D. H. Hill

[JerryD]

Another thread started discussing D. H. Hill, so to avoid a hijack I thought I would start a new one, asking for opinions on the "other" Hill. I have not studied him much at all, so my thoughts are most probably wrong, but I always thought he got a bit of a bad rap. My understanding is that his relationship with Lee went south over the Lost Order fiasco, but was otherwise a hard fighter. Someone in the other thread mentioned he bungled South Mountain, but I always thought that was a highpoint in his career and deserved credit for helping to save the ANV while Lee consolidated on the other side of the mountain. Perhaps a low point in his career was his actions under Bragg as a leader in the cabal against him, but to my thinking he and the other generals were just responding to the fact that Braggs generals had lost confidence in him, so Bragg had to go for the good of the cause. Its a recipe for disaster to have in place a general who does have the confidence of his leadership.

Would love to hear other's thoughts on Hill.

 

[rpkennedy]

Another thread started discussing D. H. Hill, so to avoid a hijack I thought I would start a new one, asking for opinions on the "other" Hill. I have not studied him much at all, so my thoughts are most probably wrong, but I always thought he got a bit of a bad rap. My understanding is that his relationship with Lee went south over the Lost Order fiasco, but was otherwise a hard fighter. Someone in the other thread mentioned he bungled South Mountain, but I always thought that was a highpoint in his career and deserved credit for helping to save the ANV while Lee consolidated on the other side of the mountain. Perhaps a low point in his career was his actions under Bragg as a leader in the cabal against him, but to my thinking he and the other generals were just responding to the fact that Braggs generals had lost confidence in him, so Bragg had to go for the good of the cause. Its a recipe for disaster to have in place a general who does have the confidence of his leadership.

Would love to hear other's thoughts on Hill.

D.H. Hill was an excellent combat officer but his problem was that he had trouble getting along with virtually everyone else (except, ironically, Stonewall Jackson). His acerbic sense of humor and personality rubbed a lot of people the wrong way and put him on the outs with his superiors. Lee wasn't happy with Hill after the Maryland Campaign (the Lost Order incident was likely at the heart of this) and Lee sent him to recruit in North Carolina as a way to get him away from the army (Lee had a tendency to do that with officers that he wanted gone). Hill also seems to have felt somewhat insulted when he was passed over for corps command when the AoNV was reorganized in May 1863.

Ryan

 

[Pollaco]

Hill was probably justified in his criticism of Bragg.Hill's career was wrecked because Davis chose to stand with Bragg over the other generals.Oh, he got along with Stonewall Jackson more than likely because they were brothers-in-law.

 

[BillO]

D.H.Hill was an excellent military commander who was saddled with both a very quick and keen mind and an even sharper tongue who had no problem with voicing his opinions.
IMO the kind of guy who walks into the room knowing he is the smartest man there. Even though he was almost always right in that assumption it doesn't play well.
In other words he was R.E.Lee with no self restraint.

 

[JerryD]

Hill was probably justified in his criticism of Bragg.Hill's career was wrecked because Davis chose to stand with Bragg over the other generals.Oh, he got along with Stonewall Jackson more than likely because they were brothers-in-law.

Hill was also the one who recommended Jackson to VMI as a professor, I think before they were related.

 

[Stone in the wall]

Lee's choice of leaving Hill behind to guard Richmond was a bad one. Hill would have been much more valuable going along on the trip to Gettysburg.

 

[Pollaco]

Hill was also the one who recommended Jackson to VMI as a professor, I think before they were related.

They married the Morrison sisters.

 

[Pollaco]

They married the Morrison sisters.

I think there was a third "brother-in-law-general", Rufus Barringer, but that 3rd sister died before the war.

 

[Elliot Crumblemuffin]

It is my impression that D.H. Hill's tongue was his worst enemy, but I consider him to be a brave commander of troops worthy of his rank in the CSA Army.

I can even see how Hill and Jackson would get along with one another; Jackson seemed to be a very selfless individual with no agenda other than to crush the enemy. He was very brave, and doesn't appear to me to be an "agenda-driven" political type of person.

It's not hard for me to imagine that underneath the "smart-a**" persona of Hill was someone who could appreciate the simple and genuine person Jackson was. And Jackson probably respected Hill's bravery. Maybe there was a mutual understanding between them. If they were friends it was probably because they were the only 2 people who could stand each other's company

 

[jackt62]

