--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Civil War generals began the war…" description: "\"“Civil War generals began the war employing tactics from the Napoleonic Era, which saw Napoleon dominate the European continent and win crushing victor..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/967/charles-river-editors-1165_civil-war_civil-war-generals-began-the-war-employi_591407.jpg" --- # Civil War generals began the war employing tactics from… ![“Civil War generals began the war employing tactics from the Napoleonic Era, which saw Napoleon dominate the European continent and win crushing victories against large armies. However, the weapons available in 1861 were far more accurate than they had been 50 years earlier. In particular, new…” quote by Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/967/charles-river-editors-1165_civil-war_civil-war-generals-began-the-war-employi_591407.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/967/charles-river-editors-1165_civil-war_civil-war-generals-began-the-war-employi_591407.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/967/charles-river-editors-1165_civil-war_civil-war-generals-began-the-war-employi_591407.jpg) > ““Civil War generals began the war employing tactics from the Napoleonic Era, which saw Napoleon dominate the European continent and win crushing victories against large armies. However, the weapons available in 1861 were far more accurate than they had been 50 years earlier. In particular, new rifled barrels created common infantry weapons with deadly accuracy of up to 100 yards, at a time when generals were still leading massed infantry charges with fixed bayonets and attempting to march their men close enough to engage in hand-to-hand combat.”” [Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Traditional Napoleonic tactics clashed with more accurate rifled weapons, making mass charges deadly and costly. **In simple terms:** Old tactics met new guns, causing high casualties. Key Takeaway Adapt tactics to technology. Themes military history technology strategy Mood reflective analytical Type historical strategic When to use this quote - battlefield planning - military training - historical analysis Key Concepts rifle accuracy mass infantry command decisions Questions to Reflect On - How would commanders change if they knew weapon range? - What modern tech parallels this shift? A Different Perspective New weapons demand new tactics, not just outdated bravery. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Civil war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-war/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [“For unlike many of our previous opponents, Russian troops tended to stand firm when under air attack. Rather than dive for cover, most would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helmit-mahlke/for-unlike-many-of-our-previous-opponents-russian-troops-tended-to/) [Helmit Mahlke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helmit-mahlke/) > [“It was then, after my presentations to thirty-two generals, that I first began to see how similar the approach to leadership problems was throughout…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-h-friedman/it-was-then-after-my-presentations-to-thirty-two-generals-that-i/) [Edwin H. Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-h-friedman/) > [“By the end of the war, the Civil War had become a forerunner to the trench warfare of World War I, and if an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/by-the-end-of-the-war-the-civil-war-had-become-a-forerunner-to-the/) [Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/) > [“Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain of the 20th Maine, who so valiantly defended Little Round Top at Gettysburg on July 2, 1863, was in command…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/colonel-joshua-lawrence-chamberlain-of-the-20th-maine-who-so/) [Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/) > [“McClellan knew that Jackson’s force was relatively small, so he only sent 16,000 men under the command of Major General Nathaniel P. Banks. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/mcclellan-knew-that-jackson-s-force-was-relatively-small-so-he-only/) [Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/) > [“By the following morning, September 15, Jackson had positioned nearly fifty guns on Maryland Heights and at the base of Loudoun Heights.  Then he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/by-the-following-morning-september-15-jackson-had-positioned-nearly/) [Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/) > [I am out of money,we are all out of money,but we dont need money down here- Dont need anything but Men , Muskets, Ammunition,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-connolly/i-am-out-of-money-we-are-all-out-of-money-but-we-dont-need-money-down/) James A. Connolly > [“Civil wars...are the best wars for the writer...because they have a way of continuing long afterwl wars between nations are resolved; because, with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-ellison/civil-wars-are-the-best-wars-for-the-writer-because-they-have-a-way/) [Ralph Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-ellison/) > [Strange, (is it not?) that battles, martyrs, blood, even assassination should so condense - perhaps only really lastingly condense - a Nationality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/strange-is-it-not-that-battles-martyrs-blood-even-assassination/) [Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/) > [“ “In the South, football is confused with religion, chivalry, the Civil War, and women.” -Diane Roberts, The Quotable South ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ford/in-the-south-football-is-confused-with-religion-chivalry-the-civil/) [Deborah Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ford/) > [Alabama soldiers, all I ask of you is to keep up with the Texans!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-lee/alabama-soldiers-all-i-ask-of-you-is-to-keep-up-with-the-texans/) [Robert E. