General P.G.T. Beauregard in the Civil War

General P.G.T. Beauregard was a Confederate commander who played a central role in the opening months of the Civil War. A native of Louisiana, he saw service during the Mexican-American War and, in 1861, received command of Confederate forces in Charleston, SC. In this role, Beauregard directed the bombardment of Fort Sumter which opened hostilities between the Union and Confederacy. Three months later, he led Confederate troops to victory at the First Battle of Bull Run. In early 1862, Beauregard helped lead the Army of Mississippi at the Battle of Shiloh. He career stalled as the war progressed due to his poor relationship with the Confederate leadership. Early Life Born May 28, 1818, Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard was the son of Jacques and Hà ©là ¨ne Judith Toutant-Beauregard. Raised on the familys St. Bernard Parish, LA plantation outside of New Orleans, Beauregard was one of seven children. He received his early education at series of private schools in the city and spoke only French during his formative years. Sent to a French school in New York City at age twelve, Beauregard finally began to learn English. Four years later, Beauregard elected to pursue a military career and obtained an appointment to West Point. A stellar student, the Little Creole as he was known, was classmates with Irvin McDowell, William J. Hardee, Edward Allegheny Johnson, and A.J. Smith and was taught the basics of artillery by Robert Anderson. Graduating in 1838, Beauregard ranked second his class and as a result of this academic performance received an assignment with the prestigious US Army Corps of Engineers. In Mexico With the outbreak of the Mexican-American War in 1846, Beauregard gained an opportunity to see combat. Landing in near Veracruz in March 1847, he served as an engineer for Major General Winfield Scott during the siege of the city. Beauregard continued in this role as the army commenced its march on Mexico City. At the Battle of Cerro Gordo in April, he correctly determined that the capture of La Atalaya hill would allow Scott to force the Mexicans from their position and aided in scouting routes into the enemy rear.  As the army neared the Mexican capital, Beauregard undertook numerous dangerous reconnaissance missions and was brevetted to captain for his performance during the victories at Contreras and Churubusco. That September, he played a key role in crafting the American strategy for the Battle of Chapultepec. Battle of Chapultepec. Photograph Source: Public Domain In the course of the fighting, Beauregard sustained wounds in the shoulder and thigh. For this and being one of the first Americans to enter Mexico City, he received a brevet to major. Though Beauregard compiled a distinguished record in Mexico, he felt slighted as he believed that other engineers, including Captain Robert E. Lee, received greater recognition. Fast Facts: General P.G.T. Beauregard Rank: GeneralService: US Army, Confederate ArmyBorn: May 28, 1818 in St. Bernard Parish, LADied: February 20, 1893 in New Orleans, LANickname: Little Frenchman, Little Napoleon, Little CreoleParents: Jacques and Hà ©là ¨ne Judith Toutant-BeauregardSpouse: Marie Laure Villerà ©Conflicts: Mexican-American War, Civil WarKnown For: Battle of Fort Sumter, First Battle of Bull Run, Battle of Shiloh, and the Battle of Petersburg Inter-War Years Returning to the United States in 1848, Beauregard received an assignment to oversee the construction and repair of defenses along the Gulf Coast. This included improvements to Forts Jackson and St. Philip outside of New Orleans. Beauregard also endeavored to enhance navigation along the Mississippi River. This saw him direct extensive work at the rivers mouth to open shipping channels and remove sand bars. During the course of this project, Beauregard invented and patented a device dubbed a self-acting bar excavator which would be attached to ships to aid in clearing sand and clay bars. Actively campaigning for Franklin Pierce, whom he had met in Mexico, Beauregard was rewarded for his support after the 1852 election. The following year, Pierce appointed him superintending engineer of the New Orleans Federal Customs House. In this role, Beauregard helped stabilize the structure as it was sinking into the citys moist soil. Increasingly bored with the peacetime military, he considered departing to join filibuster William Walkers forces in Nicaragua in 1856. Electing to stay in Louisiana, two years later Beauregard ran for mayor of New Orleans as a reform candidate. In a tight race, he was defeated by Gerald Stith of the Know Nothing (American) Party.   