Have accumulated and theyve led to this really distorted view of both men. But today well be talking about Braxton Bragg. Earl has written a fantastic biography of Braxton Bragg, i believe we have kolpi copies of volume as well. Earls going to speak to us today about a topic. Im pleased to see were not going to hear crickets here because the topic is Braxton Bragg who is the butt of all jokes and of course civil war historians. Not a particularly humorous crew. It is my pleasure to welcome earl hess. [ applause ] thank you very much. Thank you, pete, very much, for that generous introduction. Thinking about it this morning, what made me do this book, and i think it really is what pete mentioned. That whenever you go to a civil war roundtable and mention the name Braxton Bragg, theres a titter of laughter coming up from the audience. Because he in some ways is kind of almost a joke. In some ways. In other ways, as pete says, a cheap joke. And also the question this morning that someone asks of john marsalic, was bragg or halleck the most derived person of the civil war. The subtitle of my book, Braxton Bragg, the most hated man of the confederacy. It never dawned on me to say the most hated man of the civil war but maybe i should have said that. Let me start out with a story. I know many of you know this story. I overheard at least two people this morning telling this story to somebody else and they didnt know i was sitting next to them. In his memoirs, ulysses s. Grant related a story about bragg that has resonated among students of the civil war it is commonly accepted as fact by everyone. Even though grant himself admitted he did not know if it was true or not, but he said its kind of emblematic of bragg. So im going to tell you the story. The story is that before the civil war, Braxton Bragg and the u. S. Army commanded a company at a post on the frontier. But he also for a time acted as Quarter Master and commissary at that post. Grant says as commander of the company, he made a wreck what signature upon the Quarter Master himself. For something he wanted. But as Quarter Master, he declined to fill the requisition and his reasons for doing so. As company commander, he responded to this, urging that his requisition call for nothing but what he was entitled to, as quartermaster, he still perrised he was right. By now bragg referred this paperwork to the post commander for his opinion. My god, mr. Bragg, the commander replied, you have quarrelled with every officer in the army and now you are quarrelling with yourself. Its a good story. I like it. Its amusing. Its witty. Thats probably why everyone accepts it as fact. Even though Ulysses Grant did not do so honestly. The story grant is right. We have such a negative and one dimensional image of this guy based mostly on the wave of negative opinion coming from his critics at the time and from historians that we readily believe it is true. But honestly after studying bragg as ive done in writing a book about his civil war career, i cannot believe the story. We need to strip away the assumptions that has too long substituted for a deep analysis of braggs, the person and the general. My own view of bragg is he was a very intelligence and very practical man. The notion that he would waste his time in senseless activity like this defies belief. He would never have engaged in something as foolish as writing letters to himself. Even braggs most severe critics admitted he was a superb administrator and organizer of logistics. And yet the public image of bragg among his contemporaries and readers of Civil War History and many historian is that of a thorough failure, both as a man and as a general. Following let me give you some bio graph call information. After that, i want to give you three or four major points about bragg that consists of public image and analyze the details and the reality and see how true those things are. First of all, hes born in 1817. Hes born in upper north carolina. He came from a middle class family. His father was a very successful contractor who owned slaves. He came from a big family. Gosh i think he had seven or eight brothers and sisters. There is an interesting story that nobody has been able to prove. That his mother was in prison when she was pregnant with him because a black man insulted her and she killed him. And some historians like grady mcquinney, he wrote a pretty good biography of bragg from braggs birth up until the time of stones river. Argued that this probably was true. And argued that it must have shaped his personality to be very sensitive on the point of honor and very prickly when it came to dealing with people. Im not sure that we need to pay im not sure that we need to put too much emphasis on that. Another interesting thing that i found, he had a couple of brothers who were very successful too. John bragg and thomas bragg both served in congress. And thomas bragg, who is a lawyer, also served as Jefferson Davis attorney general in 1861 62. He was in the confederate cabinet, his brother was. Bragg himself opted for a military career. West point graduate. West point in service and the regular army shaped an awful lot of bragg. Instilled