Pierre gustave toutant beauregard biography definition

Beauregard was narrowly defeated. Employing the political influence of his brother-in-law, John SlidellBeauregard obtained an appointment as superintendent of the U. Military Academy on January 23, However, when Louisiana seceded from the Unionthe Federal Government immediately revoked his orders and he subsequently relinquished his office after only five days.

He protested to the U. War Department that they had cast "improper reflection upon [his] reputation or position in the Corps of Engineers" by forcing him out as a Southern officer before any hostilities began. On first meeting, most people were struck by [Beauregard's] "foreign" appearance. His skin was smooth and olive-complexioned. His eyes, half-lidded, were dark, with a trace of Gallic melancholy about them.

His hair was black though by he maintained this hue with dye. He was strikingly handsome and enjoyed the attentions of women, but probably not excessively or illicitly. He sported a dark mustache and goatee, and he rather resembled Napoleon IIIthen ruler of France—although he often saw himself in the mold of the more celebrated Napoleon Bonaparte.

Beauregard traveled by steamship from New York to New Orleans and immediately began giving military advice to the local authorities in his home state of Louisianawhich included further strengthening Forts St. Philip and Jackson, which guarded the Mississippi approaches to New Orleans. He hoped to be named commander of the Louisiana state army, but was disappointed that the state legislature appointed Braxton Bragg.

Aware that Beauregard might resent him, Bragg offered him the rank of colonel. Instead Beauregard enrolled as a private in the " Orleans Guards ", a battalion of French Creole aristocrats. At the same time, he communicated with Slidell and the newly chosen President Davis, angling for a senior position in the new Confederate States Army.

Rumors that Beauregard would be placed in charge of the entire Army infuriated Bragg. Concerned about the political situation regarding the Federal presence at Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, Davis selected Beauregard to take command of Charleston's defenses. Beauregard seemed the perfect combination of military engineer and charismatic Southern leader needed at that time and place.

Beauregard became one of the most frequently described generals in Confederate chronicles, and almost every observer noted his foreign French visage. The charge of immorality was, of course, inevitable. Some soldiers believed that he was accompanied by a train of concubines and wagons loaded with cases of champagne. Even in Louisiana it was said, by non-Creoles, that he was unfaithful to his wife, infidelity being allegedly a Creole characteristic.

His staff glittered with former governors and senators serving as voluntary aides. Beauregard became the first Confederate general officerappointed a brigadier general in the Provisional Army of the Confederate States on March 1, Leeand Joseph E. Arriving in Charleston on March 3,Beauregard met with Governor Francis Wilkinson Pickens and inspected the defenses of the harbor, which he found to be in disarray.

He was said to display "a great deal in the way of zeal and energy He sent several cases of fine brandy and whiskey and boxes of cigars to Anderson and his officers at Sumter, but Anderson pierre gustave toutant beauregard biography definition that the gifts be returned. By early April, political tensions were mounting and Beauregard demanded that Sumter surrender before a planned Union expedition to re-provision the fort could arrive.

Early on the morning of April 12, negotiations with Anderson had failed. The bombardment of Fort Sumter lasted for 34 hours. After a heavy bombardment from batteries ringing the harbor, Anderson surrendered Fort Sumter on April Biographer T. Harry Williams described the extravagant praise from throughout the Confederacy that "The Hero of Fort Sumter" received for his victory: "He was the South's first paladin.

Summoned to the new Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia, Beauregard received a hero's welcome at the railroad stations along the route. He was given command of the "Alexandria Line" [ 30 ] of defenses against an impending Federal offensive that was being organized by Brig. Beauregard devised strategies to concentrate the forces of full General Joseph E.

Johnston from the Shenandoah Valley with his own, aiming not only to defend his position, but to initiate an offensive against McDowell and Washington. Despite his seniority in rank, Johnston lacked familiarity with the terrain and ceded tactical planning of the impending battle to Beauregard as a professional courtesy. President Davis considered many of Beauregard's plans to be impractical for an army as inexperienced as the Confederates could field in ; throughout the war, Davis and Beauregard would argue about Beauregard's tendencies to devise grand strategies based on formal military principles.

