Braxton Bragg
General Braxton Bragg | |
---|---|
Born | Warrenton, North Carolina, U.S. | March 22, 1817
Died | September 27, 1876 Galveston, Texas, U.S. | (aged 59)
Buried | 30°40′30.3″N 88°03′45.7″W / 30.675083°N 88.062694°W |
Allegiance | United States Confederate States |
Service/ | United States Army Confederate States Army |
Years of service | 1837–1856 (USA) 1861–1865 (CSA) |
Rank | Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel (USA) General (CSA) |
Commands held | Army of Mississippi (1862) Army of Tennessee (1863) |
Battles/wars |
|
Alma mater | United States Military Academy |
Spouse(s) |
Eliza Brooks Ellis (m. 1849) |
Signature |
Braxton Bragg (March 22, 1817 – September 27, 1876) was an American army
Bragg, a native of
In June 1862, Bragg was elevated to command the Army of Mississippi (later known as the Army of Tennessee). He and
Bragg is generally considered among the worst generals of the Civil War. Most of the battles he engaged in ended in defeat. Bragg was extremely unpopular with both the officers and ordinary men under his command, who criticized him for numerous perceived faults, including poor battlefield strategy, a quick temper, and overzealous discipline. Bragg has a generally poor reputation with historians, though some point towards the failures of Bragg's subordinates, especially Major General and former Bishop Leonidas Polk—a close ally of Davis and known enemy of Bragg—as more significant factors in the many Confederate defeats under Bragg's command. The losses suffered by Bragg's forces are cited as highly consequential to the ultimate defeat of the Confederate States of America.
Early life and education
Braxton Bragg was born in
West Point
When Bragg was only ten years old, his father decided on a military career for him and sought ways to obtain a nomination to the
Military service
Early career
Bragg served in the Second Seminole War in Florida, initially as an assistant commissary officer and regimental adjutant, seeing no actual combat. He soon began to suffer from a series of illnesses that he blamed on the tropical climate. He sought a medical transfer and was briefly assigned to recruiting duty in Philadelphia, but in October 1840, he was ordered back to Florida. He became a company commander in the 3rd Artillery and commanded Fort Marion, near St. Augustine. In this assignment, he stayed relatively healthy but tended toward overwork, laboring administratively to improve the living conditions of his men. He launched a series of argumentative letters with senior Army officials, including the adjutant general and Army paymaster, that established his reputation as "disputatious".[6]
Bragg had a reputation for being a disciplinarian who strictly adhered to regulations. There is a famous, apocryphal story, included in Ulysses S. Grant's memoirs, about Bragg as a company commander at a frontier post where he also served as quartermaster. He submitted a requisition for supplies for his company, then, as quartermaster, declined to fill it. As company commander, he resubmitted the requisition, giving additional reasons for his requirements, but as the quartermaster, he denied the request again. Realizing that he was at a personal impasse, he referred the matter to the post commandant, who exclaimed, "My God, Mr. Bragg, you have quarreled with every officer in the army, and now you are quarreling with yourself!" While Grant did circulate the story, he admitted that he knew nothing of its truthfulness and no one else came forward to attest to its veracity.[7]
It is alleged that some of Bragg's troops attempted to assassinate him on two occasions in August and September 1847, but he was not injured either time. In the more serious of the two incidents, one of his soldiers exploded a 12-pound artillery shell underneath his cot. Although the cot was destroyed, somehow Bragg himself emerged without a scratch.[8] Bragg had suspicions about the perpetrator's identity but had insufficient evidence to bring charges. Later, an Army deserter named Samuel R. Church claimed responsibility for the attack.[9]
The 3rd Artillery relocated to
[His actions] established Bragg's distinction as the most cantankerous man in the army. He had been court-martialled and convicted; he had been censured by the Secretary of War, the adjutant general, and the commander of the Eastern division. No other junior officer could boast of so many high-ranking enemies. Both the commander of the Third Artillery and the commanding general of the United States Army hated Bragg. His future in his regiment and in the army seemed most uncertain.
Grady McWhiney, Braxton Bragg and Confederate Defeat[11]
Bragg's articles came to the attention of Representative
Mexican–American War
In the summer of 1845, Bragg and his artillery company were ordered to join Gen.
