Bragg Bragg: a riddle wrapped in an enigma.....

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Jun 27, 2011
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Taylor Mill Kentucky
Would anyone care to hazzard an opinion on the following: Given that as a result of his efforts during the Mexican War, Braxton Bragg was considered an expert Artillersit. Wht did he fail to reveal this same trait as Corps and later Theater commander? Specifically at the Hornets' Nest at Shiloh, when a single battery brought forward, loaded with double canister would have reduced that position in a timely fashion as well as later. outside of Chatanooga (sp??) at the Battle in the Clouds, where a defensive use of artillery should have stifled the Federal assault? Any and all ideas and comments welcomed.
 
If Bragg's duties were with the artillery, IMO, he wouild have performed creditably. But, in higher commands in large(relatively) armies, he could not and was not expected, to place, lay and sight the guns himself. Southern armies, especially in the West were, almost , always considerably inferior in quality, numbers and training.
Bragg, may have been considered an artillery expert of some ability, but, he was no genius.
 
Bragg was a poor leader, an unimaginative tactician, and an unplesant individual. The fact that he handled his artillery as badly as he handled his infantry and his cavalry is not surprising.
 
Bragg was a good strategist, but poor on execution. Add to that everybody hated him and quite often just didn't folllow his orders. Use of artillery at Chickamauga was limited due to the heavy woods. He only left one brigade on Lookout Mountain so there wasn't much firepower there to work with. All in all, though, Bragg sucked.
 
Would anyone care to hazzard an opinion on the following: Given that as a result of his efforts during the Mexican War, Braxton Bragg was considered an expert Artillersit. Wht did he fail to reveal this same trait as Corps and later Theater commander? Specifically at the Hornets' Nest at Shiloh, when a single battery brought forward, loaded with double canister would have reduced that position in a timely fashion as well as later. outside of Chatanooga (sp??) at the Battle in the Clouds, where a defensive use of artillery should have stifled the Federal assault? Any and all ideas and comments welcomed.
Artillery couldn't get within double-cannister distance. Cannister, at best, can be effective at 200 (+/-) yards; double cannister will reduce that distance by half, or maybe more.

There is disagreement whether the assembly of Ruggles' line caused the Federals to leave, or if they were already leaving.
 
Bragg was a good strategist, but poor on execution. Add to that everybody hated him and quite often just didn't folllow his orders. Use of artillery at Chickamauga was limited due to the heavy woods. He only left one brigade on Lookout Mountain so there wasn't much firepower there to work with. All in all, though, Bragg sucked.
Bragg's primary problem, other than being a ***ck, was that he couldn't adapt to what was there. He would design a superb battle plan and, when it didn't go as he'd planned, he'd be hamstrung.

To be kind, he was an excellent officer bumped past his level of competence.
 
Would anyone care to hazzard an opinion on the following: Given that as a result of his efforts during the Mexican War, Braxton Bragg was considered an expert Artillersit. Wht did he fail to reveal this same trait as Corps and later Theater commander? Specifically at the Hornets' Nest at Shiloh, when a single battery brought forward, loaded with double canister would have reduced that position in a timely fashion as well as later. outside of Chatanooga (sp??) at the Battle in the Clouds, where a defensive use of artillery should have stifled the Federal assault? Any and all ideas and comments welcomed.


IIRC Stacey Allen tells us that Bragg's artillery was detached for use elsewhere on the field, thus he had none at the Hornet's Nest.
Probably why he didn't shoot it :smile:
 
I can't point to anything specific, but as I read more about Bragg I get the feeling in my gut that he's going to get a re-evaluation, and it will turn out generally more favorable than where he is right now. Still won't be rivaling Lee, but more favorable than now. Again, just a gut feeling.
 
I'll jump on that. Bragg had many of the qualities of a leader -- just not enough of them. It maybe that the deck was stacked against him with the likes of Polk. That he wasn't nice didn't help.

For example, Grant had none of those qualities. But he whipped regiments into shape and made an army that would follow him.

