Thesis Paper...

Hey y'all,

I wrote this thesis paper last year, and thought that you all might like to read it. you can go to this link www.xanga.com/SouthernWriter
Thanks and I look forward to hearing your thoughts!

Do I remember your picture from minastirith.com?
anyway....

I read up to the Battle of Vicksburg. First of all, I'm glad you chose to do a thesis on this subject, it needs more attention these days.

There were some slight errors though, basically in the military command structure, like, the Black Hats consisted of a brigade, not a regiment, Pickett commanded a division, not a brigade, Longstreet commanded the I Corps, not brigade (I should know, I used to play 'Gettysburg' the computer game all the time lol)

The Battle of Gettysburg is a very controversial point of the Civil War, and understandably so. But there are facts to be seen through the controversy. You stated that A.P. Hill assaulted the Devil's Den and was mortally wounded. Actually, it was Jerome Robertson's Texas Brigade, of Hood's division, of Longstreet's corps, who attacked that position, and they won the position after a brief but ferocious melee. Hood did protest the attack order, but the order was to attack up the Emmitsburg Road, which ran at a perpendicular to Cemitary Hill. Hood could see that Meade had extended his line down Cemetery Ridge, and that attacking up the road would not hit the union line end-on, as planned. He therefore requested permission to attack straight to his front from Longstreet, who persisted that the attack was to go as planned. Hood then took the responsibility upon himself to change the direction of attack, towards the Devil's Den and the Round Tops. I have already posted under the Pickett's Charge topic my views on why it was essential that Lee attack. Please check it out and see if it makes any sense. And also, A.P. Hill didn't die until the Petersburg campaign of 1865.

I think that Lee was at the top of his game at Gettysburg, his only let-downs were his generals under him. Some say that Lee was much too vauge in his battle orders, too indiscriminate. However for years, Lee had followed the same strategy of allowing the freedom of decision to the commander on the scene, and it had usually led to great victories. Examples include Jackson and Longstreet at Second Manassas, Jackson at Antietam, Jackson at Chancellorsville, etc. At Gettysburg, his commanders failed him. Obviousely, a huge part of this was the loss of Jackson, which also forced Lee to restructure his army, into three corps.

Otherwise, a well written thesis with well-placed and appropriate (but biased) quotes. What are your own personal views on the war? I think the heading said "by a southern maiden", but some of it sounds somewhat anti-south, largely by omition. Thanks for providing the link.

Besides those mistakes, Well writen!

Absolutely!

I'll have to take the time to thoroughly read your post, GS, but for now I thank y'all for your comments. More will come later....
:edit: I'm back now, and I have read your thoughts, GS.

Alright, thanks again for taking the time to read my paper. When writing it, I really could not find a whole lot on the battle of Vicksburg...though I probably could have found more if I had more time. Don't mean to make excuses...
Anyway, my family and I are Southerns, but I felt that I needed to write a paper that came from both angles...the North's views, and the South's. I had the Captain of my unit read it,and he said it was pretty good. As for the mistakes on millitary "things", I was pretty sure I had those wrong, yet no one corrected me. (as that is not my "forte"...the civilian side of things is.)

Well, I'm going to quit my blundering, and go get some breakfast. I will probably be putting up another paper I wrote on Authenticity around the same time as this other paper. I look forward to all your thoughts on that!

Actually, the best things to read for the Campaign is Grant Autobio and Champions Hill, Decisive Battle for the Mississippi.

I actually have read Grant's auto. but just briefly, as it was for school and I was trying to catch up on my book list. *innocent smile*

I finished reading your thesis Trin. A good piece of work! Of course, there is always room for debate....
I look forward to your next post.