An anecdote circulated about Gen. Taylor commanding, "A little more of the grape, Capt. Bragg," which caused him to redouble his efforts and save the day. The stories are probably apocryphal and, according to the diary of Ethan Allen Hitchcock, Taylor's Chief of Staff (and recent son-in-law) Maj. William Bliss confirmed that "the stories of the General in connection with Bragg are all false. He never said, 'A little more grape, Captain Bragg,' nor did he say, 'Major Bliss and I will support you.'"[14][15] Nevertheless, Bragg returned to the United States as a popular hero. A northwestern outpost, Fort Bragg, California, was named in his honor. The citizens of Warrenton presented him with a ceremonial sword. Congressman David Outlaw wrote about the honor: "Col. Bragg having, no thanks to them, won for himself a brilliant reputation, is now the object of the most fulsome adulation. Those who formerly sneered at the Braggs as plebeians, as unfit associates for them, they are glad to honor. With what scorn must Col. Bragg, in his secret heart regard them." Bragg traveled to New York, Washington, Mobile, and New Orleans, and in each place, he was honored.[16]
On December 31, 1855, Bragg submitted his resignation from the Army, which became effective on January 3, 1856. He and his wife purchased a sugar plantation of 1,600 acres (6.5 km2) 3 miles (4.8 km) north of Thibodaux, Louisiana. Never one to oppose slavery in concept—his father and wife were enslavers—he used 105 enslaved African-Americans on his property. He continued to uphold his reputation as a stern disciplinarian and an advocate of military efficiency. His methods resulted in almost immediate profitability, despite a large mortgage on the property. He became active in local politics and was elected to the Board of Public Works in 1860. Throughout the 1850s, Bragg had been disturbed by the accelerating sectional crisis. He opposed the concept of secession, believing that no majority could set aside a written constitution in a republic, but this belief would soon be tested.[17]
American Civil War
[Bragg] was the only General in command of an Army who has shown himself equal to the management of volunteers and at the same time commanded their love and respect.
Confederate President Jefferson Davis[19]
Before the start of the Civil War, Bragg was a
In December, President Davis asked Bragg to take command of the Trans-Mississippi Department, but Bragg declined. He was concerned about the prospects of victory west of the Mississippi River and the poorly supplied and ill-disciplined troops there. He was also experiencing one of the periodic episodes of ill health that would plague him throughout the war. For years he had suffered from rheumatism, dyspepsia, nerves, and severe migraine headaches, which undoubtedly contributed to his disagreeable personal style. The command went to Earl Van Dorn. Bragg proposed to Davis that he change his strategy of attempting to defend every square mile of Confederate territory, recommending that his troops were of less value on the Gulf Coast than they would be farther to the north, concentrated with other forces for an attack against the Union Army in Tennessee. Bragg transported about 10,000 men to Corinth, Mississippi, in February 1862 and was charged with improving the poor discipline of the Confederate troops already assembled under General Albert Sidney Johnston.[24]
Battle of Shiloh
Bragg commanded a corps (and was also chief of staff) under Johnston at the Battle of Shiloh, April 6–7, 1862. In the initial surprise Confederate advance, Bragg's corps was ordered to attack in a line almost 3 miles (4.8 km) long, but he soon began directing activities of the units that found themselves around the center of the battlefield. His men became bogged down against a Union salient called the Hornet's Nest, which he attacked for hours with piecemeal frontal assaults. After Johnston was killed in the battle, General P. G. T. Beauregard assumed command and appointed Bragg his second in command. Bragg was dismayed when Beauregard called off a late afternoon assault against the Union's final position, which was vigorously defended, calling it their last opportunity for victory. On the second day of battle, the Union army counterattacked, and the Confederates retreated to Corinth.[25]
Bragg received public praise for his conduct in the battle. On April 12, 1862, Jefferson Davis appointed Bragg a full
Battle of Perryville
