christof139
Posts: 980
Joined: 12/7/2006
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Hi Twinkle and thanx for the quick link, which link proves my point, that is that Sibley was a chronic drunk and a failure during the ACW, s well as being chronically ill. He shouldn't have any ratings of 6 or 5, and maybe only one 4 if that, mostly 3's, 2's and 1's. Chris
GENERAL HENRY HOPKINS SIBLEY, CSA
http://www.historycentral.com/Bio/CWcGENS/CSASibley.html
VITAL STATISTICS
BORN: 1816 in Natchitoches, LA, and probably was a drunk before he was born, or at least by the time he was 5 years old or so.
DIED: 1886 in Fredericksburg, VA.
CAMPAIGNS: Valverde, La Glorietta Pass, Teche River, Irish Blend, and Fort Bisland.
HIGHEST RANK ACHIEVED: Brigadier General, and very chronically imbibed, or drunk.
Henry Hopkins Sibley was born on May 25, 1816, in Natchitoches, Louisiana. He graduated from West Point in 1838, and was stationed in New Mexico Territory. Sibley served in the Seminole War and in the expedition against the Mormons of Utah, as well as the Mexican War. In 1856, he patented the Sibley tent, which could comfortably accommodate 20 soldiers and their personal gear. When the Civil War began, he resigned from the US Army and joined the Confederacy. Confederate President Davis promoted Sibley to brigadier general on June 17, 1861, and sent him to Texas to put together a brigade to clear (what is now) New Mexico and Arizona of Union presence. ###He believed that his troops would be able to live off the land of New Mexico, and that the Union troops would not resist a Confederate invasion. On both counts, he was mistaken.### While he defeated Union forces at Valverde and La Glorieta, he was unable to withstand the Union counterattack. He and his 1,500 remaining troops withdrew to Fort Bliss, Texas, and went to San Antonio to escape the California Column, under Union Brig. Gen. James H. Carleton. After this, Sibley was assigned to minor commands, and struggled with chronic illness and alcoholism. His performance in the Teche River Campaign of 1863 was poor. ***He was court-martialed and censured, but not convicted, after the Union failures at Irish Bend and Fort Bisland in April of 1863.*** Four years after the Civil War, he became general of artillery for the khedive of Egypt. After he returned to the US in 1874, he lectured, but died in poverty in Fredericksburg, Virginia , on August 23, 1886.
Please Note, at the ***, this is wrong, these were Confederate defeats and this phrase should read as ***He was court-martialed and censured, but not convicted, after the Union VICTORIES at Irish Bend and Fort Bisland in April of 1863.*** I have done extensive reading on this campaign, from many secondary and primary OR sources. It is a great little campaign to read about, the 1863 Texas Overland Campaign, as there are amphibious operations and some small size gunboat battles and at times the gunboats supported troops significantly onshore during battles. Very interesting. There were actually two campaigns around this time in Louisian, and I believe the other one was the Bayou Teche Campaign, would have to look. In 1862 there were also some small and interesting actions here west of the Miss. River.
Also, look at the ### to see more of Sibley's errors. Also, the initial Confed. victory at Valverde could possibly be better attributed to his subordinate commanders and the troops themselves rather than Sibley himself.
An interesting aspect is that the battle of valverde is somewhat innaccurately portrayed in the old and good Clint eastwood movie 'The Good, the bad, and the Ugly' I do believe. Could be 'A Fist Full of Dollars' though, I forget.
Chris
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CSA Gen. Sibley was a drunk, not good ratings he should... - 
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