Why Davis kept Bragg in command?

[highplainsdrifter59]

In the aftermath of the battle at Chickamauga, Ga, the Confederate high command pretty much turned its back on Bragg. They didn't find him to be the general that would bring them a victory that was so needed after the losses in Gettysburg and Vicksburg.

Mind you Bragg was just off the victory at Chickamauga, but many of the Corp and Division commanders wanted to follow up this victory with what they hoped was a total destruction of Rosecrans army as they fled back to Chattanooga. Bragg did nothing more than agitate his commanders and what they thought, wasted a golden opportunity to deliver that crushing blow.

Davis comes to Chattanooga, hears from Braggs commanders and pretty much all of them told Davis that Bragg was not the man to be the leader of this army. The Corp and Division commanders laid it on the line to tell Davis that Bragg was more of an enemy to them than the Union army.

Longstreet, Buckner, Cheatham, D. Hill, Cleburne, and the list goes on who signed a paper to have him dismissed from command.

Bragg had already turned away Polk…which may have been a good thing really, then Forrest troops to be strip away and given to Wheeler, so it seems to me most of Bragg's army was in accord to have him ousted. Now, Bragg wasn't the kindest guy in the world here, he thought and truthfully was correct in that most General's didn't care for him. This army now sits atop Missionary Ridge, upon the vaulting mountain top of Lookout Mountain and just looks down at Rosecrans and his army and does nothing.

But through it all Davis does not hear what the majority of his other commanders are telling him, Bragg will not bring us a victory that will bring the turning of the tide as we say for the Confederacy.

What is your thoughts on this, it is an interesting topic to hear what all of you may have on this.

 

[rickvox79]

Even with the friction Bragg had just come off a huge victory at Chickamauga. Davis would rather have cut off his own arm than put Joseph Johnston in command. Some time later though he had no choice after the defeat at Missionary Ridge and Lookout Mountain. Johnston is back in command and pretty sure Davis kept his arm too I just don't think the pressure was strong enough for Davis to feel the need to yank Bragg from command at that time.

 

[GELongstreet]

Btw. Bragg died on this very day in 1876.

 

[highplainsdrifter59]

True, Davis cared very little for Johnston and Beauguard to replace Bragg. Of course he had asked Lee about this position but Lee didn't wish to leave the ANV and the right to protect his native state.

Longstreet....I can figure Davis didn't hold him to high esteem as much as others did. Maybe he still looked at his disagreements to tactics with Lee at Gettysburg as a fault. You know maybe...just maybe Lee was tired of Longstreet around this time and pressed him to go south to support the AOT until Lee could find peace within himself to have him back in the fold. I think Lee was hurt badly with Longstreet's apparent behavior and felt somewhat bad at how his number one commander had fought him on tactics during that battle and campaign.

Of course Davis had Hardee but as we know now it was offered to him before Johnston and he refused.

Pemberton was a Davis favorite but I think the army commanders would have revolted if Davis would have chosen him…not after the surrender at Vicksburg just a few month back.

 

[Jamieva]

using the search function would help it's been discussed before.

Having said that, Davis best 2 options were Johnston and Beauregard and he hated both of them.

@highplainsdrifter59 he did bring Pemberton back to try to insert him in corps command and the grunts revolted. He left camp without ever taking the command. Davis had a deaf ear to how the men in the ranks would take to serving under him.

 

[Hunter]

Jefferson Davis believed that West Point graduates like Bragg were the only persons qualified to lead his armies. The Confederate victory at Chicamauga seemed to confirm this. When Davis subsequently met with Bragg's subordinates, he listened to their complaints and then asked them who they wanted as Bragg's replacement. They replied "anyone." When he replied that "I do not appoint just anyone to command," that ended the attempted coup. Of course, Davis ultimately replaced Bragg with Johnston, another West Pointer.

 

[bdtex]

Btw. Bragg died on this very day in 1876.

And @AndyHall can show you exactly where.

 

[AndyHall]

Here, around 2220 Postoffice St., Galveston.:

 

[GELongstreet]

Here, around 2220 Postoffice St., Galveston.:

View attachment 111506

Bragg and something about brain works in a single post ... how bizarre.

 

[AndyHall]

He collapsed in front of the post office about two blocks away, and was carried unconscious to his office at this location, where he died a short time later.

 

[Jamieva]

Jefferson Davis believed that West Point graduates like Bragg were the only persons qualified to lead his armies. The Confederate victory at Chicamauga seemed to confirm this. When Davis subsequently met with Bragg's subordinates, he listened to their complaints and then asked them who they wanted as Bragg's replacement. They replied "anyone." When he replied that "I do not appoint just anyone to command," that ended the attempted coup. Of course, Davis ultimately replaced Bragg with Johnston, another West Pointer.

Right. Longstreet really wanted the job but he wasn't willing to step up and say it. Not that Davis would've automatically given it to him. But that certainly was in Longstreet's mind

 

[rickvox79]

Right. Longstreet really wanted the job but he wasn't willing to step up and say it. Not that Davis would've automatically given it to him. But that certainly was in Longstreet's mind

After Longstreet's failed Knoxville campaign, he mostly seemed to prove there that he didn't need his own command. Could he have done better at the head of the AoT? I guess we'll never know.

 

[Jamieva]

True but Davis going to visit the AoT was before Knoxville

 

[rickvox79]

True but Davis going to visit the AoT was before Knoxville

Yeah, that was mostly just my opinion on whether Longstreet could have handled the AoT. I think Longstreet would have been the best option available though, regardless of what happened at Knoxville.

 

[highplainsdrifter59]

I agree with Longstreet being the best available...but.... I do not see the other Generals really rallying around him. He did come down south with a better than you attitude from what I have read from the other Generals. He was more in tune with look, what I have done and without me, you would not have succeeded at Chickamauga.

As we ponder the personal that were available to Davis at that time, maybe Davis was correct in staying with Bragg… Joe Johnston would have sat upon those hills just as Bragg did, maybe he would have fared better, who knows. Beauguard, well, he may have attacked but would he attacked headlong into the open ground before Chattanooga or would he have chosen a different route. Chattanooga was pretty much locked in with water on three sides.

Then we have to add in the Grant, Sherman factor, but if the change would have happened when first Davis came down, then maybe there was a chance to route Rosecrans and even had him surrender his army.

 

[rickvox79]

I agree with Longstreet being the best available...but.... I do not see the other Generals really rallying around him. He did come down south with a better than you attitude from what I have read from the other Generals. He was more in tune with look, what I have done and without me, you would not have succeeded at Chickamauga.

As we ponder the personal that were available to Davis at that time, maybe Davis was correct in staying with Bragg… Joe Johnston would have sat upon those hills just as Bragg did, maybe he would have fared better, who knows. Beauguard, well, he may have attacked but would he attacked headlong into the open ground before Chattanooga or would he have chosen a different route. Chattanooga was pretty much locked in with water on three sides.

Then we have to add in the Grant, Sherman factor, but if the change would have happened when first Davis came down, then maybe there was a chance to route Rosecrans and even had him surrender his army.

David Powell's third volume of his Chickamauga Campaign book series will probably delve more into the Bragg/Longstreet dynamic and more of the disillusion between Bragg and his subordinates. I look forward to checking it out when it is available here soon. On his blog he wrote briefly about Bragg vs Longstreet with an excerpt from his book: https://chickamaugablog.wordpress.com/2016/08/16/bragg-vs-longstreet/