In August 1862, Confederate Maj. Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith decided to invade Kentucky from Eastern Tennessee, hoping that he could arouse supporters of the Confederate cause in the border state and draw the Union forces under Maj. Gen. Don Carlos Buell, beyond the Ohio River. Bragg considered various options, including an attempt to retake Corinth or to advance against Buell's army through Middle Tennessee. He eventually heeded Kirby Smith's calls for reinforcement and decided to relocate his Army of Mississippi to join him. He moved 30,000 soldiers in a tortuous railroad journey from Tupelo through Mobile and Montgomery to Chattanooga, while his cavalry and artillery moved by road. Although Bragg was the senior general in the theater, President Davis had established Kirby Smith's Department of East Tennessee as an independent command, reporting directly to Richmond. This decision caused Bragg difficulty during the campaign.[28]
Smith and Bragg met in Chattanooga on 31 July 1862. They devised a plan for the campaign: Kirby Smith's Army of Kentucky would first march into Kentucky to dispose of the Union defenders of Cumberland Gap. (Bragg's army was too exhausted from its long journey to begin immediate offensive operations.) Smith would return to join Bragg, and their combined forces would attempt to maneuver into Buell's rear and force a battle to protect his supply lines. Once the armies were combined, Bragg's seniority would apply, and Smith would be under his direct command. Assuming that Buell's army could be destroyed, Bragg and Smith would march farther north into Kentucky, a movement they assumed would be welcomed by the local populace. Any remaining Federal force would be defeated in a grand battle in Kentucky, establishing the Confederate frontier at the Ohio River.[29]
On August 9, Smith informed Bragg that he was breaking the agreement and intended to bypass Cumberland Gap, leaving a small holding force to neutralize the Union garrison and move north. Unable to command Smith to honor their plan, Bragg focused on a movement to Lexington instead of Nashville. He cautioned Smith that Buell could pursue and defeat his smaller army before Bragg's army could join them.[30]
Bragg departed from Chattanooga on August 27, just before Smith reached Lexington. On the way, he was distracted by the capture of a Union fort at Munfordville. He had to decide whether to continue toward a fight with Buell (over Louisville) or rejoin Smith, who had gained control of the center of the state by capturing Richmond and Lexington and threatened to move on Cincinnati. Bragg chose to rejoin Smith. He left his army and met Smith in Frankfort, where they attended the inauguration of Confederate Governor Richard Hawes on October 4. The inauguration ceremony was disrupted by the sound of approaching Union cannon fire, and the organizers canceled the inaugural ball scheduled for that evening.[31]
On October 8, the armies met unexpectedly at the Battle of Perryville; they had skirmished the previous day as they were searching for nearby water sources. Bragg ordered the wing of his army under Maj. Gen. Leonidas Polk to attack what he thought was an isolated portion of Buell's command but had difficulty motivating Polk to begin the fight until Bragg arrived in person. Eventually, Polk attacked the corps of Maj. Gen. Alexander M. McCook on the Union army's left flank and forced it to fall back. By the end of the day, McCook had been driven back about a mile, but reinforcements had arrived to stabilize the line, and Bragg only then began to realize that his limited tactical victory in the bloody battle had been against less than half of Buell's army and the remainder was arriving quickly.[32]
Kirby Smith pleaded with Bragg to follow up on his success: "For God's sake, General, let us fight Buell here." Bragg replied, "I will do it, sir," but then displayed what one observer called "a perplexity and vacillation which had now become simply appalling to Smith, to
Battle of Stones River
Bragg renamed his force the
While Washington breathed a sigh of relief after Stones River, dissension came to a head in the Army of Tennessee. All of Bragg's corps and division commanders expressed a lack of confidence in their chief. Senior Generals William J. Hardee and Leonidas Polk asked Davis to put Johnston in command of the army. Division commander B. Franklin Cheatham vowed he would never again serve under Bragg. Breckinridge wanted to challenge Bragg to a duel. Bragg struck back, court-martialing one division commander (McCown) for disobeying orders, accusing another (Cheatham) of drunkenness during the battle, and blaming Breckinridge for inept leadership. This internecine donnybrook threatened to do more damage to the army than the Yankees had done. Disheartened, Bragg told a friend that it might "be better for the President to send someone to relieve me," and wrote Davis to the same effect.
