Facts, information and articles about P.G.T. Beauregard, a Civil War General during the American Civil War

P.G.T. Beauregard Facts

P.G.T BeauregardBorn

May 28, 1818 St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana

Died

February 20, 1893 New Orleans, Louisiana

Nickname

The Little Creole
The Little Napoleon
The Hero of Fort Sumter

Years Of Service

1838–61 (USA), 1861–65 (CSA)

Rank

Brevet Major (USA)
General (CSA)

Battles Fought

Mexican-American War
Battle of Contreras
Battle of Churubusco
Battle for Mexico City
Battle of Chapultepec

American Civil War
Battle of Fort Sumter
First Battle of Bull Run
Battle of Shiloh
Siege of Corinth
First Battle of Fort Wagner
Second Battle of Fort Wagner
Second Battle of Fort Sumter
Bermuda Hundred Campaign
Second Battle of Petersburg
Battle of Bentonville

P.G.T. Beauregard Articles

Explore articles from the HistoryNet archives about P.G.T. Beauregard

» See all P.G.T. Beauregard Articles

P.G.T. Beauregard summary: Pierre Gustave Toutant (PGT) Beauregard was a Confederate General during the American Civil War best known for his attack on Fort Sumter, thus starting the civil war. Beauregard was born May 28th 1818. His father was of French-Welsh descent and his mother from Spanish-Italian noble descent. Beauregard first language was French and he did not speak English until the age of 12. He attended the United States Military Academy where he trained as a civil engineer. Between 1848 and 1860, he built and maintained forts and other engineering projects.

Beauregard Starts The Civil War

Just before the Civil War began, Beauregard had a wealth of knowledge of fortifications and the Mississippi River which would benefit the Confederates. He was promoted up the ranks in the confederate Army by using his family connections which did not please his peers.
 
At Fort Sumter on April 12th 1861 Civil War began when Beauregard’s Confederate troops fired and the Union surrendered Fort Sumter. Beauregard was rewarded for his victory by Davis with the command of the Alexandria Line. By July 21st 1861, he was promoted to General for his leadership skills and bravery at the First Battle of Bull Run. He criticized Davis and politicians for interfering and said they had no authority over military senior commanders of the Confederate army. Davis was not happy, but because of the public opinion that Beauregard was a hero, Beauregard was promoted to second in command of the Army of Mississippi.

Beauregard At Shiloh

At Shiloh, the commander of the Army of Mississippi was killed and Beauregard put himself in charge. After continuous fighting, Beauregard was forced to withdraw. Politicians were angered when other officers informed them that it should have been a Confederate victory. Beauregard took sick leave without permission and was dismissed by Confederate President Jefferson Davis. Beauregard protested and was made commander of the Department of North Carolina and Southern Virginia in April 1864. He was best known for his defense of Petersburg. Beauregard was finally dismissed by Davis for his weak health in 1865.


 

Articles Featuring P.G.T. Beauregard From HistoryNet Magazines

[cat totalposts=’21’ category=’1280′ excerpt=’true’ order=’desc’ orderby=’post_date’]