Civil War History - The South & Western TheatersCheck this forum for all South and Western Theater Questions. Included are the Western, Pacific, Trans-Mississippi, & Lower Seaboard and Gulf Approach Theaters.
A point about your reference to the election. It seems you believe that somehow the election might have been impacted by what happened AFTER Atlanta, specifically in October 1864. To be perfectly honest, you are the first person I can think of who has ever made that argument. You may have some foundation, but I think as far as Lincoln is concerned the die was cast after Sherman took Atlanta. So essentially Hood, and Davis and Beauregard as well, are left with a long shot. Politically they are dead. Militarily, you take a shot at running the table and maybe you get Nashville. Following Sherman bears no fruit.
Anyone can read into this however they could like, but it does seem that Grant would prefer Hood to be dealt with rather than have Sherman marching across Georgia. In fact, Grant doesn't even want Hood north of the Tennessee River. Other letters written by Grant also display his lukewarm support for Sherman's march. Also interesting is that Grant supposes precisely what Hood thought - that more damage might be done to the Federal effort by moving into Tennessee than anything Sherman could do in Georgia.
I was under the impression that Grant whole heartedly supported Sherman's march. I thought it was his original plan for attacking West to East in the deep south while he was presssing Lee agianst Richmond in the north.
This was the plan Grant was coming up with after Vicksburg:
"The next step in this process of dismemberment, he urged, should be isolation of that area westward of the line Chattanooga-Atlanta-Montgomery-Mobile. This was to be accomplished by a massive rear attack through the soft underbelly of the Confederacy. Supported by water transportation based on New Orleans and protected by the Navy, Grant intended to lead his veteran Army of Tennessee through Mobile and up the Alabama River toward Montgomery. Meanwhile, Rosecrans' Army of the Cumberland was to proceed across the Tennessee River into northern Georgia and push towards Atlanta." (emphasis mine)
Taken from The Wilderness Campaign written by Edward Steere.
This was his grand strategy before he was appointed supreme commander and moved north to the AoP. Seems to be Sherman's March is exactly what Grant wanted, even if the rest of the plan didn't go as stated.
__________________ "In mortal combat, a man may and will become so infuriated by the din and dangers of a bloody fight that his heart will turn to stone and his every de sire [be] for blood."
John Hadley, 7th Indiana after the battle at Port Republic
Actually there is ample evidence that Sherman had to sell his march from Atlanta to the coast to Grant. The Official Records contain a number of such exchanges between the two. Obviously, the thread is about Hood's Tennesse Campaign. As the author of For Cause & For Country: A Study of the Affair at Spring Hill and the Battle of Franklin, I spent about 10 years doing research and discovered that much of what had been said about Hood was, if not patently false, offered no objectivity or context. I never set out to be a Hood defender, and don't consider myself that today, but in an effort to offer balance I will try to set forth what the facts are, not just what folks have heard repeatedly. If you have any interest in this particular campaign you might find my book eye opening, not just in regards to Hood, but to Schofield, Thomas, the Federal army, and the fateful battles on Nov 29 and Nov 30, 1864.
Actually I am interested in this topic, and I have already looked into getting your book.. will probably have it with in a month
__________________ "In mortal combat, a man may and will become so infuriated by the din and dangers of a bloody fight that his heart will turn to stone and his every de sire [be] for blood."
John Hadley, 7th Indiana after the battle at Port Republic
Seems to be Sherman's March is exactly what Grant wanted, even if the rest of the plan didn't go as stated.
When Grant began his rise and his movements, it was understood that the Mississippi was to be opened and then the states east of that river were to be rolled up and occupied with west-to-east drives.
Sherman's march looks to be part of that grand strategy, but I don't think it is. It wasn't until he stepped off that the destination was determined. Before then, he just wanted to move east or south or southeast. There was no thought to occupy or reconstruct or destroy an enemy army; it was to be breaking fingers until the Confederacy hollered uncle.
The rolling up had been done. Lee wasn't going anywhere; Hood was a threat only to Nashville; Sherman was to demonstrate that the war was over. All that remained was to make Jeff Davis admit 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
Dred, I highly recommend another book which is a thorough biography of John Bell Hood that deals with his life prior to the war, his love (which was part of his problem), his actions in combat, and his political relationship to Davis. Much is explained about him that backs up many if not all of Eric's conclusions.
JOHN BELL HOOD AND THE WAR FOR SOUTHERN INDEPENDENCE
Richard M. McMurry
University of Nebraska Press 1982
__________________ Ancestors in US Army: 13th TN Cav; 10th TN Cav; 3rd NC Inf
Ancestors in CSA Army: 48th VA; 63rd VA, 5th NC Cav; 37th NC
Wife and Grandson's CSA: 15th AL, 51st GA, 41st TN; 36th TN; GA Mil 1197 Dist
Actually there is ample evidence that Sherman had to sell his march from Atlanta to the coast to Grant. The Official Records contain a number of such exchanges between the two.
It is clear that Grant vascillates between 'attaching' Sherman to Hood or letting him go off to the sea. Sherman is clearly selling it to Grant.
When Hood leaves Gadsen and starts to march west, I think Sherman fully knows and decides to ignore it so that he can tell Grant that he can't do anything about Hood anyway.
A point about your reference to the election. It seems you believe that somehow the election might have been impacted by what happened AFTER Atlanta, specifically in October 1864. To be perfectly honest, you are the first person I can think of who has ever made that argument. You may have some foundation, but I think as far as Lincoln is concerned the die was cast after Sherman took Atlanta. So essentially Hood, and Davis and Beauregard as well, are left with a long shot. Politically they are dead. Militarily, you take a shot at running the table and maybe you get Nashville. Following Sherman bears no fruit.
Actually we really don't disagree that much on the topic. Whereas above, you write that they are politically dead, hence they should take the military long shot; I would say that they are militarily dead and should take the 'political' long shot.
So, actually I really don't think Hood has much of a shot at actually affecting the outcome of the election post-Atlanta, but again that is not really quite my point; my point is that any last ditch effort SHOULD be directed at at least trying. And going after Sherman almost certainely lead to a defeat.
Most of us will remember that Lincoln wins with 55% of the popular vote and an overwhelming electoral majority, but the election on closer inspection is still 'close' - "Connecticut by 2000 votes, New York fewer than 7000 votes, both as a result of military ballots, and four other states (PA, IL, MD and IN) where soldier votes swung the balance" (paraphrasing Foote liberally), these six states of course, if they went to McClellan would win the election.
Essentially I adopt Foote's position and Foote says this:
"To the Creole's [Beauregard] great surprise, Hood presented for his approval a broad-scale plan, conceived en route [to the meeting between Beauregard and Hood], for "marching into Tennessee, with a hope to establish our line eventually in Kentucky."
'Broad-scale' was perhaps not word enough; spread-eagle was more like it."
Once the election occurs and Lincoln is going to be in, Hood can do what he pleases, he can go ahead and have his 'Battle of the Bulge'
I think we'll have to agree to disagree about the military/political aspect. I see no way that Hood, even with success, could have altered the election. Atlanta's fall gave the White House to Lincoln.
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