James M. McPherson, Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era[37]
Bragg's generals were vocal in their dissatisfaction with his command during the Kentucky campaign and Stones River. He reacted to the rumors of criticism by circulating a letter to his corps and division commanders that asked them to confirm in writing that they had recommended withdrawing after the latter battle, stating that if he had misunderstood them and withdrawn mistakenly, he would willingly step down. Unfortunately, he wrote the letter when several of his most faithful supporters were on leave for illness or wounds.[38] Bragg's critics, including William J. Hardee, interpreted the letter as having an implied secondary question—had Bragg lost the confidence of his senior commanders? Leonidas Polk did not reply to the implied question but wrote directly to his friend, Jefferson Davis, recommending that Bragg be replaced.[39]
Davis responded to the complaints by dispatching Gen. Joseph E. Johnston to investigate the army's condition. Davis assumed that Johnston, Bragg's superior, would find the situation wanting and take command of the army in the field, easing Bragg aside. However, Johnston arrived on the scene and found the men of the Army of Tennessee in relatively good condition. He told Bragg he had "the best organized, armed, equipped, and disciplined army in the Confederacy."[40] Johnston explicitly refused any suggestion that he take command, concerned that people would think he had taken advantage of the situation for his own personal gain. When Davis ordered Johnston to send Bragg to Richmond, Johnston delayed because of Elise Bragg's illness; when her health improved, Johnston could not assume command because of lingering medical problems from his wound at the Battle of Seven Pines in 1862.[41]
Tullahoma Campaign
As Bragg's army fortified Tullahoma, Rosecrans spent the next six months in Murfreesboro, resupplying and retraining his army to resume its advance. Rosecrans's initial movements on June 23, 1863, surprised Bragg. While keeping Polk's corps occupied with small actions in the center of the Confederate line, Rosecrans sent the majority of his army around Bragg's right flank. Bragg was slow to react, and his subordinates were typically uncooperative: the mistrust among the Army of Tennessee general officers for the past months led to little direct communication about strategy, and neither Polk nor Hardee had a firm understanding of Bragg's plans. As the Union army outmaneuvered the Confederates, Bragg was forced to abandon Tullahoma and, on July 4, retreated behind the Tennessee River. Tullahoma is recognized as a "brilliant" campaign for Rosecrans, achieving his goal of driving Bragg from Middle Tennessee with minimal losses. Judith Hallock wrote that Bragg was "outfoxed" and that his ill health may have been partially to blame for his performance. Still, her overall assessment was that he performed credibly during the retreat from Tullahoma, keeping his army intact under difficult circumstances.[42]
Although the Army of Tennessee had about 52,000 men at the end of July, the Confederate government merged the Department of East Tennessee, under Maj. Gen.
In early August, the Confederate War Department asked Bragg if he could assume the offensive against Rosecrans if he were given reinforcements from Mississippi. He demurred, concerned about the daunting geographical obstacles and logistical challenges, preferring to wait for Rosecrans to solve those same problems and attack him.
Battle of Chickamauga
After Rosecrans had consolidated his gains and secured his hold in Chattanooga, he began moving his army into northern Georgia in pursuit of Bragg. Bragg continued to suffer from the conduct of his subordinates, who were not attentive to his orders. On September 10, Maj. Gens.
After the battle, Rosecrans's Army of the Cumberland retreated to Chattanooga, where Bragg laid siege to the city. He began to wage a battle against the subordinates he resented for failing him in the campaign—Hindman for his lack of action in McLemore's Cove and Polk for delaying the morning attack Bragg ordered on September 20. On September 29, Bragg suspended both officers from their commands. In early October, an attempted mutiny of Bragg's subordinates resulted in D. H. Hill being relieved from his command. Longstreet was dispatched with his corps to the Knoxville Campaign against Ambrose Burnside, seriously weakening Bragg's army at Chattanooga.[49]
Some of Bragg's subordinate generals were frustrated at what they perceived to be his lack of willingness to exploit the victory by pursuing the Union army toward Chattanooga and destroying it. Polk, in particular, was outraged at being relieved of command. The dissidents, including many division and corps commanders, met secretly and prepared a petition to President Jefferson Davis. Although the petition's author is unknown, historians suspect it was Simon Buckner, whose signature was first on the list.[50] Lt. Gen. James Longstreet wrote to the Secretary of War with the prediction that "nothing but the hand of God can save us or help us as long as we have our present commander." With the Army of Tennessee literally on the verge of mutiny, Jefferson Davis reluctantly traveled to Chattanooga to assess the situation and try to stem the tide of dissent in the army. Although Bragg offered to resign to resolve the crisis,[51] Davis eventually decided to leave Bragg in command, denounced the other generals, and termed their complaints "shafts of malice".[52]
Battles for Chattanooga
While Bragg fought with his subordinates and reduced his force by dispatching Longstreet to Knoxville, the besieged Union army received a new commander—Maj. Gen.
Advisor to the President
Davis relied heavily upon Bragg's understanding of military affairs and institutions. Although he did not always agree with Bragg, Davis consistently sought his expertise and opinion on a variety of matters. By untiringly assuming many of the duties and much of the criticism that had burdened and perplexed Davis, Bragg eased some of the president's vexations. In the process he maintained old enmities and created many new ones.