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-lee/) > [It cost about 75 cents to kill a man in Ceasar's time. The price rose to about $3,000 per man during the Napoleonic wars;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homer-bone/it-cost-about-75-cents-to-kill-a-man-in-ceasar-s-time-the-price-rose/) Homer Bone > [“Thinking about the weather was one way of shutting out of his mind the appalling bloody human mess sprawled out over the bed of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-ellis/thinking-about-the-weather-was-one-way-of-shutting-out-of-his-mind/) [Mark Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-ellis/) > [“AUSTRALIA, LIKE THE UNITED STATES, experienced a different path to inclusive institutions than the one taken by England. The same revolutions that shook England…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daron-acemo-lu/australia-like-the-united-states-experienced-a-different-path-to/) [Daron Acemoğlu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daron-acemo-lu/) > [“Time overlaps itself. A breath breathed from a passing breeze is not the whole wind, neither is it just the last of what has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/time-overlaps-itself-a-breath-breathed-from-a-passing-breeze-is-not/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) ## More by Charles River Editors > [“Iwo Jima is more officially known as “Sulfur Island,” and it lies in a chain of volcanic islands south of the Ogasawara Islands. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/iwo-jima-is-more-officially-known-as-sulfur-island-and-it-lies-in-a/) [Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/) > [“Rachel’s tomb is located a short distance north of Bethlehem, on the road between Jerusalem and Hebron. It consists of a small building with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/rachel-s-tomb-is-located-a-short-distance-north-of-bethlehem-on-the/) [Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/) > [“By the following morning, September 15, Jackson had positioned nearly fifty guns on Maryland Heights and at the base of Loudoun Heights.  Then he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/by-the-following-morning-september-15-jackson-had-positioned-nearly/) [Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/) > [“Washington is the only President to be elected unanimously – not once, but twice.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/washington-is-the-only-president-to-be-elected-unanimously-not-once/) [Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/) > [“As the story goes, the cardinals began to regret their decision the very night of Pope Urban VI's coronation. During the celebratory feast that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/as-the-story-goes-the-cardinals-began-to-regret-their-decision-the/) [Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/) > [“When Lee heard of Jackson’s injuries, he sent his religious leader Chaplain Lacy to Stonewall with the message, “Give him my affectionate regards, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/when-lee-heard-of-jackson-s-injuries-he-sent-his-religious-leader/) [Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/) > [“For the first time, the Ottoman Empire was forced to recognize the full independence of a nation, not because of a war with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/for-the-first-time-the-ottoman-empire-was-forced-to-recognize-the/) [Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/) > [“Midway was merely a convenient target chosen by Yamamoto to draw the Americans out, and both sides’ objectives were attritional attempts to degrade their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/midway-was-merely-a-convenient-target-chosen-by-yamamoto-to-draw-the/) [Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/) > [“Paris had heard of Helen of Sparta’s beauty, and though she was married to the warlike Menelaus, he immediately consented to awarding Aphrodite the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/paris-had-heard-of-helen-of-sparta-s-beauty-and-though-she-was/) [Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/) > [“Although cargo shipments of precious metals as described here seem quite fanciful to modern ears, archaeologists recently excavated a shipwreck at Uluburun with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/although-cargo-shipments-of-precious-metals-as-described-here-seem/) [Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/) > [“The British government in 1807 had issued the “Orders in Council,” which enforced a naval blockade against France, and with a shortage of seamen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/the-british-government-in-1807-had-issued-the-orders-in-council-which/) [Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/) > [“Fearing for his life, Urban stayed put. He publicly blasted the French cardinals and attempted to revoke their titles, breaking records by appointing 26…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/fearing-for-his-life-urban-stayed-put-he-publicly-blasted-the-french/) [Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/) > [“Humiliated, Boniface issued the papal bull, “Clerics Laicos,” in response. The bull declared that kings who taxed clergy without papal permission would be promptly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/humiliated-boniface-issued-the-papal-bull-clerics-laicos-in-response/) [Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/) > [“In 1940, Heinrich Himmler, wanting to extend SS influence to the rocket program, pressured Wernher von Braun into joining the organization despite his lack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/in-1940-heinrich-himmler-wanting-to-extend-ss-influence-to-the-rocket/) [Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/) > [“The Wildcats tore into the Vals as they climbed prior to making their dives, and 11 of the 18 attacking dive bombers were shot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/the-wildcats-tore-into-the-vals-as-they-climbed-prior-to-making-their/) [Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/) [Explore all 278 Charles River Editors quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/) ## More Civil war quotes > [“Time overlaps itself. A breath breathed from a passing breeze is not the whole wind, neither is it just the last of what has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/time-overlaps-itself-a-breath-breathed-from-a-passing-breeze-is-not/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) > [“Whatever happened in those more than one hundred years, from the time my great-great-great grandfather studied law to the time when my own