Josh The Lighthouse Guy
Major
- Joined
- Apr 30, 2012
- Location
- Jupiter, FL
In reference to Pat Cleburne's proposal of early 1864 to arm and enlisted blacks:
"Great sensation is being produced in the country where I have recently been by the Emancipation project of Hardee, Cheatham, Cleburne & Co." Bragg wrote. He not only opposed such a policy but quietly delighted in the fact that his enemies in the Army of the Tennessee were behind the unpopular suggestion. "It will kill them" he gloated. "They are agitators and should be watched."
[Them and they being Cleburne, etc. Capitalization of Emancipation is as printed in the book.]
This is from Braxton Bragg: The Most Hated Man of the Confederacy by Earl J. Hess (page 237). Accompanying endnote cites two source for the paragraph, both letter from Bragg to Marcus Joseph Wright dated Feb 5 and March 6, 1864 (from Wright's personal papers in the UNC archives). Cleburne made his proposal less than 2 months after Bragg was relieved of command.
It seems clear from this that if there were any black soldiers in the Army of Tennessee in 1863 then Bragg was unaware of them.
It also makes me wonder if the timing of Cleburne's proposal may be partly linked to Johnston replacing Bragg.
"Great sensation is being produced in the country where I have recently been by the Emancipation project of Hardee, Cheatham, Cleburne & Co." Bragg wrote. He not only opposed such a policy but quietly delighted in the fact that his enemies in the Army of the Tennessee were behind the unpopular suggestion. "It will kill them" he gloated. "They are agitators and should be watched."
[Them and they being Cleburne, etc. Capitalization of Emancipation is as printed in the book.]
This is from Braxton Bragg: The Most Hated Man of the Confederacy by Earl J. Hess (page 237). Accompanying endnote cites two source for the paragraph, both letter from Bragg to Marcus Joseph Wright dated Feb 5 and March 6, 1864 (from Wright's personal papers in the UNC archives). Cleburne made his proposal less than 2 months after Bragg was relieved of command.
It seems clear from this that if there were any black soldiers in the Army of Tennessee in 1863 then Bragg was unaware of them.
It also makes me wonder if the timing of Cleburne's proposal may be partly linked to Johnston replacing Bragg.
Bringing the