Judith Lee Hallock, Braxton Bragg and Confederate Defeat, Volume II[54]
In February 1864, Bragg was summoned to Richmond for consultation with Davis. The orders for his new assignment on February 24 read that he was "charged with the conduct of military operations of the Confederate States", but he was essentially Davis's military adviser or chief of staff without a direct command, a post once held by Robert E. Lee. Bragg used his organizational abilities to reduce corruption and improve the supply system. He took over responsibility for administrating the military prison system and its hospitals. He reshaped the Confederacy's conscription process by streamlining the chain of command and reducing conscripts' avenues of appeal. During his tenure in Richmond, he had numerous quarrels with significant figures, including the Secretary of War, the Commissary General, members of Congress, the press, and many of his fellow generals; the exception to the latter was Robert E. Lee, who treated Bragg politely and with deference and who had, Bragg knew, an exceptionally close relationship with the president.[55]
In May, while Lee was defending against Ulysses S. Grant's
Operations in North Carolina
In October 1864, President Davis sent Bragg to assume temporary command of the defenses of Wilmington, North Carolina. His responsibility was soon increased at the recommendation of Robert E. Lee to include all of the Department of North Carolina and Southern Virginia. In November, with William T. Sherman's March to the Sea underway, Davis ordered him to the defenses of Augusta, Georgia, and then to Savannah, Georgia, Charleston, South Carolina, and in January 1865, the defenses of Wilmington again. The Confederates successfully repulsed the first Union attempt to capture Fort Fisher, which dominated the seaborne supply line to Wilmington. However, Bragg's performance in the Second Battle of Fort Fisher was poor when the Union returned in January. He assumed that the first failed siege meant the fort was invulnerable, but poor communication and planning from the U.S. forces had played a large role. Thus, he did not come to the fort's assistance after it was attacked the second time. In February, the Confederates were forced to evacuate Wilmington, their last remaining seaport on the Atlantic coast.[57]
Bragg's now-fragile military career began to crumble around him. To his disgust, Joseph E. Johnston returned to service to command the remnants of the Army of Tennessee and other forces defending against Sherman in North Carolina. At about the same time, Bragg lost his position as military adviser to Davis when Robert E. Lee was promoted to be general in chief of all the Confederate armies in February, and
Later life and death
Bragg and Eliza had lost their home in late 1862 when the United States Army confiscated the plantation in
On September 27, 1876, at the age of 59, Bragg was walking down a street with a friend in Galveston, Texas, when he suddenly fell over unconscious. Dragged into a drugstore, he was dead within 10 to 15 minutes. A physician familiar with his history believed that he "died by the brain" (or of "paralysis of the brain"), suffering from the degeneration of cerebral blood vessels. An inquest ruled that his death was due to "fatal syncope" possibly induced by organic disease of the heart. He is buried in Magnolia Cemetery, Mobile, Alabama.[60]
Personal life
On his celebratory tour, Bragg visited
In June 1863, Bragg received religious instruction and was baptized into the Episcopal Church in Shelbyville, Tennessee.[63]
Historical reputation
James M. McPherson's reference to "the bumblers like Bragg and Pemberton and Hood who lost the West"[64] sums up the judgment of many modern historians. Bragg's shortcomings as an army commander included his unimaginative tactics, mostly his reliance on frontal assault (such as the Hornet's Nest at Shiloh, Breckinridge's assault at Stones River, and numerous instances at Chickamauga), and his lack of post-battle follow-up that turned tactical victories or draws into strategic disappointments (Perryville and Chickamauga). His sour disposition, a penchant for blaming others for defeat, and poor interpersonal skills undoubtedly caused him to be criticized more directly than many of his unsuccessful contemporaries. Peter Cozzens wrote about his relationship with subordinates:[65]
Even Bragg's staunchest supporters admonished him for his quick temper, general irritability, and tendency to wound innocent men with barbs thrown during his frequent fits of anger. His reluctance to praise or flatter was exceeded, we are told, only by the tenacity with which, once formed, he clung to an adverse impression of a subordinate. For such officers—and they were many in the Army of Mississippi—Bragg's removal or their transfer were the only alternatives to an unbearable existence.
