Abstract
Emory Upton was born in 1839 in New York. He developed the interest in military activities at the age of 14 and was recruited into the cadet academy at the age of 16. His interest was mastered by the extensive exposure that he obtained in the military training and extensive reading on the subject. He assisted the US military in winning a number of wars over the time leading him to leadership roles in the military. He had power over influential military tactics, which he developed with other officials who had equal power and strength. The US military forces gather extensive knowledge from his previous tactics to achieve some level of dominance in any war. He was source of major help to the nation during the civil war. He had unique strategies to corner the enemy at any point he was called to do it. His books and periodicals have been used as reference to many military officials in a bid to achieve some level of excellence in the American society. Emory Upton influence on professional development change military tactics in a critical time in the Civil War despite oppositions and challenges
Introduction
The history of Wars in the United States can date back to the 18th century. The 1775-1783 periods were marked by the American Revolutionary War and the Chickamunga War which was to give birth to the American independence. Also, in the 19th century, the US military engaged in other wars. It is during the 19th century that Emory Upton was born. He grew into an Army general and a strategist in the US military (Upton, 1873). His prominence was birthed when he led infantry to attack during the civil war Upton had influenced the military policy of the United States’ military to tremendous effects, which made it win most of its battles. Emory Upton influence on professional development change military tactics in a critical time in the Civil War despite oppositions and challenges (Brown, 1953).
Main body
Americans believed that there could one day be a big government well known as the federal government. The World War II was an eye-opener that the nation needed a large, permanent as well as professional military, to enforce the government. In 1880s, the United States was the world’s greatest economy and needed proper relationship with the rest of the nations (Mahon, 1961). The country could no longer depend on the untested brilliance in military matters and could not trust the kind strangers for protection of the country’s global trade and interests.
There were extensive debates on how the United States would take its positions in the world through military influence were carried out by the great thinkers from the Navy and the Army. The proposals by the pair would direct the American strategy as well as tactics for many years to come. For example, Rear Admiral Alfred Thayer Mahan developed theories, which were significant in the development of the big gun navies, who were to be used to fight for nationalism as well as imperialism as the country approached the 20th century (Mahon, 1961).
Following his previous success in war, Colonel Emory Upton was to be consulted so that he could give a delightful guidance on the right tactics to ensure success in war. Upton developed interest in the army after reading the life of Napoleon Bonapate at the age of 14 (Ambrose, 1963). He entered the army at the age of 16 with deeper knowledge in the army and employment of different tactics in pursuit for excellence in the war.
He graduated eighth in his class of 45 cadets and was given power as an artillery lieutenant. In 1861, Upton targeted the first gun at the First Battle of Bull Run. Although he was deeply wounded in the engagement, he had deep courage that could not allow him to leave the field. He had to remain unique in the army and this was a point to prove his skills in the war (Brown, 1953). He had to prove himself through the Peninsula Campaign, which was an artillery brigade at Antietam. Discovering the fuses of the shells faulty in the two situations, he surrogated solid shot on the fly making the superiors laud his guns following their lethal efficiency (Mahon, 1961). He marked the start of a new pattern as no officer was influential to the army like Upton at the time.
Upton had learned discipline as a core value that required exclusive respect and value from the people. He never drunk, smoked, or cursed people. Also, he did not entertain idlers around him and he did not laugh or smile easily. He was powerful in prayer and passionate about the military. He spoke and read widely about military tactics. At the age of 25, Upton was an extremely professional soldier. Everywhere he stepped, Upton portrayed extensive courage and developed new tactics all the time (Ambrose, 1963). He could come up with new ideas or tactics even on the battlefield.
Following his success in leading army, he was to be transferred to West Point as an instructor. However, the situation changed and he was appointed as colonel of the 121st New York Volunteer Infantry which was to be later known as the Upton’s regulars. Rebel fighters destroyed his regiment in a futile Union Assault in 1862 at Fredericksburg but Upton had to respond through a brigade. The rebels had made the infantry tactic of lining up the troops in long lines, firing and individuals being slaughtered irrelevant, Upton chose a different approach. He developed a new tactic in 1864 in the Overland Campaign where his brigade would dash the reinforcement of the enemy in columns without slowing down to fire (Upton, 1873). The concept was to ensure the enemy was reached as soon as possible.
The Emory Upton tactics were tested for the first time at the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House in May 1864. He led his team to lead the Confederate defense team from their positions. It was a major test for Upton but his skills were approved through the ability to lead his team to a successful mission against the defenders. The period marked a change on tactics, which would work easily for free people. It would also lay a foundation for the modern American soldiers on how to lay strategies and fight accordingly on any war that may involve them (Upton, 1873).
