How Did Stuart Contribute To The Civil War

(J.E.B) Stuart the Civil War

America’s transformation into the country we live in today has been formed through numerous events during its history but the event that will split the United States into North versus South is truly one of the most defining events. Through different issues leading up to the start of the Civil War, the United States was destined for conflict and that the Civil War was inevitable. The Civil War was a very rough time for the U.S , many people lost lives but at the end of the day the only lives that were being lost where the ones of our own people. Many different generals and army official had to take a strong incentive to pursue victory in the war against Union. James Ewell Brown Stuart represents
After a few successful missions, Stuart was promoted to major general. As major general on July 25, Stuart's command was enlarged to the Cavalry Division. Taking part in the Northern Virginia Campaign, he was nearly captured in August, but later succeeded in attacking Major General John Pope's headquarters. For the remainder of the campaign, his men provided screening forces and flank protection, while seeing action at Second Manassas and Chantilly. “As Lee invaded Maryland that September, Stuart was tasked with screening the army. He failed somewhat in this task in that his men failed to gather key intelligence regarding the advancing Union army”(War Years with Jeb Stuart 9).Stuart’s skill at providing reconnaissance, screening Confederate positions and harassing Union pickets proved indispensable during the Second Battle of Bull Run when he found out Union battle plans that helped grasp a Confederate victory and the Battle of Fredericksburg. So crucial was his role that Lee began referring to him as “the eyes of the army.” During the Battle of Chancellorsville, Stuart also proved a capable infantry commander when he took command of General Stonewall Jackson’s forces after Jackson was mortally
During the war up until Gettysburg, Stuart’s ego increasingly inflated. His perceived reputation clouded his decision-making capacity and led him to “misinterpret” the orders as evidenced in his defensiveness in his recollections. Allegedly, his ego had negatively influenced the loss at Brandy Station.People hoped that this was his punishment and he’d learn from this blunder. Gettysburg served that function instead. As historian Gary W. Gallagher noted in The American Civil War, Stuart was "a hard-headed professional soldier who knew exactly what cavalry should do and who was as good at those tasks as anybody on either side. When it came to screening his own army, gathering information about the opposing army, and controlling the middle ground between the two armies, Stuart was unexcelled”.(Gallagher 4). This exemplifies that Stuart did have flaws and do to the lack of skills in gathering information and taking charge which caused poor decision making. In order to mask the army’s movement up the Shenandoah Valley into western Maryland and central Pennsylvania, Lee depended upon his renowned cavalry leader J.E.B. “Jeb” Stuart. Upon crossing into Maryland, Stuart loosely interpreted Lee’s ambiguous orders and began raiding Union supply trains. “Cut off by the advancing Army of the Potomac, from June 25 until the night of July 2, Stuart lost all