won promotion to major general. He then
briefly cooperated with Gen. Earl Van Dorn
in an unsuccessful attempt to recapture
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, before marching
north to join Gen. William J. Hardee’s corps
in the Army of Tennessee. However, Breckin-
ridge, like many other commanders, de-
spised his commanding officer, Gen. Brax-
ton Bragg, a personal friend of Confederate
President Jefferson Davis. Although Bragg
was a fine strategist and an outstanding lo-
gistician, many officers resented both his
irascible disposition and willingness to cite
others for military failure. Breckinridge’s
brigade had been bloodily repulsed at the
Battle of Murfreesboro (December 31,
1862—January 3, 1863), and Bragg blamed
him for this defeat. Outraged, many friends
urged the general to confront Bragg in a duel
of honor. Fortunately, Breckinridge trans-
ferred west before personal animus resulted
in bloodshed.
Throughout the spring of 1863, Breckin-
ridge formed part of the army of Gen. Joseph
E. Johnston. He fought well in the siege of
Vicksburg, Mississippi, but Confederate ef-
forts proved unavailing, and by late August he
was back with Bragg under the immediate
command of Daniel H. Hill. He performed
well at the startling Confederate victory of
Chickamauga on September 19–20, 1863, and
later commanded a corps on Lookout Moun-
tain during the Battle of Chattanooga on No-
vember 25, 1863. This last action was a re-
sounding Union victory that led to Bragg’s
dismissal and sent Confederate forces reeling
back to Tennessee. Beforehand, Bragg spite-
fully accused Breckinridge of being drunk on
the day of battle and removed him from com-
mand. To avert a possible collision between
the two leaders, President Davis authorized
Breckinridge’s transfer east as head of the De-
partment of Southwestern Virginia. It was
here that he performed his most memorable
service to the South.
Breckinridge was now responsible for pro-
tecting the famous Shenandoah Valley, long
renowned as the “breadbasket of the Confed-
eracy” for its meat and grain supplies. How-
ever, he experienced manpower shortages
and mustered a scant 4,500 soldiers—but-
tressed by the addition of youthful cadets
from the nearby Virginia Military Academy in
Lexington. In May 1864, a force of 6,500 Union
soldiers under Gen. Franz Siegel entered the
Shenandoah with a view toward conquering
it. Breckinridge, even though outnumbered,
rushed his men northward and confronted the
invaders at New Market on May 15, 1864. De-
spite superiority in numbers, Siegel refused to
attack and thus forfeited the initiative. Breck-
inridge, bolstered by Gen. John D. Imboden
and 247 youthful and enthusiastic cadets,
then ordered an all-out assault against the re-
luctant federals on Bushong Hill. Surprisingly,
their charge carried them all the way to the
top, and the cadets even managed to capture
a cannon. Siegel then commenced a disorga-
nized withdrawal that ultimately cost him
more then 800 men. Confederate losses were
roughly 600, including 10 cadets dead and 47
wounded. Breckinridge’s performance against
superior numbers confirmed his reputation as
a capable commander and also secured Con-
federate control of the Shenandoah for sev-
eral months.
Shortly after New Market, Breckinridge
was transferred to the famous Army of North-
ern Virginia under Gen. Robert E. Lee. By
dint of hard fighting he helped to stop the ad-
vance of Gen. Ulysses S. Grant at Cold Har-
bor, Virginia, in June 1864. He then returned
back to the Shenandoah under Gen. Jubal A.
Early to partake in the latter’s famous raid
against Washington, D.C. By the fall the tables
had turned, and Union forces under Gen.
Philip H. Sheridan drove the remaining South-
erners out of the valley for good. In the wan-
ing days of the Confederacy, President Davis
saw fit to appoint Breckinridge his Secretary
of War as of February 1865. He always real-
ized the hopelessness of the Southern cause
but did his best to facilitate its final stand.
Breckinridge also proved instrumental in dis-
suading Davis from pursuing widespread
guerrilla warfare against Northern occupiersBRECKINRIDGE, JOHNCABELL