The Upton’s army attacked the opposition and split it to confusion driving the Rebels out of the defense positions and the war trenches. It was an exclusive breakthrough that helped to defeat Lee’s army and had to bring the war to an end. The step was a sign that Upton was an extremely success commander of the army and could launch war against any army (Upton, 1873). He succeeded in most of his war strategies through consistent innovation in the process.
Upton’s rose to exclusive positions in the army, which made him powerful over various generals in the army. Therefore, he had more opportunities to thrive in his strategies in ensuring success for the American army. At Nashville he met Maj. Gen. James Wilson was bringing up a revolutionary new strike force. He was training approximately 12000 men to mobile infantry. Together with Upton, Wilson implemented the Maj. Gen, William Tecumseh Sherman’s principle that cavalry was employed to its best across the vast American landscape through riding to a battle and engaging in war like an infantry (Fitzpatrick, 2001). They succeeded in the strategy since the carbines had the knowledge to execute it immediately.
Upton and Wilson were the most successful army leaders at the time as they had developed new tactics and had innovated proper use of better weapons. The individuals were powerful at war as the new tactics that they targeted to use worked to their best. The Confederate heartland was a mark for their improvements in the innovations on how to use the weapons substantially. They had defined a new strategy of destroying the enemy’s camp through destruction of the arsenal and all the weapons that the individuals could use (Brown, 1953).
The ride of the Cavalry Corps left Upton in a state that was close to the religious transcendence. At the moment he declared that he would commit the coming six months to military service alone. He had defined a strategy to deal with the hopelessness that surrounded the people following the assaults of the civil war (Fitzpatrick, 2001).
In 1865, he was in Denver where he had the duty of reducing the Army into minuscule size as it was before the war. Following his experience in the Civil War, he was moved to West Point so as to define new ideas. Sending him back was a revolution in the infantry tactics and it marked success in war for the region (Brown, 1953).
In 1867, he discredited the linear plan in favor of the new method that could only depend on the heavy skirmishers who could attack the enemies in bigger numbers through clearance of the way for the final charge by the reserves companies. Ignoring the previous system of mss volleys with the commanding officers having major control, the individuals in the army were supposed to embrace individual role, aimed marksmanship as well as unit confidence. The infantryman would easily improvise a heavily wooded irregular landscape for use to his advantage in the attack by the group (Fitzpatrick, 2001). It was a sign of change in the tactics that the military was using in its wars.
At the time, Upton, was in charge of the cadets’ academy. He was a commandant of cadets in West Point with the duty of disciplining the cadets and ensuring proper administration. He was keen on ensuring all the people followed the set strategies and ensured successful implementation of specific programs in the academy to equip the candidates with the highest level of learning in skills and practice (Ambrose, 1963).
Upton wrote a number of articles on the administration and discipline of the military to ensure success in the implementation of certain strategies. There was value for the society in ensuring progress and assuring people for an opportunity in progressing through the army. Therefore, through detailed analysis of the various tactics that the people could have used in assuring the military of progress in its undertakings, the US military had a reference point (Brown, 1953). Value had to be achieved at a point where the military continually used the Upton tactics.
The Military Policy of the United States referred to Upton as a master stylist in the use and application of statistics and citations. He participated in the preparation of the US military forces, which was united to fight for the country (Fitzpatrick, 2001). Therefore, his responsibility in the United States cannot be ignored at any point.
Upton had devised tactics, which have remained significant to date. People have learned the value for his tactics by engaging in wars through value for his tactics and appreciation for improvements in the tactics. As a result, the society has gained some advanced strategies over war and the existing values through appreciation for period when Upton could win wars through application of certain strategies, which have remained untested at the moment. Therefore, transition has not prevented the extensive use of the military tactics which Upton had learned at the time (Fitzpatrick, 2001). Value was being appreciated over time and the society was to achieve some level of excellence through the army.
Conclusion
Emory Upton influence on professional development change military tactics in a critical time in the Civil War despite oppositions and challenges. He was focused in achieving extensive military force that would protect the United States. He fashioned tactics and professional approaches, which would help in dealing with major challenges, which were happening at the time. There was an extensive room for excellence in the army through the tested and proven Upton military tactics. Therefore, Emory Upton remains a powerful party behind the success of the US Military.
References
Ambrose, S. (1963). A Theorist Fights: Emory Upton in the Civil War. Civil War History, 9(4), vi-364.
Brown, R. (1953). General Emory Upton--The Army's Mahan. Military Affairs, 17(3), 125. Fitzpatrick, D. (2001). Emory Upton and the Citizen Soldier. The Journal Of Military History, 65(2), 355.
Mahon, J. (1961). Civil War Infantry Assault Tactics. Military Affairs, 25(2), 57.
Upton, E. (1873). A new system of infantry tactics, double and single rank (1st ed.). New York: D. Appleton.