The Civil War Begins Seeking a new post, Beauregard received aid from his brother-in-law, Senator John Slidell, in obtaining an assignment as the superintendent of West Point on January 23, 1861. This was revoked a few days later following Louisianas secession from the Union on January 26. Though he favored the South, Beauregard was angered that he was not given a chance to prove his loyalty to the US Army. Leaving New York, he returned to Louisiana with the hope of receiving command of the states military. He was disappointed in this endeavor when overall command went to Braxton Bragg. Turning down a colonels commission from Bragg, Beauregard schemed with Slidell and newly-elected President Jefferson Davis for a high post in the new Confederate Army. These efforts bore fruit when he was commissioned a brigadier general on March 1, 1861, becoming the Confederate Armys first general officer. In the wake of this, Davis ordered him to oversee the escalating situation at Charleston, SC where Union troops refused to abandon Fort Sumter. Arriving on March 3, he readied Confederate forces around the harbor while attempting to negotiate with the forts commander, his former instructor Major Robert Anderson. Fort Sumter after its capture by the Confederates. Photograph Courtesy of the National Archives Records Administration Battle of First Bull Run On orders from Davis, Beauregard opened the Civil War on April 12 when his batteries began the bombardment of Fort Sumter. Following the forts surrender two days later, Beauregard was hailed as a hero across the Confederacy. Ordered to Richmond, Beauregard received command of Confederate forces in northern Virginia. Here he was tasked with working with General Joseph E. Johnston, who oversaw Confederate forces in the Shenandoah Valley, in blocking a Union advance into Virginia. Assuming this post, he began the first in a series of squabbles with Davis over strategy. On July 21, 1861, Union Brigadier General Irvin McDowell, advanced against Beauregards position. Using the Manassas Gap Railroad, the Confederates were able to shift Johnstons men east to aid Beauregard. In the resulting First Battle of Bull Run, Confederate forces were able to win a victory and rout McDowells army. Though Johnston made many of the key decisions in the battle, Beauregard received much of the acclaim for the victory. For the triumph, he was promoted to general, junior only to Samuel Cooper, Albert S. Johnston, Robert E. Lee, and Joseph Johnston. Sent West In the months after First Bull Run, Beauregard assisted in developing the Confederate Battle Flag to aid in recognizing friendly troops on the battlefield. Entering winter quarters, Beauregard vocally called for an invasion of Maryland and clashed with Davis. After a transfer request to New Orleans was refused, he was dispatched west to serve as A.S. Johnstons second-in-command in the Army of Mississippi. In this role, he took part in the Battle of Shiloh on April 6-7, 1862. Attacking Major General Ulysses S. Grants army, Confederate troops drove back the enemy on the first day. General Albert S. Johnston. Library of Congress In the fighting, Johnston was mortally wounded and command fell to Beauregard. With Union forces pinned against the Tennessee River that evening, he controversially ended the Confederate assault with the intention renewing the battle in the morning. Through the night, Grant was reinforced by the arrival of Major General Don Carlos Buells Army of the Ohio. Counterattacking in the morning, Grant routed Beauregards army. Later that month and into May, Beauregard squared off against Union troops at the Siege of Corinth, MS. Forced to abandon the town without a fight, he went on medical leave without permission. Already angered by Beauregards performance at Corinth, Davis used this incident to replace him with Bragg in mid-June. Despite efforts to regain his command, Beauregard was sent to Charleston to oversee the coastal defenses of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. In this role, he blunted Union efforts against Charleston through 1863. These included ironclad attacks by the US Navy as well as Union troops operating on Morris and James Islands. While in this assignment, he continued to annoy Davis with numerous recommendations for Confederate war strategy as well as devised a plan for a peace conference with the governors of the western Union states. He also learned that his wife, Marie Laure Villerà ©, died on March 2, 1864. Virginia Later Commands The following month, he received orders to take command of Confederate forces south of Richmond. In this role, he resisted pressure to transfer parts of his command north to reinforce Lee. Beauregard also performed well in blocking Major General Benjamin Butlers Bermuda Hundred Campaign. As Grant forced Lee south, Beauregard was one of the few Confederate leaders to recognize the importance of Petersburg. Anticipating Grants attack on the city, he mounted a tenacious defense using a scratch force beginning on June 15. His efforts saved Petersburg and opened the way for the siege of the city. As the siege began, the prickly Beauregard fell out with Lee and ultimately was given command of the Department of the West. Largely an administrative post, he oversaw the armies of Lieutenant Generals John Bell Hood and Richard Taylor. Lacking manpower to block Major General William T. Shermans March to the Sea, he was also forced to watch Hood wreck his army during the Franklin-Nashville Campaign. The following spring, he was relieved by Joseph Johnston for medical reasons and assigned to Richmond. In the final days of the conflict, he traveled south and recommended that Johnston surrender to Sherman. Later Life In the years after the war, Beauregard worked in the railroad industry while living in New Orleans. Beginning in 1877, he also served for fifteen years as a supervisor of the Louisiana Lottery. Beauregard died on February 20, 1893, and was buried in the Army of Tennessee vault at New Orleans Metairie Cemetery.

