I would generally agree. Unfortunately, that description can be applied to a lot of what the Confederacy did.
Yes, that would help. Bragg out-ranked Kirby Smith, but Kirby Smith showed little inclination to serve under Bragg.
Beauregard, OTOH, was willing to be recovered from his illness, resume command of the Department and be in command of the operation.
Breckinridge was trying to get there and Bragg wanted him there. Confederate inefficiency and conflicting commands prevented Breckinridge from making it -- and then Bragg decided it was Breckinridge's fault. Like so many things with Bragg, that turned into a grudge and a grudge tended to become a feud with Bragg.
I would wonder what would happen if he had done it. I don't think it is all that clear he would have won a battle against Buell.
Bragg's Beauregard's plan:
MOBILE, ALA.,(*) September 2, 1862.
General BRAXTON BRAGG,
Commanding Department No. 2, Chattanooga, Tenn.:
MY DEAR GENERAL: As you have shown your confidence in me by asking my views relative to your intended movement from Tupelo to Middle Tennessee via Mobile and Chattanooga, I have thought, after a <ar23_791> conversation with General Slaughter, that you might probably desire to have my views also relative to the campaign about to be inaugurated in that State. Unfortunately, being entirely unprovided with pontoon trains, your armies will be divided at first by one river (the Tennessee) and afterward by two (Tennessee and Cumberland). Hence they will be unable to support each other, but their operations must be more or less dependent on or connected with each other. I will then refer first to the operations east of the Tennessee and then to those west of it.
In the first case your objective points must be first Louisville and then Cincinnati. How to best reach them from Chattanooga with Buell at Huntsville and Stevenson is the question. It is evident he has the advantage of two bases of operations--the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers--and that if you advance toward your objective points without getting rid of him you would expose your lines of communication with Chattanooga. You must then give him battle first or compel him to retire before you. Should he retire on Nashville (as the newspapers say he is now doing) you will be advancing toward Louisville, but should he retire on Florence or Savannah to unite his forces with Rosecrans or Grant you will have to concentrate enough of your forces from Middle and East Tennessee to follow him rapidly and defeat him in a great battle, when you will be able to resume your movement as before indicated. You must, however, as soon as practicable, construct strong works to command the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers, for otherwise your communications will be cut off by the enemy as soon as these two rivers shall have risen sufficiently to admit the entrance of their gunboats and transports. The best position for said works is about 40 miles below Forts Donelson and Henry, not far from Eddyville, where those two rivers come within 1½ miles of each other. I am informed there is at that point a commanding elevation where a strong field work could be constructed for a garrison of about 2,500 or 3,000 men, who could hold out (with ample provisions and ammunition) for months against a large army. Under the guns of this work and along the bank of each river a series of batteries, armed with the heaviest guns (8, 9, and 10 inch and rifled guns), could be constructed, bearing directly on obstructions placed in each of said rivers. When Louisville shall have fallen into your possession I would construct a work there for the command of the Ohio and the canal, and I would destroy the latter as soon as possible so completely that future travelers would hardly know where it was. This I would do as a return for the Yankees' vandalism in attempting to obstruct forever the harbors of Charleston and Savannah. A detachment of your army could, I think, take Louisville, while the main column would be marching to Cincinnati; but if you could get boats enough it would be shorter to go up the Ohio in them. To keep the command of Cincinnati I would construct a strong work, heavily armed, at Covington.
Now for the operations in Western Tennessee: The object there should be to draw the enemy from there and resume the command of the Mississippi River. For these purposes I would concentrate rapidly at Grand Junction Price's army and all that could be spared from Vicksburg of Van Dorn's; from there I would make a forced march to Fort Pillow, which I would take with probably only a very small loss. It is evident the forces at Memphis and Yazoo River would then have their line of communication by the river with the north cut off, and they would have either to surrender or cross without resources into Arkansas, where General Holmes would take good care of them. From Fort Pillow I would compel the forces at Corinth and Jackson, Tenn., to fall back precipitately to Humboldt and Columbus, or their lines of communication would be cut off also. I could then pursue them vigorously beyond the Mississippi at Columbus, or Ohio at Paducah. I would thus compel the enemy to evacuate at once the State of Mississippi and Western Tennessee, with probably the loss of only a few hundred men. General Price could then be detached into Missouri to support his friends, where his presence alone would be worth an army to the Confederacy.
Such are the operations I would carry into effect, with such modifications as circumstances might require, if the President had done me the justice to order me back to the command of that army which I had with your assistance collected together and organized, and which I had only left to recover my health while my presence could be spared from it and until you informed me that it was ready to take the offensive.
Hoping, however, for your sake and that of our country, you will meet with brilliant success in Tennessee and Kentucky, I remain, sincerely, your friend,
G. T. BEAUREGARD.
P. S.--The armament complete and ammunition of the works referred to ought to be collected as soon as possible at Meridian and Chattanooga.