederate withdrawal. After canvassing the other generals of the AotP, Lincoln appointed Kearny in overall command of the army. Is it likely? No, not really. Is it close enough to be plausible in a well-written story? I thought so. Incidentally, it was called "A Glorious Union or America: the New Sparta" if anyone wants to look it up.

@liverpoolirish208

2 жыл бұрын

@@dashsocur Kearny never commanded a corps. The law was that only POTUS could appoint or relieve corps commanders (other than by arrest etc.). By the time Lincoln appointed Hooker and Reno in early September, Kearny was already dead. Such was the law, that McClellan was unable to transfer Sedgwick to be acting commander of 12th Corps. Had Kearny been alive, he would have shared the fate of McDowell and FJ Porter, for publicly disavowing an order from Pope, which was far more than either of the others did. He would have been court-martialled. The rumour about Kearny being made GOC AOP comes from one of his political backers, whose name right now escapes me. He asked Stanton to make Kearny a corps commander for a corps comprised of the new recruits. Of course, McClellan distributed the new regiments to the old Corps, filling out brigades and creating a new division in 5th Corps. Stanton replied along the lines of "Kearny will get an appropriate appointment," which to Kearny's political backers obviously meant command of the army!

@dashsocur

2 жыл бұрын

@@liverpoolirish208 I'm not questioning what would have happened historically. I'm relating the events that happened in the story I cited. ;)

Are you folks going to game these battles?

My hometown! That’s awesome

My neighborhood was build on top part of the battlefield a couple of the redoubts are literally behind my neighborhood (redoubt park)

Ya'll should do a wargame of The Battle Of Puebla on May 5th. Mexico. When Mexican forces, made up of mostly indigenous troops, won against a larger better equipped France.

THIS HISTORY IS STARTING TO GET IN MY BLOOD .... AGAIN, LOL LOV THIS GUYS.

👍

Wasn't familiar with Kearny. I'm interested to look into him.

Who where the black guards? Excellent video as always

@davidcollins2648

2 жыл бұрын

Black guard was also Anglicized as "blaggard" ; an Irish term for men who behaved roughly around women. Kearny was of course of Irish ancestry.

@davidtuck8584

2 жыл бұрын

Blaggard is an insulting term in the UK

These are nice and all, but I sure wish you guys would get back to gaming videos.

