Beuragard instead of Hood

[johan_steele]

Interesting question would Beuragard have fared any better than Hood at Atlanta and in the campaign into Tennessee? My own thought is that he would not have, giving Hood ore than a Corps was a disaster but every time Beuragard commanded an Army he seemed to an utter failure.

Any thoughts on the subject?

[gary]

P. G. T. Beauregard was not an utter failure. He captured Fort Sumter, didn't he? The Confederates won 1st Manassas, didn't they?

O.K., ole 'Beau probably would have fought and ran away. Still, that's better than what Hood did at Franklin. If the AoT survived after being chased from Atlanta, at least it would have been intact for Johnston to take over. Not much of a concession, is it?

[ole]

I've yet to find where Beau did anything except to insist that he was in charge. I figure he screwed up Shiloh, big time, and I'm unaware of anything he did after that to add to his resume. Under different circumstances, with a fair chance to prove that he had anything to offer, maybe he would have lived up to his promise. As it happened, he either didn't have the opportunity or didn't have the right stuff.

Ole

[r_moody]

IMO PGTB was mostly hot air. A dreamer who thought little of effective strategy or logistics. Put him inside a fortified position and he could defend admirably. Out in the open he would have been easy pickings for Grant, Sherman or Thomas. I am not a great fan of Hood as an army commander, but he did what he was ordered to do. He replaced JEJohnston because he would not come out and fight to Davis satisfaction. Hood fought, at times recklessly, but he did fight as Davis wanted. Sometimes you get more than you bargained for. IMO Hood was more than Davis bargained for. Looking back I think a JEJ/Longstreet team would have been a formidable team. Longstreet would have been defending his home state and would have fought like a Junk Yard Dog. Longstreet would have used his cavalry properly to protect, shield, feint and attack gaps in the enemy lines. JEJ who was a master of logistics would have kept the army intact and supplied. With PGTB you would have had another Shilo/Corinth situation.

Rick

[Admiral_Porter]

Bory's defense of Charleston and Petersburg were well managed. He was capable of developing well thought out strategic offensives but he usually shrunk from responsibility when it came time to implement those plans.

I think the situation which Hood inherited at Atlanta was a near impossible task and I don't blame him for Ezra Church. However, "Wooden Head" was a poor corps commander and an even worse army commander; most of his 1864 battles were complete disasters mostly of his own making.

So no I don't think Bory would have done better than Hood but he would have probably saved his manpower unlike Hood.

[larry_cockerham]

Whoa Guys. It was Beaugregard who ordered Hood into Tennessee in November 1864. From my perspective he gets much credit for sending a less than adequate commander (Hood) into an extremely 'uphill' battle along with 20,000 plus men who were about to pay a very high price for proving that Nashville was well fortified. Yes, a little generalship at Springhill might have made a difference, at least saved some lives at Franklin. Where was Beauregard when he was needed? Apparently down in Alabama.

[Admiral_Porter]

Bory had little say in military operations. Davis specifically placed Bory in a staff position so he wouldn't influence the outcome of battles.

Bory gave in to the wishes of Hood, Davis, and Bragg mostly because he had no real power to contest the decision to invade Tennessee.

[larry_cockerham]

Admiral, Sir, I believe Gen. Beaugregard was in command, albeit from a save distance. The official record Nov 14 1864 - 23 Jan 1865 Journal of the Army of Tennessee states

November 18. Headquarters Florence, Alabama. General Beauregard moved his headquarters from Tuscumbia to Montgomery, AL. General Stuart has been ordered to cross the Tennessee River with his Corps tomorrow.

SOUNDS/LOOKS TO ME LIKE THE GOOD GENERAL BEAUGREGARD LEFT HIS ORDERS AND DUCKED SOUTH TO GET OUT OF THE SOON TO BE FLYING LEAD. I also doubt Hood was in much physical and mental condition to argue at that point in time, much less command.

[larry_cockerham]

November 3, 1864

General Hood ordered Forrest’s cavalry to Bainbridge. Forrest was “busy” at Johnsonville and managed to do some “good” while General Hood was making up his mind. On this day General Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard met with Hood at Tuscumbia and the decision was made to ‘invade” Tennessee. Just as is the case in 2004, the weather in November in north Alabama and Tennessee was horrible. The rains and bitter cold arrived right on schedule. Reports stated wagons sliding off muddy roads making supplies a very precious commodity. The only railroad to Nashville ran through Tullahoma and was in Union control, thus the route from Florence was Hood’s only option for transportation with wagons, horseback and foot the only mode of travel available.

[Admiral_Porter]

Yes he was in command but it was a command of little real authority which is exactly what Davis intended.

Why are you shouting?