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President of the CSA strikes me as a difficult, frustrating, sometimes impossible job. Davis takes a lot of flak, much of it deserved, but think of the challenge!
In the short bio you provided John, it describes Breckinridge as impartial in his duties as Speaker of the House, despite his own beliefs, and the intense controversies of the day. Maybe the quality: a combination of firmness, tact, and judgement would have served the CSA better than Davis's need to be always right(even though he was, in fact, often right).
To me, Davis' greatest flaw was his blind loyalty. He insisted on sticking with someone, even when evidence plainly showed that it was a bad idea. His devotion to Bragg amazes me.
Regards,
John W.
__________________ Ancestors in CSA Army: 51st VA, 54th VA, 45th VA, 50th VA, 24th VA
I love the section where it states that Breckinridge believed that Braxton Bragg was deliberately trying to get him killed at Stones River. Was Bragg trying to recreate a King David & Uriah the Hittite moment? Considering Bragg, it's very possible.
Before Bragg's Invasion of Kentucky in 1862, Bragg thought very highly of Breckinridge. Breckinridge and the Orphan Brigade were down at Baton Rouge at the time; Bragg wanted them for his invasion naturally enough, and the Kentuckians were dying to go. But red tape and the natural inclination of commanders to not let go of troops (especially good ones) blocked Breckinridge's departure. Weeks dragged by. Bragg eventually convinced himself that Breckinridge had deliberately delayed his departure, and lumped him in with all the other frustrations of the Kentucky Campaign, seemingly nursing that grudge for the rest of the war, and possibly his life.
Breckinridge arrived in Middle Tennessee to join forces with Bragg after his retreat from KY. The Army was boiling with criticism right then, and Breckinridge would certainly be right about Bragg's firey temper and simmering anger. Not sure if Bragg was actively trying to kill him, and would guess not, but there were few who could hold a grudge with the man.
To me, Davis' greatest flaw was his blind loyalty. He insisted on sticking with someone, even when evidence plainly showed that it was a bad idea. His devotion to Bragg amazes me.
He certainly stuck with him, but devotion is the wrong word. Davis does not seem to have liked him very much, and had a long and cantankerous feud with him in the 1850s when Bragg was an Artillery Captain and Davis was US Sec. of War. But then, Bragg feuded with everyone, having started with the head of the artillery branch and Winfield Scott when he was a junior Lieutenant in Florida. Davis, however, respected his ability and offered Bragg a post as Major of one of the new Cavalry regiments (the one where Lee was made Lt. Col.) Bragg, on a prolonged leave, stalled so long the regiment eventually asked if Bragg was ever going to show up. Bragg then resigned and used his new wife's money and his own efficiency to establish himself as a very successful planter in Louisiana.
Davis ran the war by stressing the appointment of West Point trained officers to high command. Bragg, with his impressive record in artillery and the Mexican War, was a natural for that. Plus, whatever anyone said about Bragg, no one doubted his self-discipline and dedication to the cause, both qualities Davis sought.
Before Bragg's Invasion of Kentucky in 1862, Bragg thought very highly of Breckinridge. Breckinridge and the Orphan Brigade were down at Baton Rouge at the time; Bragg wanted them for his invasion naturally enough, and the Kentuckians were dying to go. But red tape and the natural inclination of commanders to let go of troops (especially good ones) blocked Breckinridge's departure. Weeks dragged by. Bragg eventually convinced himself that Breckinridge had deliberately delayed his departure, and lumped him in with all the other frustrations of the Kentucky Campaign, seemingly nursing that grudge for the rest of the war, and possibly his life.
Breckinridge arrived in Middle Tennessee to join forces with Bragg after his retreat from KY. The Army was boiling with criticism right then, and Breckinridge would certainly be right about Bragg's firey temper and simmering anger. Not sure if Bragg was actively trying to kill him, and would guess not, but there were few who could hold a grudge with the man.
