Portal:American Civil War/Selected biography/22

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ambrose Everett Burnside (May 23, 1824 – September 13, 1881) was a railroad executive, an industrialist, and a politician from Rhode Island, serving as governor and a U.S. Senator. As a Union Army general in the American Civil War, he was defeated in the disastrous Battle of Fredericksburg. Born in Liberty, Indiana, Burnside graduated from the U.S. Military Academy, in 1847, and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the 2nd U.S. Artillery. He accompanied Braxton Bragg's Battery throughout the Mexican-American War, and with it entered Mexico City.

Personally, Burnside was always very popular—both in the army and in politics—but he was out of his depth as a senior army commander, a fact no one knew better than Burnside himself. Knowing his capabilities, he twice refused command of the Army of the Potomac until finally being forced under orders to accept it. And despite bitter disappointments in high command, he willingly and loyally served his country in lesser roles for the remainder of the war.