Bragg Bragg is confusing .

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Oct 17, 2018
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Bragg was a martinet, and he had a strong sense of discipline, which he believed everyone should share.

He also was argumentative beyond endurance, and he got people's dander up to such a degree, that intelligent suggestions of his were not taken up because of the manner he made them.

he was the worst kind of commander in some respects, the best in others. But his virtues were totally obscured by his very real vices. He was silly and evil because he could not take a joke and threatened duels over such minor things that one wonders about his sanity.

He fought to a tie at Stones Ricer and, with Longstreet's help, almost annihilated Rosecrans. And two months later he was involved in the most humiliating loss of the war.

He repays inspection, but his personality is such that biographers gave up.

His domestic life is almost as uxorious as Grant's, so he could conceivably be polite to someone without her poisoning his soup. He had odd friendships, like with Sherman. But Sherman was an odd one too.
 
Bragg was a martinet, and he had a strong sense of discipline, which he believed everyone should share.

He also was argumentative beyond endurance, and he got people's dander up to such a degree, that intelligent suggestions of his were not taken up because of the manner he made them.

he was the worst kind of commander in some respects, the best in others. But his virtues were totally obscured by his very real vices. He was silly and evil because he could not take a joke and threatened duels over such minor things that one wonders about his sanity.

He fought to a tie at Stones Ricer and, with Longstreet's help, almost annihilated Rosecrans. And two months later he was involved in the most humiliating loss of the war.

He repays inspection, but his personality is such that biographers gave up.

His domestic life is almost as uxorious as Grant's, so he could conceivably be polite to someone without her poisoning his soup. He had odd friendships, like with Sherman. But Sherman was an odd one too.
Davis liked him well enough to maintain his command of the AoT despite twice personal investigations by Davis due to complaints from Bragg's subordinates.
That could be due to Davis believing that there was a thin bench of talent in the West. After all Davis post Missionary Ridge appointed Johnston to command the AoT and Davis was not a Johnston fan.
Leftyhunter
 
Davis liked him well enough to maintain his command of the AoT despite twice personal investigations by Davis due to complaints from Bragg's subordinates.

And this was one of the key mistakes made by Jefferson Davis during the course of the war. If an army commander has lost the confidence of his subordinates, even if the commander-in-chief believes this to be unfair and unwarranted, the man should be replaced, because no commander can be successful if he doesn't have the confidence of his subordinates.
 
A great organizer, and could be very aggressive as he was at Shiloh, but couldn't/wouldn't deliver the death blow when he could. Surprised Forrest didn't kill him at Chickamauga. Apparently was quite the jackass which opinion was shared by the troops. Should have had a desk job in Richmond.
 
And this was one of the key mistakes made by Jefferson Davis during the course of the war. If an army commander has lost the confidence of his subordinates, even if the commander-in-chief believes this to be unfair and unwarranted, the man should be replaced, because no commander can be successful if he doesn't have the confidence of his subordinates.
Playing devil's advocate; Davis apparently thought that despite Bragg's subordinates lacking confidence in Bragg there simply was not adequate replacement for Bragg.
Leftyhunter
 
http://4thus.com/opium

Scroll down to about the middle of the page. About the best Analysis of Bragg that I have seen.
Interesting : we did have a thread a while pack where the OP argued Hood was not under the influence of any narcotics. Perhaps Bragg and Hooker were under the influence of narcotics. Definitely food for thought.
Leftyhunter
 
There is a lot of suggestion and little fact in that summary. Hooker had a concussion. Hood only took opiates to help him sleep sleep in the early days of his recovery. Bragg? Show some actually proof that he was taking opiates. I'm not biting.
 
Never came across any evidence that Bragg was taking opiates. That Bragg was highly argumentative and irritable is usually acknowledged but the closest that I have seen as a cause of his disagreeable personality may have been having to deal with chronic digestive problems, something which could make anyone irritable.
 
Never came across any evidence that Bragg was taking opiates. That Bragg was highly argumentative and irritable is usually acknowledged but the closest that I have seen as a cause of his disagreeable personality may have been having to deal with chronic digestive problems, something which could make anyone irritable.
His wife didn't help, with her constant critique of his command decisions.
 
Hardee was offered the spot and turned it down before Johnston was given the position
Very interesting. Would that be because Hardee knew the war was already lost? Then why did Johnston take the job ?
I will have to look up a little bit about General Hardee . I am sure there is a lot of material written about him although not the most famous of Confederate Generals.
Leftyhunter
 
Very interesting. Would that be because Hardee knew the war was already lost? Then why did Johnston take the job ?
I will have to look up a little bit about General Hardee . I am sure there is a lot of material written about him although not the most famous of Confederate Generals.
Leftyhunter

I don't recall Hardee's reasoning for asking for someone else to have the spot. He was interim between Bragg and Johnston in the winter of 63/64.
 
I don't recall Hardee's reasoning for asking for someone else to have the spot. He was interim between Bragg and Johnston in the winter of 63/64.
I just read his Wiki Article. Not that Wiki is an all exhaustive source just a thumb nail sketch. Very interesting fellow. Hardee did fight to the bitter end and tragically lost his only child(?) A 16 year old boy at Bentonville long after the ACW was already lost for the Confederacy.
Hardee was extremely well educated in the military arts both at West Point and in France. If Hardee didn't accept command of the AoT he must of had a good reason. Certainly Hardee was no fan of Bragg.
Leftyhunter
 
Personality wise I am going to go with the opium theory. It explains so much. The maniac/depressive aspects especially. The weird areas of total incompetence at times, brilliance at others.

Otherwise the only alternative explanation is a desire to cleanse the confederacy of young white men. he was there for the bloodiest battles fought.
 
Always need to be cautious about trying to do a psychological profile of an historical figure long since gone. The fact is, nobody can say with certainty whether Bragg was afflicted with or suffered from a particular mental condition, or whether his personality was simply a matter of upbringing, environment, heredity, etc. You get the idea.
 
Hardee didn’t want the Job. Johnson didn’t want it either, but who was left? Davis tried to give Pemberton the spot, AOT vowed to desert, if that happened. Hood lost his leg at Chickamauga, ends up in Richmond to recover. He and Davis take daily horseback rides together. Might of led to some confidence building between the two.

Park Historian here at Chickamauga leads all these Military Officer Training exercises at the Park. Tells of talking to some other of the guys who are aware they of studies of the results of trama to guys who have lost limbs. Psychological affects Soldiers and more so the closer to the trunk of the Body. Hood had two. Whether he took Opioids or not, he had issues. If anybody needed to take Opioids , it was probably Hood.

Bragg suffered from Paranoia. He destroyed his Army while at Chattanooga purging his detractors. That after his most successful Victory at Chickamauga.
 
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