Order of battle

atlantis

Sergeant Major
Joined
Nov 12, 2016
Should Bragg have dispensed with Corps and thus rid himself of Hardee and Polk and chosen someone like Richard Taylor as deputy commander using him in the role of operations officer?
 
thats a toughie. thats a lot of troops to move around with out a subordinate. I don't know if Bragg was that type of general. not a bad or a good trait. just an observation
 
Should Bragg have dispensed with Corps and thus rid himself of Hardee and Polk and chosen someone like Richard Taylor as deputy commander using him in the role of operations officer?
Do you mean during the Heartland Offensive or for the entire service of Bragg while he commanded the Army of Tennessee ?
In late July-August 1862, abolishing corps / wing command can be reasonable because the Army of the Mississippi contained only four divisions :
- 1st Div. led by MG Cheatham = 4/3 Bdes (Smith's Bde transferred to Cleburne's Div., AKY)
- 2nd Div. led by MG Sam Jones / BG Patton Anderson = 4 Bdes
- 3rd Div. led by MG Hardee / MG Buckner = 4/3 Bdes (Cleburne's Bde transferred to Cleburne's Div., AKY)
- Reserve Div. led by MG Withers = 4 Bdes
- 1st Cavalry Bde led by BG Forrest / COL Wharton
- 2nd Cavalry Bde led by COL Wheeler

Kirby Smith's Army of Kentucky, forming an ad hoc corps operating in East Tennessee, was composed initially of two large divisions :
- 1st Div. led by BG Stevenson = 4 Bdes
- 2nd Div. led by BG Heth = 2 Infantry Bdes + 2 Cavalry Bdes

Kirby Smith was reinforced by detachments from Army of the West (McCown's Div.) and from Army of the Mississippi (two brigades picked up from Cheatham's and Hardee's Div., under the command of BG Pat Cleburne).
- 3rd Div. led by MG McCown / BG Churchill = 2 Bdes
- 4th Div. led by BG Cleburne = 2 Bdes

If Bragg abolishes Corps formations, Hardee stays in direct command of a division. Polk, relieved of active command, can therefore replace Dick Taylor in Western Louisiana while Hardee is put in charge of an informal Corps, composed of the 1st/2nd/3rd Div., while the Reserve Division and the Cavalry Bdes are under supervision of Taylor.

This way, Buckner is allowed to replace Hardee at the head of the 3rd Div. and Sam Jones can either assume division command under Kirby Smith or still in charge of the 2nd Div. (AMS). Unfortunately (or fortunately), Hardee is quite irremovable in this situation, unless he gets command elsewhere.

Assuming that each Infantry Bde numbers +/- 1,500 muskets and that each Cavalry Bde numbers +/- 1,250 sabres :

JULY/AUGUST 1862
Army of the Mississippi (GEN Braxton Bragg) = 16/14 Infantry Bdes (24,000/21,000) + 2 Cavalry Bdes (2,500)
- Field Command (MG William J. Hardee)
- - - 1st (Cheatham's) Div. = 4/3 Infantry Bdes (6,000/4,500)
- - - 2nd (Jones'/ Anderson's) Div. = 4 Infantry Bdes (6,000)
- - - Reserve (Withers') Div. = 4 Infantry Bdes (6,000)
- Reserve Command (MG Richard Taylor)
- - - 3rd (Hardee's/Buckner's) Div. = 4/3 Infantry Bdes (6,000/4,500)
- - - Cavalry (Forrest's/Wheeler's) Command = 2 Cavalry Bdes (2,500)

Army of Kentucky (GEN E.K. Smith) = 6/10 Infantry Bdes (9,000/15,000) + 2 Cavalry Bdes (2,500)
- - - 1st (Stevenson's) Div. = 4 Infantry Bdes (6,000)
- - - 2nd (Heth's/Jones') Div. = 2 Infantry Bdes (3,000) / 2 Cavalry Bdes (2,500)
[- - - 3rd (McCown's/Churchill's) Div. = 2 Infantry Bdes (3,000)]
[- - - 4th (Cleburne's) Div. = 2 Infantry Bdes (3,000)]

After the invasion of Kentucky and the outcome of Perryville, the number of troops Bragg should command is too much for one man. Kirby Smith's command is partially merged into the Army of Tennessee in late November 1862. At least, let's imagine that Hardee can theorically handle as many as four divisions until Stones River (but not easily). Bragg himself is unable to coordinate tactical moves on a battlefield, he needs to delegate part of his command to a senior officer.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1862

Army of Tennessee (GEN Braxton Bragg) = 16/20 Infantry Bdes (24,000/30,000) + 5/3 Cavalry Bdes (6,250/3,750)
- Field Command (LTG William J. Hardee)
- - - Cheatham's Div. = 4 Infantry Bdes (6,000)
- - - Withers' Div. = 4 Infantry Bdes (6,000)
- - - Buckner's/Cleburne's Div. = 4 Infantry Bdes (6,000)
[- - - McCown's Div., from Kirby Smith's Corps = 3 Infantry Bdes (4,500)]
[- - - J.K. Jackson's Reserve Bde (1,500)]
- Reserve Command (MG/LTG Richard Taylor)
- - - Breckinridge's Div. = 4 Infantry Bdes (6,000)
- - - Cavalry Command = 5/3 Cavalry Bdes (6,250/3,750)