Davis believed he lacked a pragmatic grasp of logistics, intelligence, relative military strengths, and politics. The First Battle of Bull Run First Manassas began early on July 21,with an element of surprise for both armies—both McDowell and Beauregard planned to envelop their opponent with an attack from their right flank. For a while, Beauregard persisted in moving his troops for an attack on his right flank McDowell's left, toward Centrevillebut Johnston urged him to travel with him to the threatened flank at Henry House Hillwhich was weakly defended.

Seeing the strength of the Union attack at that point, Beauregard insisted that Johnston leave the area of immediate action and coordinate the overall battle from a position 1. Beauregard rallied the troops, riding among the men, brandishing regimental colors, and giving inspirational speeches. The Confederate line held. As Johnston's final troops arrived from the Shenandoah Valley, the Confederates launched a counterattack that routed the Union Army, sending it streaming in disorder back toward Washington.

William C. Davis credits Johnston with the majority of the tactical decisions that led to the victory, judging that "Beauregard acted chiefly as a dime novel general, leading the charge of an individual regiment, riding along the line to cheer the troops, accepting the huzzas of the soldiers and complementing them in turn. The closest he came to a major tactical decision was his fleeting intention to withdraw from the Henry Hill line when he briefly mistook the advance of Johnston's reinforcements for the arrival of fresh Union troops.

Davis approved, and Beauregard's date of rank was established as the date of his victory, July After Bull Run, Beauregard advocated the use of a standardized battle flag other than the "Stars and Bars" Confederate national flag to avoid visual confusion with the U. Women visiting Beauregard's army contributed silk material from their dresses to create the first three flags, for Beauregard, Johnston, and Earl Van Dorn ; thus, the first flags contained more feminine pink than martial red.

As the Army went into winter quarters, Beauregard caused considerable friction with the Confederate high command. He strongly advocated an invasion of Maryland to threaten the flank and rear of Washington. With his plan rebuffed as impractical, he requested reassignment to New Orleans, which he assumed would be under Union attack in the near future, but his request was denied.

He quarreled with Commissary General Lucius B. Northrop a personal friend of Davis about the inadequate supplies available to his army. He issued public statements challenging the ability of the Confederate Secretary of War to give commands to a full general. And he enraged President Davis when his report about Bull Run was printed in the newspaper, which suggested that Davis's interference with Beauregard's plans prevented the pursuit and full destruction of McDowell's army and the capture of Washington.

Having become a political liability in Virginia, Beauregard was transferred to Tennessee to become second-in-command to General Albert Sidney Johnston no relation to Joseph E. Johnston in his Army of Mississippieffective March 14, The two generals planned the concentration of Confederate forces to oppose the advance of Maj. Ulysses S.

Grant before he could combine his army with that of Maj. The march from Corinth was plagued by bad weather, which delayed the army's arrival by several days, and during that time, several contacts were made with Union scouts. Because of this, Beauregard felt the element of surprise had been lost and recommended calling off the attack, but Johnston decided to proceed with the plan.

In the Battle of Shilohwhich began April 6,the Confederates launched a surprise attack against Grant's Army of the Tennesseewhich despite days of prior reports of Confederate troop movements, were completely unaware that the entire Army of Mississippi was coming directly at them. Once again a more senior general named Johnston deferred to the junior Beauregard in planning the attack.

The massive frontal assault was marred by Beauregard's improper organization of forces—successive attacks by corps in lines 3 miles 4. This arrangement caused intermingling of units and confusion of command; it failed to concentrate mass at the appropriate place on the line to pierre gustave toutant beauregard biography definition the overall objectives of the attack.