Kearny did not attend West Point. He bought himself a direct Commission in his uncle's cavalry regiment in 1837. On regimental duties, he didn't even know the words of command, and so was kept well away from regimental duty, being assigned as his uncle's ADC. He was sent to be trained at Samar in France, taking a shortened version of the French cavalry subaltern's course. He failed and dropped out in the first month. He spent many months partying in Paris, and then took a posting as an honorary volunteer ADC to the Duc d'Orleans in Algeria for two months, where he's strictly an observer. Having failed in training, he's assigned as an ADC to General Macomb in Washington until 1844, and then another two years as ADC to his uncle again. After nine years service, during which he's failed to complete the basic training of a cavalry officer, and so not been assigned to be a troop officer, he resigns in 1846 in a bid to buy a captaincy in the new Mounted Rifles. With the 2nd Dragoons ordered to Mexico, he asks to withdraw his resignation. His company (F) is reduced to zero strength, and the captain assigned to other duties, leaving Lt Kearny commanding the company as a recruit depot in Springfield, Illinois. Here Kearny's wealth comes into play; with the aid of a local lawyer, one Abraham Lincoln, Kearny hires a hundred European mercenaries, brings his coy to full strength, and hires a ship to take him and his coy to Mexico. Everyone is surprised when Kearny's coy turns up. In Mexico, Scott assigns Kearny and his coy as his headquarters guard, rather than sending them to Sumner, commanding. He charges the gates at Churubusco, exceeding his orders and admitting that he heard the order recalling him, but wanted the glory of the charge. His company obeys the order, leaving Kearny, Dick Ewell and a handful of troopers charging a battery. This cost Kearny his arm. He is shipped back to New York, where he is assigned to recruiting duty in New York. Hearing his coy (commanded in the field by the Lt) was being sent on a punitive expedition, Kearny leaves his post in NY to sail to his coy, but misses the expedition. He then demands to be promoted to Lt-Col, and is rebuffed. Capt (Bvt Maj) Kearny resigns again and leaves the US. Living in Paris in 1859, he asked GdD Morris if he can be a volunteer ADC to the Imperial Guard Cavalry, and is accepted. At Solferino, he asks permission to be relieved of his duties so he can fight as a private soldier, which he does. Kearny never received his LdH, which was in the 5th class for the stated reason "Major in the United States Army" (it was automatic that all foreigners serving as volunteers received it). For his rank, he should have been awarded the 3rd class, and there is a subtle chastisement here. It takes a Frenchman to award someone the Legion d'Honneur and still chastise the man by the manner of doing it. Kearny had already left Paris when the paperwork was processed, and never received the actual medal. Some confuse the War Commemorative Medal, which he did have, with the LdH. Initially he decides he's going to be a general of NY troops. However the state of NY didn't offer him one of their assigned generalships. Kearny is offended when they finally offer him the mere colonelcy of the 1st NY cavalry regiment, and refuses the offer (which goes to McReynolds, his squadron commander in Mexico). He cast around and in August '61 was finally successful when New Jersey had a BG slot they couldn't fill. He gained a lot of seniority on the Army Register as when the first register was published with the new volunteers they ordered the new generals by seniority in the regular army despite being one of the last appointed. As brigadier he seems to have been mediocre. His only action was during the pursuit of Johnston from Manassas, where he claimed to have chased whole rebel army away with one regiment. However, seniority rears its head, and when Lincoln appoints corps commanders it opens up five new division commander slots, and McClellan appoints Kearny to replace Sumner. Kearny however replies that he wants Franklin's division instead (which isn't missing a commander) and Lincoln intervenes asking for Richardson to be appointed to a division out of turn. McClellan then revokes the order assigning Kearny to Sumner's old division and assigns Richardson to it. This starts Kearny's feud with McClellan, with him convinced that McClellan is conspiring with the War Department against him. At the end of April Hamilton (who'd been appointed to take Heintzelman's old division) has become such a problem that McClellan fires him. This angers the Republicans and Lincoln asks if it was possible to return Hamilton to command, and McClellan replies that Hamilton was terrible and essentially says he won't do it unless Lincoln issues an order to that effect. Lincoln doesn't and McClellan again offers Kearny a division, and this time he accepts. As an aside Lincoln sent Hamilton to Grant's army, and Grant ended up firing him for the same reasons. Almost immediately Kearny participates in Williamsburg. He has 5 regiments under his command at the battle and throws they around almost randomly in a series of charges at an entrenched confederate position covered by an abatis, sometimes attacking with single companies. It is a disaster with huge casualties and every attack repulsed. The battle is won when Hancock turns the enemy entrenchments, seizing empty fortifications and holding them until McClellan orders him reinforced. This starts Kearny's feud with Hancock, who in Kearny's mind is part of the conspiracy against him to deny him a second star. In his mind, Kearny was convinced he was the only good general in the army. It is unclear whether he was really a general in more than name.

@stargazerspark4499

Жыл бұрын

The man had his flaws but he was one of the few union generals in the early AoP with the courage & balls to lead from the front and never shied away from a fight.

@liverpoolirish208

Жыл бұрын

@@stargazerspark4499 Exactly. He was not, in any way, a general officer. He basically was still a captain and couldn't adapt.

@InsideKearnyCastle

8 ай бұрын

Your comment on Kearny is pure fiction and filled with numerous errors. You know nothing about the military career of Philip Kearny. He never "bought" a commission; he served in the 1st U. S. Dragoons with a perfect record; and he did not "fail and drop out after a month" at the French Cavalry School at Saumur. In the early 1840s Kearny served as ADC to Macomb and Scott--who gushed praise on Kearny in letters and reports. Kearny never "demanded" to be made a Lieutenant-Colonel in 1850-51. He was in extreme poor health and resigned his commission. In 1840 he was offered the Legion d'Honneur, but turned it down; he did receive the medal in 1860 and it was kept among his personal possessions until his death. Kearny was commissioned brigadier by Lincoln himself, and he built the finest brigade in the Union: the First New Jersey Brigade, which was numbered "First Brigade, First Division, First Corps" (Frankilin's) in the Spring of '61. In his Paris obituary, the French called him "A magnificent soldier." And that's the truth. Kearny was never a "Soldier of Fortune"; he was a soldier with a fortune.