How the Leadership of Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard Changed the World

Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard had one of the most unique military careers in the Confederacy, and was in many ways more significant to the Civil War than any other Confederate general.  Throughout the war he often displayed good leadership skills.  He was a fair and honest leader who was well-respected by others.  He was also good at making quick decisions and coming up with good defense, and attack strategies.

Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard was born on May 28, 1818, in Louisiana.  When he was eleven his father sent him a to boarding school in New York that was run by two brothers who had previously been officers under Napoleon Bonaparte.  While attending this school, Pierre worked hard and received good grades.  However, he was more interested in the stories the brothers would tell about their service with Napoleon than he was in the classes.

He was very fascinated with Napoleon’s tactics.  He began to read books about Napoleon and his campaigns, and in his spare time he studied Napoleon’s battles.  Toward the end of his last year at boarding school he decided to join the American Army.  At first his family loudly objected, but Pierre stood his ground and they eventually agreed.

            He was accepted to West Point in March  1834.  He was an excellent student and his teachers predicted a great future for him.  After graduating with high honors in 1838, he distinguished himself during the Mexican War and then returned to Louisiana.  In 1861 he was appointed superintendent of West Point, but resigned after four days to join the South after the secession of Louisiana from the Union.  He became one of the eight full generals of the Confederacy, and participated in almost every major battle.

            As a Civil War general, Beauregard displayed several good leadership qualities.  He was good at making good decisions and coming up with battle strategies under pressure.  He did his best to provide his troops with basic necessities, when the south was running out of supplies.  He was also well-respected, and looked up to by his subordinates. 

            In addition to these good leadership qualities, he also had a few weaknesses.  One weakness was that he was that he was often reluctant to follow orders from his superiors, that  he thought might ruin his good reputation.  He was also very stubborn, and often got into arguments with Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederacy, and other Confederate generals.

            Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard's leadership influenced the world.  He shot the first gun at Fort Sumter, which started the Civil War.  At the time the Union had control of this Southern fort in South Carolina. He changed the world by making the decision to open fire on Fort Sumter, when the Union refused to surrender the fort over to the Confederacy.  This attack on Fort Sumter led by Beauregard was the direct cause of the Civil War. 

            Until the attack on Fort Sumter, many people in the North and in the South had been determined to prevent war.  Some Northerners argued to allow the Southern states to leave the Union, and many Southerners had opposed secession.  In some of the rebelling states the decision to leave the Union was made only after a close popular vote.

             The attack on Fort  Sumter, however, ended all hope of peace.  Lincoln quickly called upon the Union to furnish 75,000 state militia, and Confederate  President Jefferson Davis asked for 100,000 volunteers from the Southern states.  Both sections were now eager for battle.

            Had Beauregard not fired the opening shot at Fort Sumter, then there was a small chance that the Civil War could have been prevented.   However, Beauregard should not be looked down upon because of this.  He had a good reason for attacking Fort Sumter. 

            The fort was located in South Carolina, which was no longer a part of the Union.  However the Union still had control of the fort and had no intention of surrendering.  The Confederacy believed that Fort Sumter rightfully belonged to them because it was located in South Carolina.  Southern forces led by Beauregard were sent to the fort to ask the Union to surrender it over to the Confederacy.  When the Union refused, Beauregard opened fire on the fort.  The Union eventually surrendered, and Beauregard was made a Confederate hero.

            Beauregard was second in command at the First Battle of Bull Run and helped with the Confederate victory at Bull Run.  This victory was important  to the history of the United States because it showed the Union that defeating the Confederate army would be more challenging than they expected.  This victory let the Union know that they had a long war ahead of them.

            Beauregard also helped with several of the other battles of the Civil War.  At Shiloh, he took command when his superior, General Albert S. Johnston, was killed, and he led the Confederate withdrawal from the field.  In 1863 he defended Charleston from attack by the Union navy, and in May 1864 he defeated a Union army under General Benjamin F. Butler at Drury's Bluff, Virginia.

            Although the Confederacy did not win the war, Beauregard was a good General.  His leadership helped the Confederacy a great deal in the war.  Had it not been for his leadership, then the Confederacy might have lost the First Battle of Bull Run, and the war would have been over immediately.

            His leadership at Ft. Sumter also caused the American Civil War, which was one of the bloodiest wars ever fought.  It is considered "the first modern war" because of all the new weapons that were introduced during this war.  Although the war was fought in the United States, it had an influence on the world.  The south had a large slave trade with other countries of the world.  After the Civil war, this slave trade could no longer continue, and therefore, the exportation of slaves in other countries was greatly affected.  In addition to the affect it had on the slave trade, it also had an affect on the way wars were fought, and the weapons used during wars.  The Civil War introduced new fighting strategies to the world, that would be used in future wars.

            In conclusion, Beauregard's leadership influenced the world by marking the beginning of the American Civil War.  By firing at Ft. Sumter, Beauregard changed the way of life for many people.  Had it not been for this war, slavery would still exist, and the Confederate States of America would be recognized as a separate country.  He also began one of the bloodiest wars in History.

 Davis, William C.  Battle at Bull Run.  Louisiana:  Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1977.

Freeman, Douglas Southhall.  Lee's Lieutenants,  A Study in Command.  New York:  Charles Scribner's Sons, 1942

Williams, Harry T.  P.G.T.Beauregard, Napolean in Gray..  Louisiana:  Louisiana State University Press, 1981.

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