— Peter Cozzens, No Better Place to Die: The Battle of Stones River
One private, Sam Watkins, who later became a professional writer, said in his memoirs that "None of Bragg's men soldiers ever loved him. They had no faith in his ability as a general. He was looked upon as a merciless tyrant ... He loved to crush the spirit of the men." Historian Ty Seidule says that Bragg's battles often ended in defeat because of his insistence on direct frontal assaults and his "uncanny ability to turn minor wins and losses into strategic defeats."[66]
Some counterarguments have emerged in recent years. Judith Lee Hallock called the blaming of Bragg for Confederate defeats in the west the "Bragg syndrome." While most agree he was not a particularly good army commander, historians such as Hallock and Steven E. Woodworth cite his skills as an organizer and argue that his defeat in several battles can also be partially blamed upon bad luck and incompetent subordinates, notably Polk. Of his troublesome subordinates, Hardee was considered a solid soldier even by Bragg. Although personally brave and charismatic, Polk was simply an average tactician known for piecemeal attacks and was seriously insubordinate.[67] However, he was a close friend of Davis, who was unwilling to relieve him. Woodworth claims that Bragg also never received the support Davis gave to Robert E. Lee and Sidney Johnston.[68]
Historians Grady McWhiney and Woodworth have stated that, contrary to popular belief, Davis and Bragg were not friends, having bitterly quarreled during the antebellum years.[69] Davis was impressed with Bragg's qualifications for high command early in the war but was willing to relieve him by 1863. Judith Hallock noted mutual admiration between Davis and Bragg during his assignment in Richmond, perhaps because Bragg respected the president.[70] Post-Civil War, Bragg's relationship with Davis grew stronger. He regularly addressed his letters to Davis as "Your Friend" and worked with Davis in the Carolina Insurance Company.[71]
Legacy
The following places in the United States are or were named for Bragg:
- Bragg, Texas – ghost town founded in 1902 and disappeared by the 1930s
- Fort Bragg, California – city founded in 1857 and named by Horatio Gates Gibson in honor of Bragg's exploits in the Mexican-American war prior to the Civil War.[72]
- Fort Bragg – a military post in North Carolina, founded in 1918 as Camp Bragg (later Fort Bragg), but renamed Fort Liberty in 2023
See also
- List of American Civil War generals
- List of people from North Carolina
- List of United States Military Academy alumni
References
Notes
- ^ Eicher, p. 140; Warner, p. 30; Woodworth, Jefferson Davis and His Generals, p. 92.
- ^ Owen, Thomas McAdory (1921) History of Alabama and Dictionary of Alabama Biography, Volume 3 (1921), p. 203.
- ^ "About the name Bragg". Brian H. Bragg. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
- ^ McWhiney, pp. 1–3.
- ^ McWhiney, pp. 5–9, 24–25; Eicher, p. 140.
- ^ McWhiney, pp. 26–33.
- ISBN 9781469628769.
- ^ Confirmed by Bragg himself. See Battles and Leaders of the Civil War Vol.III p.604 footnote
- ^ Woodworth, Jefferson Davis and His Generals, p. 92; McWhiney, pp. 33–34, 97–98; Foote, p. 567; Eicher, p. 140.
- ^ McWhiney, pp. 34–38.
- ^ McWhiney, p. 51.
- ^ McWhiney, pp. 39–51.
- ^ Woodworth, Jefferson Davis and His Generals, p. 92; McWhiney, pp. 52–88; Eicher, p. 140.
- ^ According to Bragg, Taylor's orders to him were, "Captain, Give them Hell". See "Battles and Leaders of the Civil War" Vol. III .p.605 Footnote]
- ^ Hitchock, Ethan Allen (1909). Croffut, W. A. (ed.). Fifty Years in Camp and Field, Diary of Major-General Ethan Allen Hitchcock, U.S.A. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons. p. 349.
- ^ Woodworth, Jefferson Davis and His Generals, p. 92; McWhiney, pp. 90–93, 101–102.
- ^ McWhiney, pp. 141–43, 149; Eicher, p. 140.
- ^ This photograph is entitled "Braxton Bragg, CSA" by the Library of Congress and is dated 1860–70. His dark uniform displays the three stars of a Confederate colonel on his collar and the single star of a U.S. brigadier general on the shoulder boards, so this photograph was likely taken very early in the war.
- ^ Woodworth, Jefferson Davis and His Generals, p. 93.
- ^ Woodworth, Jefferson Davis and His Generals, p. 94; McWhiney, pp. 150–52; 157–73, 190; Hewitt, pp. 113–14; Eicher, p. 141.
- ^ Confederate Military History, Vol XI, pps. 175-6; OR Series 1 – Volume 53, Chapter LXV, pps. 230-1, 239–240; NARA Microfilm M861 Roll 11; "Supplement to the Official Records"
- ^ National Park Service, The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System Archived December 3, 2010, at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ "Georgia 5th Infantry Regiment". ResearchOnLine. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
- ^ McWhiney, pp. 179, 197–203; Woodworth, Jefferson Davis and His Generals, p. 94.