In midafternoon, Johnston, who was near the front of the battle action, was mortally wounded. Beauregard, positioned in the rear of the army to send reinforcements forward, assumed command of the army and Johnston's overall Western department officially designated "Department Number Two". As darkness fell, he chose to call off the attack against Grant's final defensive line, which had contracted into a tight semicircle backed up to the Tennessee River at Pittsburg Landing.

Beauregard's decision was one of the most controversial of the Civil War. Numerous veterans and historians have wondered about the aftermath if the assault had gone forward into the night. Beauregard believed that the battle was essentially won and his men could finish off Grant in the morning. He knew the terrain to be crossed a steep ravine containing a creek named Dill Branch was extremely difficult and Grant's defensive line was heavy with massed artillery and supported by gunboats in the river.

Unbeknownst to Beauregard, Buell's Army of the Ohio began arriving that afternoon, and he and Grant launched a massive counterattack on April 7. Overwhelmed, the Confederates retreated to Corinth. Grant was temporarily disgraced by the surprise attack and near defeat, causing his superior, Maj. Henry W. Halleckto assume field command of the combined armies.

Halleck cautiously and slowly approached Beauregard's fortifications at Corinth; his action became derisively called the Siege of Corinth. Beauregard withdrew from Corinth on May 29 to Tupelo, Mississippi. He was able to deceive Halleck into thinking the Confederates were about to attack; he ran empty trains back and forth through the town while whistles blew and troops cheered as if massive reinforcements were arriving.

Beauregard retreated because of the overwhelming Union force and because of contaminated water supplies in Corinth. In April and May, the Confederates lost almost as many men to death by disease in Corinth as had been killed in battle at Shiloh. Nevertheless, his leaving the critical rail junction at Corinth without a fight was another controversial decision.

When Beauregard went on medical leave without requesting permission in advance, President Davis relieved him of command and replaced him with Gen. Braxton Bragg. At Beauregard's request, his allies in the Confederate Congress petitioned Davis to restore his command in the West. Davis remained angry at Beauregard's absence and told him he should have stayed at his post even if he had to be carried around in a litter.

He wrote, "If the whole world were to ask me to restore General Beauregard to the command which I have already given to General Bragg, I would refuse it. John C. The latter was promoted to lieutenant general and transferred to command the defenses of Vicksburg, Mississippi. Beauregard was unhappy with his new assignment, believing that he deserved command of one of the great Confederate field armies.

He performed successfully, however, preventing the capture of Charleston by Union naval and land attacks in In July through Septemberunion land forces under Brig. Quincy A. Gillmore launched a series of attacks on Fort Wagner on Morris Island and other fortifications at the mouth of the harbor, while Rear Adm. John A. Dahlgren attempted to destroy Fort Sumter.

Pierre gustave toutant beauregard biography definition

Because the latter operation failed, the successful seizure of Morris Island was not effective in threatening Charleston. During this period, Beauregard promoted innovative naval defense strategies, such as early experimentation with submarinesnaval mines called "torpedoes" in the Civil Warand with a small vessel called a torpedo-ram. A swift boat fitted with a torpedo on a pole projecting from its bow under water, it could be used to surprise an enemy vessel and impale it underneath the water line.

He was also busy devising strategies for other generals in the Confederacy. He proposed that some of the state governors meet with Union governors of the Western states what are called the Midwest states today for a peace conference. The Davis administration rejected the idea, but it caused considerable political maneuvering by Davis's enemies in the Congress.

Beauregard also proposed a grand strategy —submitted anonymously through his political allies so that it was not tainted by his reputation—to reinforce the Western armies at the expense of Robert E. Grant to relieve pressure on Vicksburg and maneuver his army into a place where it could be destroyed. The Confederate Army would continue to Ohio, and induce the Western states to ally with the Confederacy.

