Murfreesboro Joe Johnston

[atlantis]

When Johnston assumed command of the west he knew these facts. 1 troops would not be moved from across the Mississippi river. 2 Nashville, New Orleans and Memphis were in federal hands. 3 Bragg had lost confidence of his subordinates and Pemberton had no Calvary. Should Johnston have exercised direct control ordering Pemberton to unite his forces with Bragg and keep union forces from moving down the rail line to Chattanooga. He could have used Pemberton as a Corp commander and Bragg as his 2nd in command.

 

[rbasin]

Yeah maybe. Personally, I'd get Pemberton out of Vicksburg as soon as it was known that Grant was south of the city.

 

[Coonewah Creek]

Davis would never have allowed Johnston to abandon Vicksburg I do not believe. During the Vicksburg Campaign Davis was communicating directly with Pemberton without Johnston's knowledge. He made it clear to Pemberton that holding Vicksburg was a priority. Pemberton felt indeed, that he was subject to two masters and which one do you think he would choose to obey?

 

[jackt62]

Johnston was placed in an uncomfortable situation by Davis when he was given command of the enormous Department of the West, which consisted of 2 main armies widely separated, with totally different objectives and logistics. So not wanting to accept responsbility for what was probably looking like a losing proposition, Johnston deferred to the 2 main commanders, Bragg and Pemberton. That didn't go down well with the Richmond government, which eventually ordered Johnston to take greater control over the defense of Vicksburg. But Johnston didn't really believe that the city could be successfully held, and his advice to Pemberton (to link up forces with Johnston's near Jackson, MS), was contradicted by Davis's instructions to Pemberton to hold the citadel at all costs as @CoonewahCreek has noted. Looking at the bigger picture, the whole situation indicates a lack of high level strategic planning that should have been based on reality and logical thinking on the part of the Confederate government.

 

[NedBaldwin]

When Johnston assumed command of the west he knew these facts. 1 troops would not be moved from across the Mississippi river. 2 Nashville, New Orleans and Memphis were in federal hands. 3 Bragg had lost confidence of his subordinates and Pemberton had no Calvary. Should Johnston have exercised direct control ordering Pemberton to unite his forces with Bragg and keep union forces from moving down the rail line to Chattanooga. He could have used Pemberton as a Corp commander and Bragg as his 2nd in command.

Are the time he took command, Pemberton did have cavalry. And at the time Pemberton was under pressure from Grant in northern MS and Sherman along the river, so unlikely that Pemberton could unite his forces with Bragg

 

[atlantis]

The other option and the one he should have taken in my view is resign and make it clear why. Having Davis communicating directly with Pemberton did create an unworkable command structure.

 

[jackt62]

The other option and the one he should have taken in my view is resign and make it clear why. Having Davis communicating directly with Pemberton did create an unworkable command structure.

Makes one wonder whether Johnston's resignation would have made Davis' day.

 

[Norman Dasinger Jr]

Pemberson lost 2/3 of his Cav. in the soldier swap with Bragg. It took Van Dorn from MS to TN.

Pemberton was just 'out generaled' by Grant. Johnston would have been a better adversary - not as good as Grant just better tha Pemberson..

Losing Van Dorn before Grant's creative amphibious Vicksburg Campaign was not good. If Grant had been better confronted at Bruinsburg/Rodney/Port Gibson/Grand Gulf area things might have been different.


If Johnston had been given command of troops on the western side of the river, that might have also made a difference. Pemberton should have followed the orders from Johnston and let his superior deal with Pres. DAvis.

 

[Coonewah Creek]

Pemberton was just 'out generaled' by Grant. Johnston would have been a better adversary - not as good as Grant just better tha Pemberson.

Any general that calls a "council of war" with his subordinates to decide what action to take, other than that explicitly directed by his Theater Commander, as Pemberton did on the eve of the battle of Champion Hill, is indeed a poor general.

 

[Norman Dasinger Jr]

Yes-----I can say without a doubt that Pemberton - in the position in which he commanded - was a poor general.