Regards,
Tim
All of the accounts that I have read of Bragg portray him as a petty, stubborn, and quarrelsome man. When he hated, he hated hard. I don't feel it's beyond comprehension to think that he would want Breckinridge out of the action, even if only to get him wounded and out of his way.
Regards,
John W.
__________________ Ancestors in CSA Army: 51st VA, 54th VA, 45th VA, 50th VA, 24th VA
Whoa, pard! That's pressing a line somewhere! All was good until "not beyond comprehension." Granted, Bragg was about as hateful a commander on either side in all theaters, but I can't see where even Bragg would have gone that far.
I could be wrong.
Ole
__________________ I never knew a man who wished to be himself a slave. Consider if you know any good thing that no man desires for himself. A. Lincoln
Whoa, pard! That's pressing a line somewhere! All was good until "not beyond comprehension." Granted, Bragg was about as hateful a commander on either side in all theaters, but I can't see where even Bragg would have gone that far.
I could be wrong.
Ole
Given his penchant for having his soldiers shot by firing squad for a wide range of offenses, who can say definitively?
Regards,
John W.
__________________ Ancestors in CSA Army: 51st VA, 54th VA, 45th VA, 50th VA, 24th VA
More on the pettiness and vindictiveness of Bragg:
"Bragg's curious personality had another side; ironically one that would often cause him to break with propriety by behaving rudely to superiors and committing acts of insubordination. Once while serving under Lieutenant Colonel William Gates at Fort Moultrie, South Carolina in 1843, he committed the impolitical act of being openly rude to his immediate superior in public. It seems that Gates had asked Bragg to join him for a drink at the officers' club one day. Bragg, a man of high moral character who despised his superior as a weak and inferior man, replied: "Colonel Gates, if you order me to drink a glass of wine with you, I shall have to do it."
Poor judgment was shown once again in 1844 when Bragg decided to extend his leave and remain in Washington to speak with concerned Congressmen about what he felt was wrong with the army, and, in particular, its commander Winfield Scott. He was court-martialed and punished for this offense, and at his military trial spent the balance of his allotted speaking time insulting Winfield Scott in an open forum, disregarding the fact that Scott's competence was not on trial. For this, Secretary of War Wilkins reprimanded him in a general order:
Lieutenant Bragg seems to be unmindful of what is due to the service and himself, as evinced even by the tone and scope of a portion of his defense. The disrespectful tenor of his remarks in reference to the Major General commanding the Army of the United States is not justified by the facts, and is highly disapproved. The Lieutenant is admonished to correct his error, lest its too frequent indulgence may become a confirmed and dangerous habit. -- Braxton Bragg and Confederate Defeat, by Grady McWhiney, published by Columbia University Press. "
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John W.
__________________ Ancestors in CSA Army: 51st VA, 54th VA, 45th VA, 50th VA, 24th VA
The bugger was a caution, wasn't he? Can we find a modern equivalent? The Politically correct might assign him to rationally challenged. He was a fruitcake. Gifted in some aspects, but when the dust settles, a fruitcake.
Now. Let's talk about his good qualities. He was pretty good at whipping recruits into soldiers. Any others?
Ole
__________________ I never knew a man who wished to be himself a slave. Consider if you know any good thing that no man desires for himself. A. Lincoln
Let's take it down to the begininnings. Bragg, although we don't know if he quarreled with his mother about what was offered, was from his first day on earth, quarrelsome. What sort of upbringing that implies, I have no idea, but the records show that when he got to West Point, he had already given evidence that everything anyone ever tried to tell him was up for a good debate if not a quarrel. He quarreled with his teachers, he quarreled with his superiors, and he may even quarreled with himself. So.
Where do we relegate this personality? Y'know, we have Beau, and JEJ. Lee and Stonewall. Even Davis hisself, but here, on the extreme edge is Bragg. Perhaps, somewhere in there was something that might have contributed to the Confederate cause. Have we missed it?
Ole
__________________ I never knew a man who wished to be himself a slave. Consider if you know any good thing that no man desires for himself. A. Lincoln
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