Meanwhile, a fleet of torpedo-rams built in England could be used to recapture New Orleans, ending the war. There is no record that his plan was ever officially presented to the government. A native of Louisiana, Beauregard resigned from the U. Army in February and ordered the first shots of the Civil War during the bombardment of Fort Sumter in April Beauregard later returned to the field and led a crucial defense of Petersburg in After the war Beauregard worked as a railroad director and as a supervisor for the Louisiana Lottery.

He died in at the age of Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard—more commonly known as P. Beauregard—was born on May 28,into a prominent Creole family in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana. He was raised on a sugarcane plantation outside of New Orleans and in his youth attended school in New York City. The two would have pierre gustave toutant beauregard biography definition children before her death in Despite the promotion, Beauregard tarnished his military career after the battle by publicly criticizing the Confederate administration in Richmond.

InDavis used Ulysses S. Davis sent Beauregard west to help General Albert S. By April 5, Beauregard changed his mind, however, suspecting that Grant had learned of the plan. The first day of the Battle of Shiloh April was a resounding Rebel victory. Their surprise attack drove the startled Federals back and nearly pinned them against the Tennessee River.

During the afternoon, Federal troops mortally wounded Johnston, and Beauregard assumed command. As darkness fell, Beauregard made the fateful decision to call off the Confederate assault for the day. On April 7, Grant and Buell launched a surprise counterattack, forcing Beauregard to retreat to fortified positions across the Tennessee border at Corinth, Mississippi.

On June 14,Beauregard received a certificate of disability for a recurring throat problem and traveled to Alabama to recuperate, leaving Braxton Bragg in charge of the Army of the Mississippi. For the next two years, he coordinated the defense of the Carolina and Georgia coast. Commanding a small Confederate force of about 2, soldiers, Beauregard curbed repeated assaults by 16, Federals from June 15 through 17, at the Second Battle of Petersburguntil Robert E.

Vastly outnumbered by William T. Beauregard remained popular in New Orleans, and was unusually wealthy among former Confederate generals, a fact which sometimes uncomfortably set him apart. He died on February 20,after a series of illnesses, and was given a state funeral. Encyclopedia Virginia Grady Ave. Virginia Humanities acknowledges the Monacan Nationthe original people of the land and waters of our home in Charlottesville, Virginia.

We invite you to learn more about Indians in Virginia in our Encyclopedia Virginia. Skip to content. Contributor: Ann Drury Wellford. Transporting Confederate Troops. Petersburg to Surrender General Beauregard Doll. Beauregard Relieved of Command. He Americanizes his last name by removing the hyphen. July 1, Pierre G. Beauregard graduates from West Point ranked second in a class of forty-five, and is commissioned a 2nd lieutenant in the U.

Army Corps of Engineers. His first assignment is to serve as an assistant to his artillery instructor, Robert Anderson. October Pierre G. September Pierre G. August Pierre G. His flamboyant personality makes a big splash in Baltimore society, and he establishes a reputation as a dashing, elegant, and popular officer. In a further attempt at assimilation, he drops the name "Pierre" and signs himself "G.

February G. Beauregard is posted to Louisiana. He patents a furnace to boil sugar. He is also arrested for dueling. November At the start of the Mexican War, G. Beauregard is ordered to Tampico, Mexico, to assume charge of building supply-line fortifications. August G. Beauregard is awarded a field brevet of captain for action at Pedregal, Contreras, and Churubusco during the Mexican War.

September 12, G. Beauregard distinguishes himself during the successful storming of Chapultepec Castle in Mexico City during the Mexican War. He will be awarded the field brevet of major. Beauregard returns to Louisiana and is placed in charge of the Mississippi and Lake Defenses of Louisiana. Beauregard accepts an appointment as superintending engineer of the New Orleans Custom House.

He is promoted to captain. Beauregard runs for mayor of New Orleans as a states'-rights Democrat but fails to win election. Beauregard marries Caroline Deslonde, sister-in-law of U. January 23, G. Beauregard is appointed superintendent of the U. January 28, Two days after his native Louisiana secedes from the Union, G.