Famous quotes from American Civil War

[raven1]

I stand corrected. You are right. That's what i get for trying to type (peck) and think at the same time.

ORIGINAL: Conhugeco

ORIGINAL: raven1

I fights mit Sigel.
- A german immigrant in Sigel's division.

I runs with McDowell.
- In response, a soldier in McDowell's division.

I have always heard this one as: "I runs mit Howard."

I also like the quote by Grant in my signature. Edit: Oops, where's my signature?

DickH

[Conhugeco]

Maybe my signature will show up now. [:)]

DickH

[Grifman]

John Pope's signature while commanding the Army of the Potomac:

John Pope
General, Army of the Potomac
Headquarters in the Saddle

General Lee, upon hearing of this:

"Pope's headquarters are where his hindquarters ought to be."

Damn, I always loved that one

[wzh55]

Here are some ACW QUOTES I found while doing some research for a project.....

"We'll fight them, sir, 'til hell freezes over, and then, sir, we will fight them on the ice."
A Confederate soldier at Gettysburg.

"General, did you ever hear of Mosby?"
"Yes, have you caught him?"
"He has caught you."
Captain John S. Mosby capturing General E.H. Stoughton, March, 1863

"At the outbreak of the war it was found very difficult to raise infantry in Texas, as no Texan walks a yard if he can help it. Many mounted regiments were therefore organized, and afterwards dismounted."
Sir Arthur James Lyon Fremantle, 1863

"Boys, here is a paper with which if I cannot whip Bobby Lee, I will be willing to go home".
George B McClellan before the battle of Antietam or Sharpsburg, when a captured copy of Lee’s
battle orders were brought to McClellan

At the Battle of Shiloh
With no place else to go, Grant sat under a tree in the rain, puffing stoically at his pipe. There
Sherman found him. "Well, Grant," said Sherman as he approached the commanding general
sitting under a tree in a cold rain, placidly puffing a cigar, "We've had the devil's own day, haven't we?"

"Yes," Grant replied between puffs. "Lick 'em tomorrow, though."

And he did.

"I never see one of Jackson's couriers approach without expecting an order to assault the North Pole."
-Maj. Gen. Richard Ewell

Ulysses S. Grant on the evening of the first day of the battle of the Wilderness, when told that Lee
would surely deliver a devastating counterattack: “Oh, I am heartily sick of hearing what Lee is
going to do. Some of you always seem to think that he is going to turn a double somersault, and
land in our rear and on both of our flanks at the same time. Go back to your command, and try to
think what we are going to do ourselves, instead of what Lee is going to do.”

During the retreat from Gettysburg, in the streets of Funkstown, Maj. H. D. McDaniel of the
11th GA lay with what had been pronounced a mortal stomach wound. Those tending to him,
including two cousins, thinking he had finally expired, prepared to draw his blanket over his
face. As they did so, McDaniel opened his eyes, turned his head and said:

“Look at the size of the ankles on that Dutch woman over there on the porch!”

Though left in the hands of the enemy, McDaniel recovered to serve as Georgia’s governor.

“Too late, sir, the battle is won.”
Richard Taylor after the Battle of Mansfield to a messenger from Kirby Smith ordering him to retreat.

At Champion Hill, when Gen. John A. Logan heard a man protest: “General, the rebels are awful thick up there”, Logan yelled back: “Damn it, that’s the place to kill them - where they are thick”.

Responding to a report from a private that the federals had been routed at the Battle of Chickamaugua, General Braxton Bragg, unable to believe the news, asked the private: “Private, do you know what a retreat looks like?” The private reportedly responded: “I reckon so, General, I’ve been with you this whole campaign.”

At four o’clock in the morning we began the march on the enemy. Each man had forty cartridges, all moving accouterments and three days’ rations. General Johnston was cheered as he rode by our command and I remember his words as well as if they had been today, Shoot low, boys; it takes two to carry one off the field.”
–Pvt. William E. Bevens, 1st Arkansas

The first thing in the morning is drill, then drill, then drill again. Then drill, drill, a little more drill. Then drill, and lastly drill. Between drills, we drill and sometimes stop to eat a little and have roll call.” - A Northern soldier.

"I think I understand what military fame is; to be killed on the field of battle and have your name
misspelled in the newspapers."

"I hate newspapermen. They come into camp and pick up their camp rumors and print them as
facts. I regard them as spies, which, in truth, they are. If I killed them all there would be news
from Hell before breakfast."
William Tecumseh Sherman

"I always thought the Yankees had something to do with it"
Attributed to George Pickett when asked why the Confederates were defeated at Gettysburg.

[General Quarters]

Great quotes, Bill.

[Bloodybucket28th]

"Pap" Thomas, after ordering the creation of a cemetary at Chattanooga -

When a chaplain asked if the dead should be separated by state, Thomas did not hesitate. "No, no," he said. "Mix them up. Mix them up. I'm tired of states' rights."

[Jam_USMC]

"You people of the South don't know what you are doing. This country will be drenched in blood, and God only knows how it will end. It is all folly, madness, a crime against civilization! You people speak so lightly of war; you don't know what you're talking about. War is a terrible thing!
 
W.T. Sherman (pp. 58,9. Vol. 1 of Foote's masterpiece)

[Mus]

I didnt see anyone post this one, its from The Civil War by Shelby Foote, vol 1 pg 465, McClellan giving his opinion of Robert E. Lee. I personally believe it puts McCellan strongly in the running as the worst judge of character of all time:

"Lee... is too cautious and weak under grave responsibility. Personally brave and energetic to a fault, he yet is wanting in moral firmness when pressed... and is likely to be timid and irresolute in action."

That is the way I would quote him. The first break in the quote is to remove references to Johnston when everything said is about Lee, and the second break is remove a repetitive statement about responsibility. I personally find this quote hilarious.

[Bloodybucket28th]

It is as if Little Mac was speaking to a Mirror....Yet, didn't Lee say that McClellan was the best opponent he faced?

[jkBluesman]

I assume because you mentioned Johnston that McClellan made the statement when he learned of the change of command in the Army of Northern Virginia. "Little Mac" might have only said this because his only experience thus far with Lee as opponent was in western Virginia, where Lee had been frustrated with his role as advisor. To him it was not clear whether he was simply an advisor or the highest ranking officer in the area who could directly give orders. This let to his bad performance and some irresolute actions.

[Mus]

ORIGINAL: jkBluesman

I assume because you mentioned Johnston that McClellan made the statement when he learned of the change of command in the Army of Northern Virginia.

Yep. McClellan, like many others, prematurely judged Lee from his early difficulties and was excited by the change in command. However, as BloodyBucket pointed out, its also as if McClellan was jumping at the chance to ascribe his own worst characteristics to his opponent.

The beginning of the quote I broke up for clarity is this:

"I prefer Lee to Johnston. The former is..."

I think its easily one of the most offbase opinions of a great leaders character I have ever read.

[jkBluesman]

You are totally right. The reason why McClellan did not prefer Johnston is that they both knew each other very well and McClellan feared that Johnston might use this against him. He had no idea that one of Lee's best skills was to read his opponent.