American Civil War: Battle of Balls Bluff - "A Little Short of Boats"

[@dougmcmenamin4638]

My great great Grandfather was in the 1st California and was captured in the battle. He was taken to Libby Prison where he died of disease so your depiction is real for me. Thank you for doing this excellent job.

[@jacquesstuartberwick3235]

Sorry for your great great Grandfather !

[@jonathansloane702]

Balls Bluff is a nice little battlefield, tucked away behind a housing development. The battlefield itself is pristine. Highly recommend a visit if you are in the area.

[@madzen112]

The calmness, discipline and determination of these men must've possessed in order to take these volleys of shot at point blank range is without comparison. Hat's off.

[@gerryroncolato8895]

I only recently found your channel, and have been enjoying your coverage of various Civil War battles. At the risk of providing outdated or repetitive advice, I recommend that as you shift from one part of a battlefield to another you zoom out to quickly show the overall status of the battle. This will help improve viewer situational awareness. Even a small battlefield such as Ball's Bluff can get confusing without periodic reference to the overall situation. Also, in many of your videos the commanders' flags tend to cluster around key points on the battlefield thus obscuring the details. And, finally, if you can enhance your maps with more terrain detail (such as more pronounced elevations for hills and ridges, etc.), that would also significantly help. I hope you find these suggestions helpful. In the meantime, keep up the great work you're doing!!

[@WarhawkYT]

Thanks for the suggestions, are you referring to this video? It’s one of our oldest and doesn’t show our better techniques that we use with our new ones.

[@gerryroncolato8895]

@@WarhawkYT Suggestions are not limited to this video; it was only the latest I watched. Afterwards I decided to offer the suggestions. Where I first thought of these was in the Jackson's Valley Campaign video. And again, please disregard if you've made adjustments in more recent vids. Thanks for the response!

[@tabletopgeneralsde310]

In some wars not the number of battles won is important, it is more important which battles are won. Nicely done.

[@jason200912]

I can't think of any wars where the side that loses wins a significant majority of the battles but loses the war

[@The_Unrepentant_McClellanite]

Amazing as always! If I may make a request, could you eventually make a video covering the Battle of Pea Ridge? That battle was very important for the Trans-Mississippi Theater as it ended Van Dorn's offensive into Missouri before it really began and it also involved a brigade of Indians. I visited the battlefield a few months ago and I was shocked to learn that Van Dorn had no understanding of logistics during the campaign. His idiocy led to death of my fellow Texan, McCulloch, as well as the whipping he and Price suffered on the second day. I understand if you choose not to do so, but the war this side of the Mississippi doesn't get enough love and I would be overjoyed to see you cover another battle in the Trans-Mississippi!

[@SarisTX]

We are planning on doing every major/semi major battle in the war. We will get there one day!

[@InspiredJJ]

Great job! I’m hooked, keep the narrator, it is easier to follow.

[@user-pu1xq9ef9u]

I like this guys channel he does a great job of showing troop movement.

[@davidkinnison9157]

I am so glad you made this video. I was a reenactor for the 72nd Penn. Regiment originally 1st CA.

[@WarhawkYT]

Nice David and thanks!

[@HyperK7]

I thought 71st Penn was 1st CA, 69th was 2nd, 72nd was 3rd and 106th was 5th? Do I have that wrong?

[@WarhawkYT]

@@HyperK7 yeah but this battle was really early in the war

[@HyperK7]

@@WarhawkYT I'm just confused by the associations above.

[@HyperK7]

Fantastic video! I'm surprised you didn't mention the rest of the California Brigade that was essentially forced to watch from the other side of the river, but I look forward to what comes in the future!

[@simenonhonore]

A masterful exposition of this campaign and battle - your videos are really in a class of their own.

[@ethanpf449]

Can't believe I've never seen your channel before, love your videos! Hope to see you do more battles

[@ryanr3951]

Reading Shelby footes civil war trilogy and cant thank you enough for these vids. Makes it much easier to picture the battles in my mind's eye.

[@MK-tu1zh]

How do you only have 3k subs. Your channel is awesome

[@brianshawkey2910]

Thanks! This video is a great way to learn about what transpired that fateful day! Great job!

