General Pierre Gustave-Toutant Beauregard. Image Source: Wikipedia.
General Pierre Gustave-Toutant Beauregard (1818–1893) rose to the rank of General in the Confederate Army during the Civil War (1861—1865). He was in charge of Confederate forces that fired the first shots of the Civil War at the Battle of Fort Sumter in April 1861.
P.G.T. Beauregard commanded the troops that touched off the Civil War by firing on Fort Sumter in April 1861. He later became a full General in the Confederate Army and took part in the First Battle of Bull Run, the Battle of Shiloh, the Siege of Corinth, the Bermuda Hundred Campaign, the Savannah Campaign, and the Carolinas Campaign.
P. G. T. Beauregard Joins the Confederate States of America
- Pierre Gustave-Toutant Beauregard resigned his commission in the United States Army on February 20, 1861.
- Beauregard was commissioned as the first Brigadier General in the Confederate Army on March 1, 1861.
General P. G. T. Beauregard in the Civil War — 1861
- General P. G. T. Beauregard commanded the Confederate forces that fired on Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861.
- Beauregard served as a corps commander and second-in-command of field operations at the First Battle of Bull Run (July 21, 1861), near Manassas, Virginia.
- He was promoted to the rank of Full General in the Confederate Army on August 31, 1861 (effective date, July 21, 1861).
- Following the First Battle of Bull Run, Beauregard publicly criticized the war strategy devised by Confederate President Jefferson Davis. The criticism resulted in a personality conflict between the two men that lasted to the end of their lives and that probably damaged Beauregard’s military career.
General P. G. T. Beauregard in the Civil War — 1862–1863
- General P. G. T. Beauregard assumed command of the Confederate forces at the Battle of Shiloh (April 6–7, 1862) when General Albert S. Johnston was mortally wounded on April 6.
- Beauregard was severely criticized for his controversial decision to halt the Confederate assault during the Battle of Shiloh (April 6–7, 1862) on the first day. The decision allowed the Union Army to reorganize and reinforcements arrived that night. The next day, Union forces launched a successful counterattack.
- Confederate President Jefferson Davis relieved General Beauregard of his command on June 27, 1862, because he went on sick leave without Davis’ approval.
- On August 29, 1862, General Beauregard was sent to Charleston, South Carolina to take command of the Department of South Carolina and Georgia. For the next two years, he coordinated the defense of the Carolina coast and Georgia coast.
General P. G. T. Beauregard’s Decision at the Battle of Shiloh
This video from the Daily Bellringer provides an overview of the Battle of Shiloh. It also gives an explanation for Beauregard’s decision to stop the Confederate attack on the first day of the battle.
General P. G. T. Beauregard in the Civil War — 1864
- General P. G. T. Beauregard commanded a Confederate force of 18,000 men that defeated Major General Benjamin Butler and his army of 30,000 soldiers at the Battle of Proctor’s Creek (May 12–14, 1864), ending Butler’s offensive against Richmond, Virginia.
- From June 15-17, 1864, a small Confederate force of about 2,200 soldiers commanded by Beauregard held off repeated assaults by 16,000 Federals at the Second Battle of Petersburg, until General Robert E. Lee and his army arrived to help defend the city.
- On October 7, 1864, President Davis appointed General Beauregard to command the Military Division of the West.
- As commander of the Military Division of the West, Beauregard was unable to stop General William T. Sherman during his “March to the Sea.”
General P. G. T. Beauregard in the Civil War — 1865
- In 1865, General P. G. T. Beauregard was demoted to second-in-command of the defense of the Carolinas when General Joseph Johnston returned to active duty.
- On April 26, 1865, Johnston signed an agreement that surrendered 89,270 soldiers under his command in the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida. Beauregard and his men were included in the surrender.