The Worst Regiment in the Union Army?
The Civil War produced many famous regiments. But what differentiated a good regiment from a bad one? Was it leadership, discipline, or purely bad luck? In this lecture, our Crossfire editor, Greg Bayne examines what makes a bad regiment, and then propose his candidate for Worst Regiment in the Union Army.
Greg Bayne has already sent out an email outlining some questions he would like you to answer so if you have not already done so, please email him. What factors contribute to making a Regiment bad?
if you would like to attend and have not already registered, please download the ZOOM software if you do not already have it and use the link below to register in advance for this meeting.
https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUsduGprzspHtM467nuav3IZlyKHwLuypSi
This is NOT to be missed so register as numbers are limited!!
Start time is 2.00pm
Wars are won by heroes not zeros. Individuals who become comrades and meld into a fighting machine that conquers all. They form battalions, regiments, brigades, divisions, corps and armies. We all have favourites and we can argue that the battle and then the war was turned on the actions of a single unit at a single moment in time. The 20th Maine at Gettysburg, the Iron Brigade anytime, Sherman’s army marching through Georgia. But there is the other side of the coin. The hard luck outfits that somehow get a bad reputation, deserved or not. The regiment that fires a volley and retreats. The brigade that always shows up late by taking the wrong road. The Corps that loses favour and gets shipped lock, stock and barrel to another department. In this lecture, Greg Bayne will examine (with the help of the audience) what makes a regiment go from potential heroes to zeros. Having identified these characteristics he will then apply them to what he believes to be worst regiment in the Union army. No clues or hints are given. It is a story not for the fainthearted. Of course, you may disagree with his choice. In which case you may want to come prepared with your personal selection for “worst regiment in the Union Army”. Time will be available so be prepared to defend your position. Greg Bayne has been a stalwart of our round table since joining in 2001. He has served us as editor of Crossfire since 2003 and as our president between 2008 and 2014. His term was distinguished by the memorable ACW year-by-year series at our annual conference. A serial speaker at our meetings, he has also “spread the word” while carpet bagging his way thru the South in 2015 giving lectures at round tables in Alabama, Tennessee and Kentucky. He shares with us a fascination with all things Iron Brigade. Inexplicably, he is also an apologist for John Pope – that “miscreant” who “must be suppressed” (R. E. Lee). A flaw perhaps, but not enough to brand him as a bad person. Come early, stay late and be prepared for a lively discussion.