Mexico was President Jefferson Davis.
The president correctly judged that
Bragg’s disciplinarian approach would
allow him to toughen up and train
volunteers into an effective fighting
force. But by giving him the senior
command in the Western Theater, Davis
failed to take into account what other
qualities might be needed in such a role.
Leadership failings
Two major faults emerged as Bragg
conducted operations in the bold
invasion of Kentucky and the ensuing
fighting in Tennessee. One was a loss
of nerve that repeatedly led him to
withdraw at precisely the moment
when those around him felt he should
stand firm or vigorously advance. The
other fault was a chronic inability to
collaborate with other generals or to
establish any relationship of trust or
mutual respect with his subordinates.
Bragg’s bad temper and readiness
to blame others contributed to a near
breakdown in command that occurred
in 1863 after the Battle of Stones River.
He argued with his corps and divisional
generals while they campaigned to
have him removed. Sometimes his
anger was justified—his contempt for
the military abilities of Lieutenant
General Leonidas Polk, for example.
The politically well-connected Polk’s
resistance to his orders was clearly
insubordinate. But Bragg cannot escape
his share of the responsibility for a
situation that undermined the military
efficiency of the Army of Tennessee.
Despite the near mutinous stance of
his subordinates, Bragg remained in
command through most of 1863.Brief reprieve
Bragg’s victory at Chickamauga was won
at heavy cost, but momentarily gave
him sufficient prestige to have Polk
and some other unruly subordinates
removed. But criticism that he hadmoved too slowly in pursuit of the
defeated Union forces after the battle
cancelled out any long-term gain to his
reputation. His own self-belief, never
secure, had long been waning. When
Union counterattacks drove his army
from the heights outside Chattanooga
in November, the mental and physical
strain became unbearable and Bragg
begged to be relieved of his command.
There is no doubting his competence
as a planner and administrator, or his
ability in training troops, but he lacked
the inner strength and decisiveness
required of a fighting general.BRAXTON BRAGG■ March 22, 1817 Born, the son of a carpenter,
in Warrenton, North Carolina.
■ 1837 Graduates from West Point Military
Academy fifth in his class and is commissioned
a second lieutenant in the artillery.
■ 1846–48 Serves under General Zachary Taylor
in the War with Mexico.
■ 1855 Resigns from the army and buys a sugar
plantation at Thibodaux in Louisiana.
■ March 7, 1861 As Civil War approaches, Bragg
is made a brigadier general in the Confederate
army; he is sent to Pensacola, Florida, where he
is promoted to major general on September 12.
■ April 6–7, 1862 Serving under General Albert
Johnston, Bragg takes part in the battle of Shiloh
and is promoted to full general as a reward for
his aggressive performance.
■ June 1862 Appointed commander of the Army
of Mississippi.
■ August–October 1862 Bragg’s invasion of
Kentucky fails, damaging his reputation.
■ November 20, 1862 Bragg is put in command
of the newly formed Army of Tennessee.
■ December 31, 1862–January 2, 1863 At the
Battle of Stones River, Bragg makes the decision
to withdraw after three days’ fighting; heavily
criticized, he nonetheless retains his post.
■ September 19–20, 1863 Wins a costly victory
at Chickamauga but is again blamed for an
allegedly dilatory pursuit to Chattanooga.
■ November 29, 1863 After defeats at Lookout
Mountain (November 24) and Missionary Ridge
(November 25), Bragg asks to be relieved of
command of the Army of Tennessee.
■ February 1864 Appointed military adviser to
President Davis, an essentially administrative role.
■ January 15, 1865 As commander of the
Department of North Carolina, Bragg is charged
with responsibility for the loss of Fort Fisher.
■ March 19–21, 1865 Returns to combat as a
subordinate commander in the defeat at
Bentonville, the last battle in the Western Theater.
■ 1865–74 Earns a living through various civilian
jobs, including chief engineer of the Gulf,
Colorado, and Santa Fe railroad.
■ September 27, 1876 Dies suddenly while
walking down a street in Galveston, Texas.TIMELINEBRAGG’S TOMBSTONE IN MOBILE, ALABAMAZachary Taylor and Braxton Bragg
General Zachary Taylor (in the center) set up camp at
Walnut Springs during the War with Mexico in 1846.
Bragg, the third man standing to Taylor’s left, served
with him at Fort Brown, Monterrey, and Buena Vista.“I am convinced that nothing but
the hand of God can save us
... as long as we have our
present commander.”
JAMES LONGSTREET, IN A LETTER OF COMPLAINT ABOUT BRAGG, 26 SEPTEMBER, 1863Badge of status
During the Civil War swords were worn by officers as
symbols of rank. Braxton Bragg’s sword and scabbard is
now in the Confederate Memorial Hall in New Orleans.