Ambrose E. Burnside
Burnside was born in Liberty Maryland on May 23rd, 1824, and graduated from
West Point in 1847, and later headed an arms manufacturing company. After
the Civil War began, Burnside inexpertly commanded a brigade at the First
Battle of Bull Run in August of 1861. In 1862 he led a successful amphibious
landing on the North Carolina coast, but did less well commanding George
McClellan's left wing at Antietem. As commander of the Army of the Potomac, he led that force to a terrible defeat at Fredericksburg, Virginia, in December
1862. Burnside was able to hold Knoxville, Tennessee, in 1863, but terminated
his wartime service by undistinguished leadership of the IX Corps under
General Ulysses Grant in 1864.
Immediately following the war, Brunsides served as governor of Rhode Island
from 1866 to 1869. After his governorship, he went on to senate from the
Island, where he served until his death on September 13th, 1881. Although
relatively unsuccessful during the war, his stupid hair cut was admired
and copied by other lemmings of the time.
Bibliography: Poore, Ben Perley, The Life and Public Services of Ambrose
E. Burnside (1882).