[@Jesse_Dawg]

Amazing video! Love this series. I am amazed by how bad the leadership of the Union generals are. It seems like the Confederates constantly have the initiative and good leadership

[@SarisTX]

Thanks for watching, the next video in the series will be the Battle of Belmont - Grant's First Battle!

[@STLOU87]

What about the Battle of Lexington, or 2nd Battle of Boonville, Missouri

[@WarhawkYT]

@@STLOU87 We'll get there!

[@garyparlier9467]

0

[@VolokArtyom]

A lot of people take for granted that the Union won and would inevitably win the war, it's interesting to see the war unfold chronologically because it shows how politically the CSA had a real shot at winning, the early war was humiliating for the Union, after all it's the USA fighting against rebels in the POV the USA would promote back then, the abolitionists weren't a majority even in the congress without the states which seceded, it was a hard political fight to keep the war going both for the USA to establish its stability as a nation but also for the abolitionist cause, which made the USA even delay the CSA peace delegation so the 13th amendment could be passed before those states were reintegrated, the 13th amendment stayed, but sadly reconstruction was a mess and it would bring years of political turmoil. This is just the point of view from a South American neighbour, i don't have a side in this war, i wish it hadn't happened tbh, such loss of life, but i also think it's good that the US managed to abolish slavery a few years before we did, though we did it peacefully thanks to Dom Pedro II not wanting a civil war and going into voluntary exile, a true Patriot if you ask me, just like his daughter who passed the abolition act, which we call the golden law (Lei Áurea). Btw it prompted one of the emperor's cabinet members to tell her "You have just redeemed a race, and lost your throne", which was true, but in hindsight it was the right thing for Brazil and a Republican movement was inevitable, i have my suspicions that Dom Pedro II himself was open to Republicanism, he tried to lead the nation with slow reforms but i think it was his end goal, abolition obviously was but again, with slow reforms, Crown Princess Isabel just sped it up a bit. (this was 1888 for context, after abolition had already happened in most of the Americas, though we had free womb and anti slave-trade laws)

[@jeepcherokeetallia]

I’m from poolesville and have canoed over to harrison island many times. Super cool experience.

[@ronaldshank7589]

This is what you get, when you have a Politician that thinks that he is as good of a Leader of Union Troops, as he is being a Politician. His stupidity led to at least two-thirds of his Men being slaughtered at the hands of the Confederates. The Union Units were scattered and disorganized, which was another major problem. This was one of the two ultimate disasters for the Union in 1861...& there would be more to follow latein the next Year, that being The Peninsula Campaign, Antietam (which both sides tried to claim that their side actually won that Battle), and, of course, Fredericksburg. Fredericksburg was a complete Confederate victory, as far as I'm concerned. Gen. Burnside completely ignored the advice of his subordinates, especially Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock...and before everything was said and done, Gen. Burnside ended up defeated and replaced! But... that's another story.

[@jacquesstuartberwick3235]

We wargamed this battle with my son here in France. My son winned abig victory with it's confederates in a wild charge who swept the field. I could not restablish my line...quite like the real battle. Interesting scenario fo begeneers who have nor big collections of miniatures. Play it with regimzntal Fire and Fury rules which are very good.

[@Leggofire81]

@warhawk just wanted to point out i believe the map is misleading... port royal is southeast of Fredericksburg, I believe your map depicts Front Royal

[@josh656]

Edwards Ferry is the oldest continuously operated ferry in the country.

[@theequalsgamer2074]

cant believe i missed this one

[@WarhawkYT]

Bruh come on gamer

[@michaelfitzgerald434]

Quite excellent!

[@josh656]

I used to live in Leesburg, the ferry there is the oldest continuous use ferry having been in service since the CW.

[@WarhawkYT]

That’s cool Josh, our researcher/writer is from Leesburg and when we went out to the town, we visited the battlefield and visited other historically significant spots

[@josh656]

@@WarhawkYT they have a week during the summer where people dress up downtown in period dress and do living history.

[@kenhart8771]

Thx you

[@travisbayles870]

My great great great uncle Captain Wesley Mellard Co H 13th Mississippi Infantry Barksdales brigade fought there

[@jeffsafc73]

'Twas naught but a bar fight.

