AGEOD Forums

Here is a short list of generals who commanded divisions or higher commands who are not in the game (I have a longer list, but these are the names that stick out):
Charles Ferguson Smith, William W. Burns, Samuel D. Sturgis, Albin Francisco Schoepf, John J. Peck, Thomas A. Davies, Lysander Cutler, Alexander S. Webb, Marcellus M. Crocker, Nathan Kimball, James M. Tuttle, Thomas Welsh, John Milton Brannan, George Crook, James B. Steedman, Thomas W. Sherman, Charles Cruft, John F. Hartranft, Milo S. Hascall, Julius White, Joseph J. Bartlett, Thomas G. Stevenson, Gershom Mott, Orlando B. Wilcox, Julius Stahel, Joseph F. Knipe, John F. Miller, Isaac H. Duval, Joseph Thoburn, Frank Wheaton, Frederick C. Salomon, John Milton Thayer, Alfred N. Duffié, Thomas W. Egan, James H. Ledlie, Henry H. Lockwood, Henry Warner Birge, William Babcock Hazen, Nathaniel J. Jackson, James D. Morgan, Joseph A. Mower, Thomas H. Ruger, William Thomas Ward, Charles R. Woods, George L. Hartsuff, William Hays, Lewis A. Grant

Are you a fan of any of these or even one I’ve left out? Why? CF Smith is my favorite, because of his fame as Grant’s first great division commander, but I’m curious about others’ feelings.

It is an interesting list and question. I will just pick two, George Crook and Samuel D. Sturgis, though others have a similar reason for being noted. Many towns, counties and streets in the West are named after generals who were not particularly distinguished during the American Civil War but who made their reputation later in what were called 'The Indian Wars.' Some, like Crook had very distinguish post-war careers.

I don't know if this counts or not but while mostly known as a Colonel wasn't Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain promoted to General by Grant after getting injured during the Siege of Petersburg?

jasobass wrote:I don't know if this counts or not but while mostly known as a Colonel wasn't Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain promoted to General by Grant after getting injured during the Siege of Petersburg?

I've actually never made it far enough into the war to know whether he does/doesn't pop up as a General. In my mind he's definitely worthy of being in the game as a general, but if he was omitted it was likely because he only served in 1-2 battles as a general. Great selection though and I wholeheartedly agree.

Ranald S. MacKenzie is likely more well known in the Indian Wars. But he'd be my second solely because we're distantly related and share a last name.

would be cool to roleplay chamberlain

I'd never hear of Mackenzie. I've always loved the song, Sergeant MacKenzie, about a WWI soldier, but which I always think fits well with the Civil War, too.

I've loved it since I heard it on 'We were Soldiers', and not just because of the name either. I'm pretty sure I included it in my Union AAR at some point.

When I was a kid I got one of those table top books with lots of pictures. You know, light reading material for an office or living room. This one was on the west as we were living in Ohio at the time and my parents were moving us to Texas. The book covered a broad range of famous people, events, and animals of the west; including Ranald "Bad Hand" MacKenzie. The name caught my eye and I decided to do some digging and lo and behold, distantly related.


https://army.togetherweserved.com/army/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=ShadowBoxProfile&type=Person&ID=253478

Fun fact, the 'S' in Ranald S. MacKenzie is Slidell. He was closely related to the very same Slidell of the Trent Affair fame. I want to say that Slidell was an uncle or cousin of Ranald.

Chamberlain would certainly count. He takes the final Confederate surrender at Appomattox as a general.

I think Alfred Howe Terry should have been included. I feel he's one of those generals who would have come out bigger, if given the opportunity. Spending much of the war in South Carolina and then under Butler in Bermuda Hundred didn't really give him the opportunity to shine in battle like many of his counterparts who fought in open battles under much different conditions.

I concur with Captain_Orso on Alfred H. Terry. He did successfully take Ft. Fisher on the second try with forces that Ben Butler was too incompetent to use correctly. But my favorite general not in the game has to be Charles Ferguson Smith because of his role as a former teacher for Grant, his willingness to serve under him, and the fact that he probably had the most combat experience out of any of Grant's divisional commanders. It makes it interesting what might have happened if he didn't die of an infection from a cut on the leg. (W.H.L. Wallace took over his division and was mortally wounded during the Battle of Shiloh.)

77 year old John E Wool.
Fought in the war of 1812, the Mexican American War, and various postings in the West. Had as much experience as Winfield Scott, but wasn't a fat old slob. He secured Fortress Monroe, captured Norfolk, led troops against the New York riots, and led the Department of the East from New York City until he was retired at the age of 79.

Terry seems like a great general, I wonder why he isn't already included.

I like Wool a lot. A not completely unrelated figure is Ethan Allen Hitchcock. I don't think Hitchcock (a grandson of Ethan Allen) led a field army, but Halleck really wanted Hitchcock to replace or be promoted instead of Grant in the West.