- ^ Daniel, p. 213; McWhiney, pp. 214–15, 235–43, 247.
- ^ Eicher, pp. 787, 807. Seven generals were appointed in the CSA; John Bell Hood held temporary general rank, which the Confederate Congress did not confirm.
- ^ Woodworth, Jefferson Davis and His Generals, pp. 105–106; McWhiney, pp. 253, 260; Eicher, p. 141. At Shiloh, the army was called the Army of the Mississippi, deviating from the general rule that only Union armies were named after rivers. It was also sometimes referred to as the Army of the West. Post-war, the army has been retrospectively called the Army of Mississippi. On November 20, the command was redesignated the Army of Tennessee.
- ^ Woodworth, Jefferson Davis and His Generals, pp. 135–36; Noe, pp. 25–30, 33; McWhiney, pp. 266–71.
- ^ Noe, pp. 31–32; Woodworth, Jefferson Davis and His Generals, pp. 136–37.
- ^ Noe, pp. 34–35; Woodworth, Jefferson Davis and His Generals, pp. 137–38.
- ^ Noe, p. 129; McWhiney, p. 307.
- ^ Hewitt, p. 114; Woodworth, Jefferson Davis and His Generals, p. 158; McWhiney, pp. 310–20.
- ^ Foote, p. 740.
- ^ Foote, p. 739.
- ^ McDonough, pp. 304–14; McWhiney, pp. 325–30.
- ^ McWhiney, pp. 350–71; Woodworth, Jefferson Davis and His Generals, pp. 187–94.
- ^ McPherson, p. 583.
- ^ McWhiney, p. 377, lists six of "Bragg's strongest partisans" as Jones M. Withers, Daniel W. Adams, James R. Chalmers, Marcus J. Wright, Edward C. Walthall, and Zachary C. Deas.
- ^ Woodworth, Jefferson Davis and His Generals, pp. 195–97; McWhiney, pp. 376–79.
- ^ Connelly, pp. 77–80.
- ^ McWhiney, pp. 379–88; Connelly, pp. 85–86.
- ^ Woodworth, Six Armies in Tennessee, pp. 19–46; Hallock, pp. 14–27.
- ^ Cozzens, This Terrible Sound, pp. 87–89.
- ^ Hallock, p. 44; Cozzens, This Terrible Sound, pp. 156–58.
- ^ Cozzens, This Terrible Sound, p. 155.
- ^ Woodworth, Six Armies in Tennessee, p. 50.
- ^ Woodworth, Six Armies in Tennessee, pp. 52–67; Hallock, pp. 44–53; Cozzens, This Terrible Sound, pp. 163–65.
- ^ Hallock, pp. 47–87; Woodworth, Six Armies in Tennessee, pp. 79–128.
- ^ Hallock, pp. 87, 90; Cozzens, This Terrible Sound, pp. 525, 529–35; Woodworth, Six Armies in Tennessee, p. 146; Connelly, pp. 234–35.
- ^ Woodworth, Jefferson Davis and His Generals, p. 240.
- ^ Woodworth, Jefferson Davis and His Generals, p. 241.
- ^ Woodworth, Jefferson Davis and His Generals, p. 244.
- ^ Hallock, pp. 127–49; Woodworth, Jefferson Davis and His Generals, pp. 245–57.
- ^ Hallock, pp. 186–87.
- ^ Hallock, pp. 163–64, 171–79, 204–208; Eicher, p. 141; Woodworth, Jefferson Davis and His Generals, p. 256.
- ^ Hallock, pp. 180–84, 202; Woodworth, Jefferson Davis and His Generals, pp. 277, 282–85.
- ^ Hallock, pp. 220–45.
- ^ Hallock, pp. 246–59; Eicher, p. 141.
- ^ Hallock, pp. 260–64.
- ISBN 978-0-87338-853-5; Hallock, pp. 265–66.
- ^ Seebold, Herman Boehm de Bachellé (1941) Old Louisiana Plantation Homes and Family Trees v.1. New Orleans: Pelican Press. p.223
- ^ McWhiney, pp. 108, 118, 121, 136–38.
- ^ Greenwalt, Phill (October 16, 2012). "Examining Braxton Bragg". Emerging Civil War. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
- ^ McPherson, p. 857.
- ^ Cozzens, No Better Place to Die, p. 4.
