Lt. General John Bell Hood, CSA

[Buckeye Bill]

Confederate President Jefferson Davis replaces General Joseph E. Johnston on this date in 1864 with Lt. General John Bell Hood. Hood will become the new commander of the Army of Tennessee. Hood will lead his army into battle three days later at the Battle of Peachtree Creek (just north of downtown Atlanta, Georgia).

 

[donna]

I know some of you don't think Hood was the best commander. He has always been one of my favorites from the Civil war. No one could ever say he wasn't brave.

 

[nitrofd]

Robert e. Lee said aboout Hood that he had the prowess of the lion but lacked the brain of the fox.
not an exact quote but something pretty close.

 

[whitworth]

Looking at Google Earth, Atlanta sure forgot the Battle of Peachtree Creek.

 

[JeffBrooks]

I know some of you don't think Hood was the best commander. He has always been one of my favorites from the Civil war. No one could ever say he wasn't brave.

There were two John Bell Hoods, the one before Gettysburg/Chickamauga and the one after. The one before is an admirable and brave man. The one after is dishonorable man whose soul has been corrupted by ambition and his own inner demons.

I've always thought that if Hood had been killed at Chickamauga, he would have entered the Confederate pantheon of heroes, becoming to the infantry what Stuart was to the cavalry.

 

[Buckeye Bill]

Looking at Google Earth, Atlanta sure forgot the Battle of Peachtree Creek.

My son and I just toured the sites in and surrounding the city of Atlanta. Little to none is left of the Battles of Peachtree Creek (Tanyard Park), Atlanta (Georgia Historical Markers), Ezra Church (Mozley Park) and Utoy Creek (Cascade Springs Nature Preserve). Even though the battlefields have surrendered to urban development, I still recommend studying the campaign battles and touring the sites. Kennesaw Mountain and Pickett's Mill are well preserved but everything else commands the individual to use his or her imagination.

 

[CMWinkler]

There were two John Bell Hoods, the one before Gettysburg/Chickamauga and the one after. The one before is an admirable and brave man. The one after is dishonorable man whose soul has been corrupted by ambition and his own inner demons.

I've always thought that if Hood had been killed at Chickamauga, he would have entered the Confederate pantheon of heroes, becoming to the infantry what Stuart was to the cavalry.

I agree.

 

[Mark F. Jenkins]

I have to admit a slight bias in favor of Hood overall, based almost completely on the irrational basis of my being born at Fort Hood.

He strikes me as something of a weapon for a higher commander to bring out when appropriate, and appears to me to have functioned best as a good "number two" man. Not everybody can be a generalissimo; you also need good subordinate commanders.

 

[redbob]

My son and I just toured the sites in and surrounding the city of Atlanta. Little to none is left of the Battles of Peachtree Creek (Tanyard Park), Atlanta (Georgia Historical Markers), Ezra Church (Mozley Park) and Utoy Creek (Cascade Springs Nature Preserve). Even though the battlefields have surrendered to urban development, I still recommend studying the campaign battles and touring the sites. Kennesaw Mountain and Pickett's Mill are well preserved but everything else commands the individual to use his or her imagination.

I found it interesting that two of the main areas of the Battle of Atlanta are now a cemetery and a busy street. That said, the spot where McPherson fell is rather pleasant.

 

[johan_steele]

Whenever I hear the name Hood I'm reminded of a Brit officer at the Somme. "You may have more guns and ammunition but we have more casualties!"

 

[CSA Today]

Hood would have made a better Federal general where his aggressiveness would have been a plus and his penchant for taking casualties a much less of a problem.

 

[Mark F. Jenkins]

Hood would have made a better Federal general where his aggressiveness would have been a plus and his penchant for taking casualties a much less of a problem.

That sort of overlooks Lee's penchant for taking casualties, for one.

 

[Buckeye Bill]

I found it interesting that two of the main areas of the Battle of Atlanta are now a cemetery and a busy street. That said, the spot where McPherson fell is rather pleasant.

It was still a thrill to travel around Atlanta, locate key spots of the battles (accompanied with historic markers) and attempt to imagine the terrain in 1864. I really enjoyed the Cyclorama and local museums. And as a whole, touring Atlanta was like our tour of the battle sites at Nashville.

 

[Patrick H]

I can't contribute anything about Hood himself, but that's a fine photo portrait. Man....that uniform coat is amazing!

 

[ErnieMac]

There is one incident in the war that has always epitomized Hood to me. I've seen it stated that Hood obtained his aggressiveness from Lee and Jackson, but I think it was there to begin with. At Eltham's Landing on the Peninsula in May, 1862, Confederate troops including Hood's Texas Brigade pushed advancing Union troops near the landing back to the river under the protection of the guns of the Union Navy. Afterward Johnston humorously asked General Hood that considering the success his men enjoyed in executing the order "to feel the enemy gently and fall back, - What would your Texans have done, sir, if I had ordered them to charge and drive back the enemy?" Hood replied, "I suppose, General, they would have driven them into the river, and tried to swim out and capture the gunboats."

 

[Mark F. Jenkins]

Aggressive commanders are valuable when used in appropriate circumstances... it's just that not all circumstances call for aggressiveness. To cite a later example, Patton would have been wasted slogging through the bocage outside of Caen, but given a breakout and the chance to move by the flank, he was in his element. Put Patton into Normandy too early, and it might have been a bloodbath instead of a breakout. (NOT saying that they weren't taking considerable casualties already.... just that there are times to crank up the volume and times to wait for a better opportunity to crank it up. Commanders like Patton and Hood don't idle well as a rule.)

 

[CSA Today]

That sort of overlooks Lee's penchant for taking casualties, for one.

He would have made a good Federal general too.

 

[Chattahooch33]

Looking at Google Earth, Atlanta sure forgot the Battle of Peachtree Creek.

In the 1930s there was a study done to determine which land around Atlanta would be set aside for the NPS. The choice came down to Peachtree Creek or Kennesaw Mountain and they could only choose one due to budget. Obviously Kennesaw won. I think now it was the correct choice as there are earthworks on the Kennesaw battlefield.

I know some of you don't think Hood was the best commander. He has always been one of my favorites from the Civil war. No one could ever say he wasn't brave.

Hood was a fantastic Brigade\Division commander. Army? Nope.

I found it interesting that two of the main areas of the Battle of Atlanta are now a cemetery and a busy street. That said, the spot where McPherson fell is rather pleasant.

Which are you talking about in reference to the cemetery? Ezra Church?

 

[cash]

Robert e. Lee said aboout Hood that he had the prowess of the lion but lacked the brain of the fox.
not an exact quote but something pretty close.

Lee actually never said that.

 

[redbob]

In the 1930s there was a study done to determine which land around Atlanta would be set aside for the NPS. The choice came down to Peachtree Creek or Kennesaw Mountain and they could only choose one due to budget. Obviously Kennesaw won. I think now it was the correct choice as there are earthworks on the Kennesaw battlefield.



Hood was a fantastic Brigade\Division commander. Army? Nope.



Which are you talking about in reference to the cemetery? Ezra Church?

Yes, Westview Cemetery. I had never been in an active cemetery with earthworks except maybe Evergreen in Gettysburg.