father…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwenn-wright/whatever-happened-in-those-more-than-one-hundred-years-from-the-time/) [Gwenn Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwenn-wright/) > [“AUSTRALIA, LIKE THE UNITED STATES, experienced a different path to inclusive institutions than the one taken by England. The same revolutions that shook England…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daron-acemo-lu/australia-like-the-united-states-experienced-a-different-path-to/) [Daron Acemoğlu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daron-acemo-lu/) > [“These are all good things, I said. But no one knows where your country is or who you are. You don't have a familiar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-shteyngart/these-are-all-good-things-i-said-but-no-one-knows-where-your-country/) [Gary Shteyngart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-shteyngart/) > [“Thinking about the weather was one way of shutting out of his mind the appalling bloody human mess sprawled out over the bed of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-ellis/thinking-about-the-weather-was-one-way-of-shutting-out-of-his-mind/) [Mark Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-ellis/) > [It cost about 75 cents to kill a man in Ceasar's time. The price rose to about $3,000 per man during the Napoleonic wars;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homer-bone/it-cost-about-75-cents-to-kill-a-man-in-ceasar-s-time-the-price-rose/) Homer Bone > [Alabama soldiers, all I ask of you is to keep up with the Texans!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-lee/alabama-soldiers-all-i-ask-of-you-is-to-keep-up-with-the-texans/) [Robert E. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-lee/) > [“ “In the South, football is confused with religion, chivalry, the Civil War, and women.” -Diane Roberts, The Quotable South ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ford/in-the-south-football-is-confused-with-religion-chivalry-the-civil/) [Deborah Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ford/) > [“By the following morning, September 15, Jackson had positioned nearly fifty guns on Maryland Heights and at the base of Loudoun Heights.  Then he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/by-the-following-morning-september-15-jackson-had-positioned-nearly/) [Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/) > [Strange, (is it not?) that battles, martyrs, blood, even assassination should so condense - perhaps only really lastingly condense - a Nationality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/strange-is-it-not-that-battles-martyrs-blood-even-assassination/) [Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/) > [You must study to be frank with the world: frankness is the child of honesty and courage. Say just what you mean to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-lee/you-must-study-to-be-frank-with-the-world-frankness-is-the-child-of/) [Robert E. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-lee/) > [“Civil wars...are the best wars for the writer...because they have a way of continuing long afterwl wars between nations are resolved; because, with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-ellison/civil-wars-are-the-best-wars-for-the-writer-because-they-have-a-way/) [Ralph Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-ellison/) > [I am out of money,we are all out of money,but we dont need money down here- Dont need anything but Men , Muskets, Ammunition,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-connolly/i-am-out-of-money-we-are-all-out-of-money-but-we-dont-need-money-down/) James A. Connolly > [Affirmative action was designed to recognize the uniquely difficult journey of African-Americans. This policy was justifiable and understandable, even to those who came from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-webb/affirmative-action-was-designed-to-recognize-the-uniquely-difficult/) [Jim Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-webb/) > [“Only twenty - nine years in the entire human history had been without warfare, and now here he was too, travelling between the episodes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadeem-aslam/only-twenty-nine-years-in-the-entire-human-history-had-been-without/) [Nadeem Aslam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nadeem-aslam/) [Browse all 1,714 Civil war quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-war/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Civil War generals began the war employing tactics from the Napoleonic Era, which saw Napoleon dominate the European continent and win crushing victories against large armies. However, the weapons available in 1861 were far more accurate than they had been 50 years earlier. In particular, new rifled barrels created common infantry weapons with deadly accuracy of up to 100 yards, at a time when generals were still leading massed infantry charges with fixed bayonets and attempting to march their men close enough to engage in hand-to-hand combat.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Charles River Editors" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/civil-war-generals-began-the-war-employing-tactics-from-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Civil war" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/civil-war-generals-began-the-war-employing-tactics-from-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/967/charles-river-editors-1165_civil-war_civil-war-generals-began-the-war-employi_591407.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/967/charles-river-editors-1165_civil-war_civil-war-generals-began-the-war-employi_591407.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/967/charles-river-editors-1165_civil-war_civil-war-generals-began-the-war-employi_591407.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Civil War generals began the war employing tactics from the Napoleonic Era, which saw Napoleon dominate the…” — Charles River Editors", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Charles River Editors", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Civil War generals began the war...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/civil-war-generals-began-the-war-employing-tactics-from-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/civil-war-generals-began-the-war-employing-tactics-from-the/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```