"Who was the worst US War of 1812 general?" Topic

Unfortunately this has been a failed Quiz … but the question is interesting … who were they and why the worst? … you can always learn in TMP

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Armand

Hard to argue against Wilkinson being the worst, though William Windor gives him a good run. Or race.

True, but Hull deserves some credit or discredit too.

For me it has to be Wilkinson. He was selling military information to the Spanish all the time he was in command of the the American southwest. And we still have a county named for him here in Mississippi. Of course we still have one named for Jefferson Davis. Unfortunately I don't see either being renamed anytime soon.

Jim

Wilkinson without a doubt. He was willfully incompetent and a traitor to boot.

Winfield Scott was court-martialed for criticizing Wilkinson when Scott was a captain and was suspended from duty for a year 'without pay.' He proclaimed Wilkinson a 'finished scoundrel.'

Wilkinson also cheated his troops out of their rations to enrich himself. Unfortunately, it took his superiors much too long to figure out that not only was he an incompetent, he was a criminal.

Wilkinson could win a poll for worst American general, not restricted to the war of 1812.

Rick

I have to agree with the others that Wilkinson takes the (dis)honors

Wilkinson without any doubt for all the reasons stated and many more.

The only real contest here is who comes in second.

Hull

Thanks!

Armand

I like Leckie's characterization of Wilkinson as the general who never won a battle but never lost a court martial.

How he ended his career?…

Armand

After reading Graves, Berton and several other books on the Niagara Campaign of 1814, I know who the most under appreciated US General was, sort of like an early version of GH Thomas from the ACW, BG Eleazer Wheelock Ripley

Ripley had a bad habit of getting on Jacob Brown's bad side.

General David Bannister Morgan

Battle of New Orleans
Right Bank

Reilly felt the fault lay with Morgan, who had dispersed his troops, rather than concentrating most of them around his main defence, whilst deploying a picket, to give advance warning once the British arrived. The decision by General Morgan to deploy his troops in two positions a mile apart, neither defensible, was favorable for the British. Morgan's mismanagement of his Kentucky and Louisiana militiamen was an open invitation to defeat.

The successful taking of the Right Bank, being described as 'a brilliant exploit by the British, and a disgraceful exhibition [of General Morgan's leadership] by the Americans,' had no effect on the outcome of the battle, observed both Brown and Reilly.

An inquiry, overseen by Major General William Carroll of the Tennessee Militia, found that the conduct was 'not reprehensible'. Major Paul Arnaud, commanding officer of the 2nd Louisiana militia brigade, was targeted as a scapegoat for the retreat on the Right Bank.

Reilly states their defenses were inadequate, and that Morgan's deployment of his troops was incompetent. The resultant court of inquiry made no mention of General David Bannister Morgan at all.