Carronade
Captain
- Joined
- Aug 4, 2011
- Location
- Pennsylvania
Johnston would attack when he identified an advantage with a good chance of victory. Johnston was always outnumbered and would always retreat to save his army than fight a losing battle. He retreated from Yorktown, declined to march to Pemberton's assistance and I just learned ordered Gardner to evacuate Port Hudson. Gardner said, "Too late."
Both times Johnston lost his command (wounded, relieved) he was turning to the offensive after wringing as much benefit as possible from a defensive strategy. The delay he imposed on McClellan on the Peninsula gave the Confederates time to assemble enough forces to engage the AofP with a chance of achieving a decisive success. He may have hoped to receive reinforcements in 1864 too, but they were no longer to be had. Still, he delayed Sherman's advance on Atlanta; and when the armies retreated/advanced into open ground suitable for offensive maneuver, Johnston devised the Napoleonic double battle plan that Hood executed. Although it didn't work out, IMO it was the best possible strategy.