Huckleberry Finn American Experience Essay - 1569 Words

The Flight to Freedom â€Å"Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves†, left the mouth of the once prominent advocate for the abolishment of slavery, former president of the United States, and revolution pioneer, Abraham Lincoln, in his quest for the independence of slaves throughout the nation. Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn expresses the American experience and captures the same idea of acquiring freedom, both physical and mental escape, through the characters Huckleberry Finn and Jim, who both physically escape their dangerous and threatening living arrangements, and the raft that aides Huckleberry and Jim in their quest and exploration of themselves and a new life. The concept of the â€Å"American†¦show more content†¦This coincides with the idea of an â€Å"American experience† for Huck as he is considered â€Å"hip† and daring for leaving town and his stagnant lifestyle in pursuit something greater, something new, something that young adults like him would not have considered during that time. As he escapes without direction Huck encounters Jim, a slave who has also fled his captivity in pursuit of liberation. Huck befriends the slave and the two venture down the Mississippi River, embarking on a journey in which they face violence, distress and episodes of lost hope. A large change that we the readers view during the time Huck and Jim spent together on the river, is Huck’s perception of slavery. After conversing with and getting to know Jim, his values, beliefs and dreams, Huck begins to truly believe that slaves like Jim are not as society paints them to be, that they too are humans with feelings and deserve rights equal to a white man. 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Strategic Management of ABC Automobile-Samples- Myassignment

Question: Identify the Ethical, Strategic, Operational and Financial Issues in this Scenario and list them in priority order from most to least Critical. Answer: ABC automobile is one of the leading car manufacturers of Japan with its presence in as many as 100 countries across the world. The automobile company has recently decided to launch a new car in the market which has been designed by the company over a period of 3 years. The automobile is pitted to be one of the best in its class and primary research has revealed that the car will be a game changer in the market. The company has recently appointed me as the manager of overseas operations and has provided me with a bunch of individuals to manage the sales, marketing, finance and operational functions before the launch of the new product. My team has been functioning round the clock and has been travelling to different markets around the globe to promote the new car. All was ok till then but crisis struck in Malaysia. Just before three days when training was scheduled to start in Malaysia the local operational manager of the country informed me that the shipments consisting the training materials did not arrived in the country and he was desperately trying to track down the shipment as because loss of the shipment could mean a delay of more than one month to start the training program afresh. After receiving the news I was completely taken back by the development as the delay would mark a bad reputation for me and would have a negative impact on my career. There were ethical, strategic, operational and financial issues associated in the situation (Girling, 2013). I decided to prioritize them on a proper order from the most to the least critical issues; Strategic Issues- The delay in the launch of the car would mark a negative impact on the business of the company in Malaysia as because the company has already announced the launch dates and bookings have started. The competitive advantage of ABC automobiles in the country will also be impacted (Hsu, Backhouse Silva, 2014). Financial Issues- The management of the company have invested a huge sum on the launch of the product in the mentioned South Asian market and any delay will lead to the escalation of the costs which will create serious problems for the company to re plan the launch program (Meunier Bakker, 2016). Operational Issues- Another main issue is the operational issue as because planning the whole thing over again and acquiring new training resources will certainly be a problem for the operations team. Ethical Issues- The only ethical issue for the company will be the failure of the company to deliver the cars on time (Pinto Magpili, 2015). Being the director of the overseas operations it was a challenge for me to respond positively to the situation. I had very few options available to resolve the situation. The first one was to cancel the product launch altogether and announce a new date while the second one was to go with the original date and launch the product within the stipulated time period. The time was very short and I was desperate to make myself count. I decided to go with the second option and hatched a new plan. As the shipments were missing I decided not to rely on them and ordered a new set of training materials from the head office to be shifted to Malaysia by air. The task was herculean as assembling the shipment and then packing it and sending it to be delivered required huge timing and dedication from the employees. I personally flew to Australia and supervised the whole operation. I announced an incentive for the employees who assembled the new set of materials and working almost for 24 hours a day w e finally managed to transport the materials to Kuala Lumpur one and a half days prior to the launch. A quick training session was conducted by me where I made the employees understand the importance of the crisis situation. The employees responded well and finally our team was successful in launching the product at the stipulated time. However the case could have been different as the launch could have been cancelled given the adverse circumstances. In such a case I will step forward before the management and will take the responsibility of the failure. Apart from this I would propose some measures to make up for the loss in the sales and revenue. I would prepare a proper financial plan to make up for the lost revenue and would implement some proper marketing strategies to increase the sales of the car. The sales would also increase if special discounts are announced for the product. References Girling, P. (2013).Operational risk management. Wiley,. Hsu, C., Backhouse, J., Silva, L. (2014). Institutionalizing operational risk management: an empirical study.Journal of Information Technology,29(1), 59-72. Meunier, P. P., Bakker, A. (2016). How to turn uncertainties of operational risk capital into opportunities from a risk management perspective. Pinto, A. C., Magpili, L. (2015).Operational Risk Management. Momentum Press.