in him a desire for and a respect for a high level of personal discipline. He saw his First Service after graduation in florida where he contracted a horrible case of malaria that bothered him for the rest of his life. Periodic bouts of the recurrence of that awful disease really weakened his health a lot and had a big impact on his ability to do well as a general in the civil war i think and other people think. Of course his most famous precivil war episode is the mexican war. Where his regular army battery did very well at the contentious battle of buena vista in february 1847. Where his battery played a key role in american victory over the mexican army that outnumbered Zachary Taylors force three to one. This was also the famous incident where general Zachary Taylor supposedly said a little more grape, captain bragg. Sardonic kind of command in the middle of crisis to bragg. Bragg later admitted privately that it didnt happen. That there was the wording of that command was kind of exaggerated by newspaper reporters. But it made him a National Hero after 1847. Bragg resigned, however, from the u. S. Army in january 1856. And its because of Jefferson Davis who was secretary of war at the time. Jefferson davis actually fought at buena vista as commander of mississippi volunteer regiment very near braggs battery. The the two knew the two cooperated with one another. Although they were not personal friends in the mexican war. The reason that bragg resigned from the army is because davis was instituting a number of reforms in the army. Some of which affected the artillery arm of the u. S. Army. Bragg thought they were mistakes. He was bitterly opposed to them. He couldnt stop it. And he became very bitter toward secretary davis. Resigned in january of 56. And held a judge against davis for many years. Until really basically the middle and latter part of the civil war. Well, bragg put his life together. He found a wife. Elise ellis from a wealthy plantation owning family in mississippi. He married. He used her money to purchase a sugar plantation in louisiana on the bayou lafourche. And he in thorough military style he called it the plantation bidwac, reminiscent of his military service. He treated his slaves. He had more than 100 slaves to work with. He treated them as an army. It was difficult to grow sugar in those days. It demanded a high level of organization and smarts. And there were several lean years. But bragg did very well as a sugar planter. I argue in my book that the sugar planting business and the life he led in louisiana as a sugar planter had a big roll in shaping himself. His personality and his attitude toward discipline. Another thing i found interesting, sherman, william t. Sherman, was a friend of Braxton Bragg in these days. You probably know that sherman was hired as the director of the institution that later evolved into Louisiana State university. That was created in the late 1850s at alexandria, louisiana. Bragg was on the board of directors. He was delighted that sherman was hired. He knew sherman from his pre, from the time when he was in the army. I get the impression that bragg thought his friendship with sherman was deeper than sherman thought because sherman was a little cold in some ways to him. Theres a collection of half a dozen letters in the 1850s that bragg wrote to sherman and hes revealing his personal views of life. Hes writing to sherman as a very close personal friend. The emphasis on those letters we need discipline. The south needs discipline. He was upset over these young turks who grew up in big wealthy plantation families and didnt take responsibility for working hard and wasting their familys living. The only thing that can save the south is discipline. I will argue this attitude of severe discipline will rule braggs life and affect the way he deals with his subordinate generals in the civil war. Also, nothing about bragg. He was a deep supporter of southern causes in the 1850s. Once he by the way, about 1859, he brags to sherman that through hard work, i made a profit of 40,000 on bibwac this year. He was very proud of that. Bragg thought it was absolutely important to protect slavery. He thought that slavery was the only way to work southern land. He thought the only way to keep slaves under control was severe militarystyle discipline. When charles sumner. Was also killed by representative brooks in 1856 in an infamous incident for daring to give a speech criticizing the south, bragg wrote a letter saying hooray that sumner got what he deserves. It was pretty chilling to read the letter. That was his attitude. He was an extremely strong supporter of slavery in many, many ways. Not surprisingly, he approved the secession of louisiana. He also played a role in capturing the u. S. Arsenal at baton rouge, a key role in that. He also accepted Jefferson Davis offer of a commission as general in the Confederate Army in 1961. And for the first time, he begins to get an inkling that maybe davis doesnt hate me like i assumed he did ever since 1856 and he begins to slowly warm himself toward the confederate president. The confederate president never hated bragg. He had always respected