Ambrose+Burnside

= __ **Ambrose Everett Burnside** __ = = __ **"Burn"** __ =

__Early Life __
====Ambrose Everett Burnside was a Union General during the Civil War. He lived a very distinct lifestyle, consisting of varying jobs, titles, and life pursuits. He was born in Indiana into a large family and attended Liberty Seminary when he was young. When his mother died he had to put his education on hold and get a job as a local tailor. Having a job at such a young age gave him an upper hand on business and how to organize. Soon after he used his Father's political connections to attend The United States Military Academy in West Point. There he succeeded, but at a very average level. Little did he know that his early life would have a serious affect on the rest of his life, especially his role in the Civil War.====

====- After Burnside graduated, he was commissioned into the military as a second lieutenant and immediately sent to Mexico in 1847 to help during the Mexican-American War. When he arrived his orders were switched so that he would only be defending the area because the fighting had ceased. After serving under Captain Braxton Bragg for nearly two years he was wounded in a small skirmish with the natives. He was reassigned to Rhode Island and soon became married to Mary Bishop. Burnside found a new passion and decided to resign from the military so that he could pursue in making his own type of rifle. He had hit success and had contracted his weapon to be used in the military, but it dropped because another arms company bribed the Secretary of War, John Floyd, to use theirs instead. To add to his anger, financial troubles soon arose because of fire damage in his factory. Deciding to not give up completely, he worked for a railroad company and made a quick friendship with his future commanding officer, George McClellan.====

====- When the Civil War began he rejoined his militia in Rhode Island as Brigadier General and led a brigade at the First Battle of Bull Run. He only temporarily held this position but was then assigned to train provisional soldiers in the Army of the Potomac. Up until 1862 he continued his training until he led the battles of Roanoke Island and New Bern. His successes closed up most of North Carolina's coast to Confederate ships. Lincoln saw his potential and offered him command of the entire Army of the Potomac after McClellan failed in his Peninsular Campaign. Burnside was very rough on himself because he knew his limits and he did not think he was capable of such a position so he declined. He was asked once again after Second Bull Run but had to deny the request. He was right about himself because when he led an attack during the Battle of Antietam at the very southern line of Union control, his slowness made them vulnerable. The attack ended in a stalemate, but did a good deal of damage towards Burnside's troops. In November of 1862 Lincoln pressured him to take Richmond. In his attempts he suffered a huge lose in Fredericksburg. His military career from there on out mainly consisted of small battle wins that were overtaken by his major loss at The Battle of the Crater. After this battle he was relieved of command and sent on a leave, but he was never called back to duty.====



__Post-Civil War __
====After the War Burnside soon became the Governor of Rhode Island in 1866 for three straight one year terms. Later in 1874, after his journeys to Europe, he was elected Senator for Rhode Island. He was a Democrat before the war, but he ran as a Republican. He served until his death in 1881. Although he had good impacts and bad impacts on the course of the War he could have completely changed the course of it if he had accepted all the promotions given to him. No one will be able to tell if the War would have ended differently because of one man. He had a very strong interest in the war but his strategies and methods were not always the best. ====

//"The habit of declaring sympathy for the enemy will not be allowed. Persons committing such offenses will be arrested with a view toward being tried, or sent beyond our lines to the lines of our friends." //

__** Extra Facts: **__
- First President of the National Rifle Association - What we call sideburns today are derived from his name and his very distinct facial hair. - His original middle name of Everts but it was mistakenly changed during when he applied to West Point. - Battles/ War
 * ==== Mexican-American War, First Battle of Bull Run, North Carolina Expedition, Battle of Roanoke Island, Battle of New Bern, Maryland Campaign, Battle of South Mountain, Battle of Antietam, Battle of Fredericksburg, Knoxville Campaign, Overland Campaign, Battle of the Wilderness, Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, Battle of North Anna, Battle of Cold Harbor, Siege of Petersburg, Battle of the Crater ====

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= ~Austin Brown~ =