These two OOBs reflect my opinion and should not be considered as the only options possible for Bragg for late 1862. I tried to propose a correct estimation of "command and control" but I'm not an expert.☺️
 
Do you mean during the Heartland Offensive or for the entire service of Bragg while he commanded the Army of Tennessee ?
In late July-August 1862, abolishing corps / wing command can be reasonable because the Army of the Mississippi contained only four divisions :
- 1st Div. led by MG Cheatham = 4/3 Bdes (Smith's Bde transferred to Cleburne's Div., AKY)
- 2nd Div. led by MG Sam Jones / BG Patton Anderson = 4 Bdes
- 3rd Div. led by MG Hardee / MG Buckner = 4/3 Bdes (Cleburne's Bde transferred to Cleburne's Div., AKY)
- Reserve Div. led by MG Withers = 4 Bdes
- 1st Cavalry Bde led by BG Forrest / COL Wharton
- 2nd Cavalry Bde led by COL Wheeler

Kirby Smith's Army of Kentucky, forming an ad hoc corps operating in East Tennessee, was composed initially of two large divisions :
- 1st Div. led by BG Stevenson = 4 Bdes
- 2nd Div. led by BG Heth = 2 Infantry Bdes + 2 Cavalry Bdes

Kirby Smith was reinforced by detachments from Army of the West (McCown's Div.) and from Army of the Mississippi (two brigades picked up from Cheatham's and Hardee's Div., under the command of BG Pat Cleburne).
- 3rd Div. led by MG McCown / BG Churchill = 2 Bdes
- 4th Div. led by BG Cleburne = 2 Bdes

If Bragg abolishes Corps formations, Hardee stays in direct command of a division. Polk, relieved of active command, can therefore replace Dick Taylor in Western Louisiana while Hardee is put in charge of an informal Corps, composed of the 1st/2nd/3rd Div., while the Reserve Division and the Cavalry Bdes are under supervision of Taylor.

This way, Buckner is allowed to replace Hardee at the head of the 3rd Div. and Sam Jones can either assume division command under Kirby Smith or still in charge of the 2nd Div. (AMS). Unfortunately (or fortunately), Hardee is quite irremovable in this situation, unless he gets command elsewhere.

Assuming that each Infantry Bde numbers +/- 1,500 muskets and that each Cavalry Bde numbers +/- 1,250 sabres :

JULY/AUGUST 1862
Army of the Mississippi (GEN Braxton Bragg) = 16/14 Infantry Bdes (24,000/21,000) + 2 Cavalry Bdes (2,500)
- Field Command (MG William J. Hardee)
- - - 1st (Cheatham's) Div. = 4/3 Infantry Bdes (6,000/4,500)
- - - 2nd (Jones'/ Anderson's) Div. = 4 Infantry Bdes (6,000)
- - - Reserve (Withers') Div. = 4 Infantry Bdes (6,000)
- Reserve Command (MG Richard Taylor)
- - - 3rd (Hardee's/Buckner's) Div. = 4/3 Infantry Bdes (6,000/4,500)
- - - Cavalry (Forrest's/Wheeler's) Command = 2 Cavalry Bdes (2,500)

Army of Kentucky (GEN E.K. Smith) = 6/10 Infantry Bdes (9,000/15,000) + 2 Cavalry Bdes (2,500)
- - - 1st (Stevenson's) Div. = 4 Infantry Bdes (6,000)
- - - 2nd (Heth's/Jones') Div. = 2 Infantry Bdes (3,000) / 2 Cavalry Bdes (2,500)
[- - - 3rd (McCown's/Churchill's) Div. = 2 Infantry Bdes (3,000)]
[- - - 4th (Cleburne's) Div. = 2 Infantry Bdes (3,000)]

After the invasion of Kentucky and the outcome of Perryville, the number of troops Bragg should command is too much for one man. Kirby Smith's command is partially merged into the Army of Tennessee in late November 1862. At least, let's imagine that Hardee can theorically handle as many as four divisions until Stones River (but not easily). Bragg himself is unable to coordinate tactical moves on a battlefield, he needs to delegate part of his command to a senior officer.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1862

Army of Tennessee (GEN Braxton Bragg) = 16/20 Infantry Bdes (24,000/30,000) + 5/3 Cavalry Bdes (6,250/3,750)
- Field Command (LTG William J. Hardee)
- - - Cheatham's Div. = 4 Infantry Bdes (6,000)
- - - Withers' Div. = 4 Infantry Bdes (6,000)
- - - Buckner's/Cleburne's Div. = 4 Infantry Bdes (6,000)
[- - - McCown's Div., from Kirby Smith's Corps = 3 Infantry Bdes (4,500)]
[- - - J.K. Jackson's Reserve Bde (1,500)]
- Reserve Command (MG/LTG Richard Taylor)
- - - Breckinridge's Div. = 4 Infantry Bdes (6,000)
- - - Cavalry Command = 5/3 Cavalry Bdes (6,250/3,750)

These two OOBs reflect my opinion and should not be considered as the only options possible for Bragg for late 1862. I tried to propose a correct estimation of "command and control" but I'm not an expert.☺️
I am not an expert but Bragg was an aggressive fighter so I then to come down in favor of Corps but still believe and operations officer was needed to ensure Corp commanders were carrying out orders.
I concur more than 4 divisions is more than 1 man can handle.
 
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