D.H. Hill seems to be the "sad sack" general of the Confederacy. I do not mean to say he was not a highly effective combat commander, which he was. What I mean is that Hill seemed to get blamed or saddled with various episodes during the CW that were either not his fault or were misrepresented to some extent. We can start with Malvern Hill where as a result of botched communications, Hill's division was decimated in a costly assault. Hill afterwards proclaimed it as "not war, but murder," a sentiment that probably rankled Lee who bore overall responsibility for the fiasco, but was probably another poor reason for eventually removing Hill from the ANV. Then of course we have the Lost Orders debacle, which Hill gets the lion share of blame even though the historical record has by now placed responsibility elsewhere. Out west, Hill joined the anti-Bragg faction, which certainly did nothing to further his career. Moreover, when Bragg planned a pincer like movement to cutoff the isolated federal division of James Negley at McLemore's Cove, Hill, who was responsible for one piece of the pincer, failed to come up, claiming miscommunication from Bragg's HQ. To follow that mess up, Bragg blamed Hill for not launching his assault timely on Sept. 20th, the second day at Chickamauga. Hill claimed that he was unknowingly assigned to Leonidas Polk's wing and was never alerted as to his role and/or timing of the attack. But that didn't stop Hill from getting the rap. So all in all, Hill's irascible personality, which tended to rub his superiors the wrong way, was very likely a large part of his crumby reputation and sidelining. Too bad, because if Hill had been utilized all along with the ANV, he would probably have been a better choice for leadership than say, Ewell or the other Hill, Ambrose.

 

[ErnieMac]

It should also be noted that mid-December 1862 was the time of a marked increase in Federal activity in North Carolina. In response Robert Ransom's North Carolina brigade was detached from the ANV and sent to North Carolina on January 3. In a letter dated January 5 to Secretary of War Seddon, Lee offered to send Hill, a North Carolinian, there as well, calling him "a most valuable officer". It was January 14, 1863, when Hill received orders to report to Richmond and another three weeks (Feb. 7) before he was assigned to North Carolina. As that's a full four months after the Lost Order and South Mountain I have to question whether those events were a factor at all.

 

[JerryD]

It should also be noted that mid-December 1862 was the time of a marked increase in Federal activity in North Carolina. In response Robert Ransom's North Carolina brigade was detached from the ANV and sent to North Carolina on January 3. In a letter dated January 5 to Secretary of War Seddon, Lee offered to send Hill, a North Carolinian, there as well, calling him "a most valuable officer". It was January 14, 1863, when Hill received orders to report to Richmond and another three weeks (Feb. 7) before he was assigned to North Carolina. As that's a full four months after the Lost Order and South Mountain I have to question whether those events were a factor at all.

Four months was not a terribly long time to get rid of a general you have decided you cant trust. I'm not saying the Lost Order was definitely NOT on Lee's mind, but I think the four month period is actually evidence that it was.

 

[JerryD]

D.H. Hill seems to be the "sad sack" general of the Confederacy. I do not mean to say he was not a highly effective combat commander, which he was. What I mean is that Hill seemed to get blamed or saddled with various episodes during the CW that were either not his fault or were misrepresented to some extent. We can start with Malvern Hill where as a result of botched communications, Hill's division was decimated in a costly assault. Hill afterwards proclaimed it as "not war, but murder," a sentiment that probably rankled Lee who bore overall responsibility for the fiasco, but was probably another poor reason for eventually removing Hill from the ANV. Then of course we have the Lost Orders debacle, which Hill gets the lion share of blame even though the historical record has by now placed responsibility elsewhere. Out west, Hill joined the anti-Bragg faction, which certainly did nothing to further his career. Moreover, when Bragg planned a pincer like movement to cutoff the isolated federal division of James Negley at McLemore's Cove, Hill, who was responsible for one piece of the pincer, failed to come up, claiming miscommunication from Bragg's HQ. To follow that mess up, Bragg blamed Hill for not launching his assault timely on Sept. 20th, the second day at Chickamauga. Hill claimed that he was unknowingly assigned to Leonidas Polk's wing and was never alerted as to his role and/or timing of the attack. But that didn't stop Hill from getting the rap. So all in all, Hill's irascible personality, which tended to rub his superiors the wrong way, was very likely a large part of his crumby reputation and sidelining. Too bad, because if Hill had been utilized all along with the ANV, he would probably have been a better choice for leadership than say, Ewell or the other Hill, Ambrose.

Good analysis. Hadn't really thought of him in those terms before, but you make a valid point. As for his personality, apparently he had a sharp tongue, but so did other generals in the ANV. The other Hill, just to name one, who seemed to want to fight every other officer in the army. I find it hard to believe that that, and that alone, was the reason Lee wanted to get rid of an otherwise competent and hard fighter. It seems to me something more was at play.

 

[Gavrilo Sartorys]

D.H. Hill is my favorite Confederate general (along with Patrick Cleburne) and his flaws are parts of this interest : according to the opinion of Edward P. Alexander, his "fighting was like Jackson at his best". While he was almost unanimously admired on the battlefield for his tactical ability, he got lot more criticism from both his peers, superiors or subordinates for his impulsive nature, his sarcastic humor and his strict sense of honor. His administrative skills were mediocre at best because he lacked initiative and always referred to his hierarchy before acting on the strategic level. The best use of such a soldier would be a semi-independant role, commanding a small infantry corps (4-6 brigades) coupled with powerful artillery (2-3 battalions), either deployed early in the battle or lauched lastly as a back-up reserve force to break ennemy positions. He was also very capable in defensive warfare, with a keen eye for getting geographical advantage of the terrain.