- ISBN 9781250239266
- ^ Woodworth, Jefferson Davis and His Generals, pp. 29–30.
- ^ Woodworth, Jefferson Davis and His Generals, p. 309.
- ^ Woodworth, Jefferson Davis and His Generals, pp. 92–93. Woodworth wrote, "Despite the dangers and privations they had shared in Mexico and the fact that each admired the other's conduct on the field of battle, there was little kind feeling between Braxton Bragg and Jefferson Davis."
- ^ Hallock, p. 204.
- ISBN 978-1-4696-2875-2.
- ^ "Fort Bragg". Office of Historic Preservation, California State Parks. Retrieved October 9, 2012.
Bibliography
- Connelly, Thomas L. Autumn of Glory: The Army of Tennessee 1862–1865. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1971. ISBN 0-8071-2738-8.
- Cozzens, Peter. No Better Place to Die: The Battle of Stones River. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1990. ISBN 0-252-01652-1.
- Cozzens, Peter. This Terrible Sound: The Battle of Chickamauga. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1992. ISBN 0-252-02236-X.
- Eicher, John H., and ISBN 0-8047-3641-3.
- ISBN 0-394-49517-9.
- Hess, Earl J. Braxton Bragg: The Most Hated Man of the Confederacy. University of North Carolina Press, 2016. ISBN 1469628759
- Hallock, Judith Lee. Braxton Bragg and Confederate Defeat. Vol. 2. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 1991. ISBN 0-8173-0543-2.
- Hewitt, Lawrence L. "Braxton Bragg." In The Confederate General, vol. 1, edited by ISBN 0-918678-63-3.
- Martin, Samuel J. General Braxton Bragg, C.S.A.. McFarland: First edition, 2011. ISBN 978-0786459346.
- McDonough, James Lee. War in Kentucky: From Shiloh to Perryville. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 1994. ISBN 0-87049-847-9.
- ISBN 0-19-503863-0.
- ISBN 0-8173-0545-9.
- Noe, Kenneth W. Perryville: This Grand Havoc of Battle. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 2001. ISBN 978-0-8131-2209-0.
- Sword, Wiley. Shiloh: Bloody April. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 1992. ISBN 0-7006-0650-5. First published in 1974 by Morrow.
- Warner, Ezra J. Generals in Gray: Lives of the Confederate Commanders. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1959. ISBN 0-8071-0823-5.
- ISBN 0-7006-0461-8.
- ISBN 0-8032-9813-7.
Further reading
- Connelly, Thomas L. Army of the Heartland: The Army of Tennessee 1861–1862. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1967. ISBN 0-8071-2737-X.
- Cozzens, Peter. The Shipwreck of Their Hopes: The Battles for Chattanooga. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1994. ISBN 0-252-01922-9.
- Cunningham, O. Edward. Shiloh and the Western Campaign of 1862. Edited by Gary Joiner and Timothy Smith. New York: Savas Beatie, 2007. ISBN 978-1-932714-27-2.
- Daniel, Larry J. Soldiering in the Army of Tennessee: A Portrait of Life in a Confederate Army. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1991, ISBN 0-8078-5552-9.
- Dupuy, Trevor N., Curt Johnson, and David L. Bongard. The Harper Encyclopedia of Military Biography. New York: HarperCollins, 1992. ISBN 978-0-06-270015-5.
- Hafendorfer, Kenneth A. Perryville: Battle for Kentucky. Louisville, KY: K. H. Press, 1991. OCLC 24623062.
- Horn, Stanley F. The Army of Tennessee: A Military History. Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill, 1941. OCLC 2153322.
- McDonough, James Lee. Stones River: Bloody Winter In Tennessee. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 1980. ISBN 0-87049-373-6.
- McMurry, Richard M. Two Great Rebel Armies. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1989. ISBN 0-8078-1819-4.
- Prokopowicz, Gerald J. All for the Regiment: The Army of the Ohio, 1861–1862. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2001. ISBN 0-8078-2626-X.
- ISBN 0-313-29560-3.
External links
- Braxton Bragg at the Civil War Trust
- Braxton Bragg at Find a Grave
- Braxton Bragg at The Historical Marker Database (HMdb.org)
- Braxton Bragg at NCpedia (ncpedia.org)
- Braxton Bragg Papers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Braxton Bragg Papers at the University of Texas at Austin
- Braxton Bragg Papers at the University of West Florida
- Braxton Bragg Papers at the Western Reserve Historical Society
- Braxton Bragg Correspondence at Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library