So what made Grant a better leader than Bragg? Outside of what regulations stated?

Back in the 70's, we were wooing a company that had two buildings: executive separation, eh wot? Seems that, 110 years ago, Grant had the right idea. The men will respond to a leader, not a superior being.
 
I'm no expert on Missionary Ridge, but I believe it's been argued that the position was badly chosen and the engineers placed the troops and guns badly. The main thing is, if anybody broke and ran, the whole army could see it. "I ain't stayin' here if they ain't!" Just like at Antietam, only with much higher ground.
 
It's a fancy way of saying the Confederacy had many reasons to not secede and start a war. Bragg definitely was an experienced army officer. Of course, he had been a lower ranking officer, in artillery. as most U.S. Army officers were before the Civil War. That would not determine if an officer was qualified as a high commanding officer. Health wise and personality wise,together with his command situation, Bragg had an impossible task. No Confederate officer, regardless of qualifications, could overcome the shortcomings of the Confederate army in the West. None had the armies or logistics to keep the Union army out of Missouri, out of Kentucky, out of Tennessee, out of Nashville, out of Memphis, out of New Orleans, out of Northern Mississippi. The Confederate States had started a secession, without due thought about the ability of any Confederate force to protect the Mississippi River basin.
Students tend to blame Confederate generals, except Lee. In reality, the should blame the failure of the war on the Southern leaders who caused the war, with the secession, in the first place.
 
I'm no expert on Missionary Ridge, but I believe it's been argued that the position was badly chosen and the engineers placed the troops and guns badly. The main thing is, if anybody broke and ran, the whole army could see it. "I ain't stayin' here if they ain't!" Just like at Antietam, only with much higher ground.
Heard essentially the same thing, Terry. Emplacements were made behind the "military crest," which means that the guns, while protected, could not depress enough to bear on an advancing force.
 
The southern plantation aristocracy really did believe that they were superior to everyone else - it was imbibed from their mothers' milk, practically.

It could not occur to them that they would lose - or if it did, they could not admit it.

The Slaveocracy all suffered from Narcissistic Personality Disorder.

Of course their thinking and planning was off - their world view could not survive the collision with cold, hard reality.
 
The main complaint against Bragg, always seems to boil down to 'He wasn't Lee(or Jackson, or Longstreet, or Johnston or even Grant) syndrome, i.e. he was unsuccessful, thus, he was a Bad general.
 
The main complaint against Bragg, always seems to boil down to 'He wasn't Lee(or Jackson, or Longstreet, or Johnston or even Grant) syndrome, i.e. he was unsuccessful, thus, he was a Bad general.
Excellent observation. Being compared with giants makes one appear to be a midget.

Sherman found good use for Howard and Slocum and Kilpatrick. I think he could have found good use for Bragg. (Or ordered him shot; whichever comes first.)
 
I hear that Ole. I can agree that his personality traits, would make it very difficult to find him adequate space to take full advantage of his very real abilities.
I think Davis' idea of having him as a Military advisor, would have been workable, but with some real responsibility and authority; of course it would take a man of Lincoln's patience to succeed, in getting full use of him.
He seems to have had a very argumentative nature, developed to such a degree that he was capable of arguing with himself, if no one else was available(but there were plenty available in the AoT)..
 
Well said, Opn. Bragg not only was personally nasty, but he seemed to make everyone around him equally nasty. Unlike some generals who seemed to bring out the best in his subordinates, he managed to bring out the worst.

One thing I enjoy is comparing the personalities of those leaders with those I've met during my lifetime working career. There was a Bragg or two among them, but few Grants.
 
The main complaint against Bragg, always seems to boil down to 'He wasn't Lee(or Jackson, or Longstreet, or Johnston or even Grant) syndrome, i.e. he was unsuccessful, thus, he was a Bad general.
I agree with this, but when the standard happens to include Lee and Grant, many generals do not measure up in the eyes of the historian. I do not think Bragg was a bad general but he was a bit out of his element at army command.
 
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