 

[Nathan Stuart]

Would love to hear other's thoughts on Hill.

D. H. Hill was a brave, resolute and skillful combat Division commander – he was a hard fighter (as evidenced at places like the Seven Days Battles and Antietam).

Despite his highly regarded combat rating, thought Hill had some temperamental peculiarities and personality problems which restricted his effectiveness for higher command roles. He reportedly was an uncompromising and rigid religious thinker with a sharp tongue. He lacked tact in his interpersonal dealings, being sarcastic and overly critical of others, which frequently caused frictions with fellow commanders. (Apparently, he displayed a preferred prejudice against cavalry). As Thomas Connolly observed ('Autumn of Glory', at page 155), …"Hill's career in the Army had, like Bragg's, involved a continuous series of command quarrels"….. With such a personality profile, one can easily understand why Hill might have been one of the most difficult senior officers in the Confederacy to get along with.

Thought Hill's acerbic tongue, coupled with his extreme criticisms, precluded him from being considered as a top-line commander at Army or Corps levels (He was a superb combat Division leader). Apparently, Hill also disliked performing routine administrative duties, when not in combat. Douglas Freeman recognized these limitations when he commented about Hill after Antietam ('Lee's Lieutenants' at pp 385-86) …' he was at his best when he had good men on either side of him and was fighting without full responsibility for the field. In that type of combat he had no superior. Off the field, however, Hill's disposition to find fault with his comrades helps to explain the difficulty of using to best advantage his undeniable excellencies."…Hill also appeared reluctant in undertaking higher roles of responsibility, like in taking charge of the Department of North Carolina (although he did command a Corps at Chickamauga). Got the impression that Hill was unwilling to accept too much command responsibility with either Departmental or Army command appointments (Lee would eventually lose some confidence in Hill's suitability for higher command roles).

Some writers suggest that Hill's behavior was influenced largely by his poor state of physical health, primarily the pain and discomfort of a lifelong spinal ailment which was personally agitating especially during adverse changes of weather. It seems feasible to believe that the nature of Hill's poor physical shape could have been some impediment to his ability to cope with the stresses and strains in a senior command role.

Bottom line. D. H. Hill was an excellent combat Division commander, but believe that was the full extent of his effective command capabilities in the field.

 

[Stone in the wall]

Good analysis. Hadn't really thought of him in those terms before, but you make a valid point. As for his personality, apparently he had a sharp tongue, but so did other generals in the ANV. The other Hill, just to name one, who seemed to want to fight every other officer in the army. I find it hard to believe that that, and that alone, was the reason Lee wanted to get rid of an otherwise competent and hard fighter. It seems to me something more was at play.

Yes, and how convenient was it that D. H. was away when Lee appointed A. P. Hill to command the new III Corps. Hum... although not always the major factor, D. H. out ranked the other Hill, by appointment to Major General by 2 months.
Lee was also quick to forgive, or get over mistakes his officers made.

 

[Bruce Vail]

After the war, Hill wrote that his assignment at South Mountain was to delay the advance of the AoP and that he was successful in doing just that. Hill even claimed the battle was a Confederate victory.

Well, Hill is probably the only individual involved who thought South Mountain was a Confederate victory. The Yankees were delayed only a single day and the rebels paid a high price in killed and wounded. There was a lot of confusion on the ground and there would be recrimination among some of the senior officers in the aftermath. Hill's division was seriously damaged, and that damage may well have been the reason it didn't perform all that well at Antietam.

 

[JerryD]

After the war, Hill wrote that his assignment at South Mountain was to delay the advance of the AoP and that he was successful in doing just that. Hill even claimed the battle was a Confederate victory.

Well, Hill is probably the only individual involved who thought South Mountain was a Confederate victory. The Yankees were delayed only a single day and the rebels paid a high price in killed and wounded. There was a lot of confusion on the ground and there would be recrimination among some of the senior officers in the aftermath. Hill's division was seriously damaged, and that damage may well have been the reason it didn't perform all that well at Antietam.

Considering how badly outnumbered he was, no one expected a victory at South Mountain. It was only a delaying action, and at that it was a success.

 

[Scott1967]

Great pouter in fact he was a super pouter his pout at Chickamauga is legendary and rivalled the greatest pout of the war that of Ambrose Burnside at Antietam , Hill was that good.

 

[Bruce Vail]

Unmentioned thus far was the criticism of Hill as a defeatist. Of course, he was right about that...