Battle of Shiloh and General A.S. Johnston Research Paper

Battle of Shiloh and General A.S. Johnston - Research Paper Example In order to provide a brief background to the reader, A. S. Johnston was already a decorated war veteran prior to the outbreak of the Civil War. As such, Johnston had already served in the Army of Texas, the Army of the United States prior to becoming a general in the Army of the CSA (Confederate States of America). Johnston had a range of talents and gifts that proved to assist him greatly in taking over his position as general within the Army of the Confederate States of America. ... rtage, lack of capital, and extreme numerical and industrial disadvantages that served to tip the war in favor of the Union was the struggle progressed.2 Regardless of the talent and courage exhibited by a single man, the problems that were extant within the confederacy could not and should not be under-appreciated nor minimized by the actions that a particular individual might have affected. Said one Southern newspaper regarding the loss of Johnston, â€Å"He is said but a few days before the battle in which he fell, to have expressed the determination to discharge his duties and responsibilities to his country according to the best convictions of his mind, and a resolution to redeem his losses at no distant day. According to official report, he fell in the thickets of the battle†.3 Although the South knew that Johnston’s defeats likely changed the course of the war in the West, a strong level of admiration for his daring and tenacity is evoked even in his death. The f irst item that should be considered with relation to Johnston’s effectiveness and overall ability to make a noticeable change on the war was the rather impossible position that he was placed at the outset of the war. With comparison to eastern generals that were tasked with protection vital strongholds and population centers within the South, Johnston was charged with what can only be considered as a nearly impossible task. Although this is a bold statement, one should consider that the resources and manpower that were devoted to Johnston in the western theater of the Civil War were unbelievably small for the amount of territory and key points he was responsible for securing from a numerically superior Northern force. It should be noted that although a talented and brilliant tactician, Johnston made a