Heroes of The Civil War: Don Carlos Buell

Lived from 1818 to 1898, Buell was a Union General who saw his professional career ruined during the Civil War but more by political than military causes. A West Point graduate, he was serving in the Adjutant General’s Department when the war broke out. He was quickly made brigadier general and helped to organize the Army of the Potomac.

By November of 1861 he was given command of the Army of Ohio, and he led the army in its campaign to free eastern Tennessee from the Confederate forces. In April of 1862 he led his units up to the Tennessee River on the first day of the Confederate attack on Shiloh, and by ferrying his troops across the river he forced the Confederate troops to retreat.

In June of 1862, Buell was assigned to lead four divisions to Chattanooga, but he spent so much time repairing the railroad enroute that General Bragg got his Confederate troops there first. In October, Buell led his troops to Louisville and then challenged Bragg in Perryville. In the heavy fighting, neither side gained a clear victory, but Bragg managed to get his forces away because Buell failed to pursue them aggressively.

The Federal government then removed Buell from command and a military commission was convened to investigate his failure. Buell argued that he had not pursued because he lacked the means to supply his troops—but it was pointed out that Bragg managed to do just that even while retreating. The commission reported the facts in April of 1863 without making any recommendation, but Buell was not assigned any further command. He then resigned from the army in June of 1864. He returned to Kentucky after the war and engaged in mining.

Buell has since been considered to have been a victim of politically motivated officials. A non-political man himself, he was a friend of General McClellan and was so perceived to be opposed to Lincoln. McClellan set himself up as a rallying point for many Northerners. If Buell was hardly a military genius, the Union lost a solid general when he was eased out of service.