[@pieceofschmidtgames6389]

Sad i missed this but praise woody

[@The_PaleHorseman]

So I learned something new, so I always judged McLellan harshly, said he was too cautious, and I'm not saying he's a great general but I now understand his caution after what happened to Stone, and what's messed up about it, it was Essentially Bakers own fault on his own death when he was wrong and wouldn't listen. This is why you can't fight wars with politicians at the helm. Why we got trashed in Vietnam and The wars in the middle east, can't fight wars with arms tied behind backs. No such thing as a fair fight.

[@ronnyrono782]

I guess McClellan was a genius at preparing men to flight. Not so good when it came to the fighting part

[@johnpotts8308]

I'm sure the Congressional Committee made everything better. Why, I'd be surprised if the rebellion wasn't crushed by 1862.

[@paulmcd226]

Should the map that reads Port Royal, actually be Front Royal? Port Royal is east of Fredericksburg on the Rappahannock river? Doubt you meant to say Port Republic..

[@signoguns8501]

"All quiet on the Potomac"? is that the original phrase that inspired "all quiet on the western front"? Or just a coincidence?

[@davidnemoseck9007]

I wonder if this contributed to McClellan being so cautious?

[@artisticpianogallery7786]

Love the video man but it is CaVaLry - you keep saying caLVary, which is the hill that Jesus died on not a group of soldiers on horseback

[@ronaldshank7589]

Glad that someone on here actually acknowledged Jesus, and his supreme sacrifice for ALL of mankind, at Calvary! He didn't have to do it, but he did! When one thinks of Warfare, one thinks of Bloodshed. That Precious Blood Shed on Calvary that day was the evidence of God's redemptive plan, so that ALL who will surrender their hearts, souls, and lives, to Jesus Christ, will be saved!

[@10Tabris01]

Don't you know that at that day Jesus had ridden to battle at the head of the heavy calvary?

[@Ryuko-T72]

I became confused from this video

[@raylast3873]

Dammit, can‘t they do anything right?

[@carywest9256]

Thems the breaks! DEO VINDICE

[@bernardfinucane2061]

Incredibly incompetent sounding adventure.

[@ronaldshank7589]

I guess that's what some people call "Taking a hit for the team". If only the Union Troops had been better organized, that defeat might not have happened.

[@bernardfinucane2061]

@@ronaldshank7589 Sounds more like the Brits in WWI -- "Lions led by donkeys"

[@ronaldshank7589]

@@bernardfinucane2061 Yeah, I know. Some people have more guts than brains, though...and this is what happens!

[@signoguns8501]

It was one of the first battles. Armies made up of volunteers with little to no training, inexperienced generals, this stuff happens. It's their first day on the job, basically. Takes a while for men to build up their skills and confidence.

[@dasalul]

War Dogs

[@OldMusicFan83]

I’ve been to the bluff. Not tall, but a very sheer cliff face

[@michaelwolford6207]

Plenty of information that is incorrect.

[@cal4837]

Which two confederates managed to get captured in all that? lol

[@jason200912]

What ascent pronounces federals as fedjerals?

[@Midnighthowlervrc]

Hi

[@ppj93fosse91]

Love your videos, I would consider getting a new narrator. The quality of your videos are really up there and they should be told by someone with a really epic narrator voice.

[@سقراط-ي7ز]

لماذا تحرمونا من الترجمه للغه العربيه؟

[@michaelhenry8890]

Robert E. Lee is overrated. Good general. Not great. Certain not the greatest ever. Wasn’t even the best general in the ANV. Nostalgia and Dixie jingles get civil war buffs (mainly rebs) into their bag of feels and it’s makes them blind to some objective truths about Lee. Good. Not Great.

[@donaldball9265]

Has nothing to do with this little fiasco.

[@newdogmodel3893]

He was Lincolns first choice to lead the Union Army before Virginia seceded and it several generals and 4 years for the Union to beat the underpowered and outnumbered forces so I wouldn’t call him overrated. His bad decisions were Pickets Charge and the West Virginia Campaign.

[@williamstocker584]

Lee has nothing to do with this battle