him. Bragg wound up commanding an important post at pensacola, florida, in late 61, early 62. Then he was shifted up to tennessee. Just before shiloh where he helped to organize the Confederate Army of the mississippi. The field army that would become the famous army of tennessee in a short while. Fought at shiloh which was the biggest battle of his life so far. He had some very interesting letters describing his personal experience at shiloh. Which are at the Missouri History Museum written to his wife elise. Promoted to command the Confederate Army of the mississippi by may of 1862. Well, those of you who know civil war military history know what happens. He takes the army on a massive invasion of kentucky. A slave state that never seceded from the union. In many ways did very well in that kentucky campaign. Marching rapidly with very little logistical support, adding mobility to civil war field armies that had never been done before. By the way, many Union Commanders are very impressed by braggs invasion of kentucky for that reason. In the end, however, he had to give up kentucky for many reasons. And therefore after evacuating the state was branded as a failure by the news media. Jefferson davis continued to support him, however. The next battle is stones river. December 31st, 1862. In january 2nd, 1863. I argue in the book stones river was braggs best day of the civil war. I think he performed magnificently. He got the drop on the union army on december 31st, attacked them when they werent expecting it. Drove the right wing of the union army three miles. Put out of action 10,000 Union Soldiers. Also, wreaked havoc with union supply lines and wagon trains by sending two brigades of cavalry to raid them. Magnificent day of fighting. Tactical victory par excellence for the army of tennessee. Admittedly, it didnt result in strategic victory because the Union General really refused grants request to retreat. A misguided attack. After that, decided to retreat. So strategic defeat after tactical victory. That seems to be the lot of braggs life. As a civil war commander. After stones river, everything went downhill for him. His generals rebelled. They openly said we dont have faith in you. This is where braggs stubbornness comes into play. Instead of resigning as at one time he said he would if he doesnt have the support of his generals. He instead dug in his heels. He called on president Jefferson Davis for support. This is what my generals are saying. Do you want me to leave or stay . And davis said stay. He was helped in this. Another confederate commander who was sent by davis to middle tennessee to look into the situation and recommend what should be done and johnston said it would be a mistake to relieve bragg. He did very well at stones river. He inflicted so much damage. So comparatively few resources. It would be dishonorable to sacrifice him. Johnston came to bat and helped him to stay in place. Knew at this time the president was his supporter. Many people believe that davis supported bragg because they were personal friends. As Steven Woodworth has clearly pointed out. And is very evident from the primary material, that is not true. Jefferson davis more than once clearly said in a letter why i support bragg, i admire his administrative talents. Even though he may not be the best general on the battlefield, i dont know who else is better. And until somebody better comes along, he should stay where he is. That is the truth of the matter. In terms of that davis bragg relationship. Well, as i said, it went downhill from there. Braggs health worsened in 1863. His ability to personally deal with detractors in his command worsens also. Bragg in some ways was losing it. I argue braggs personality, he held himself to high standards. He was a perfectionist. You may say he was anal. Thats probably true. People of that personality type tend to burn out. It wasnt helped by the fact that he had just a raging feud with one of his cocommanders. The two men detested each other from the meant they met in march 1862. One of the points i bring out in my book is you have to understand the effect on braggs attitude of his commanders attitude toward him. What commander can be successful if he knows his subordinates dont like him and wont obey his orders, in other words. Well, you can see examples of this in the following campaigns. In the tullahoma campaign. In july 63. Sent out to murfreesboro to try to capture the rest of middle tennessee. Bragg put together some good plans for attack. Which were blocked, and he had to retreat. During the leadup to the battle. There were at least two incidents where bragg put together plans. His commanders refused to obey orders. And at chickamauga. His army won a magnificent victory on september 20th. The only battlefield victory of the army of tennessee. But afterward came the question what should we do to follow up. The defeated union army retreated to chattanooga and dug in there securely. And there was a huge road block. All of his generals said we should bypass chattanooga, go through the mountain, hit nashville and invade kentucky. Bragg said yes theoretically thats right but the army is exhausted, it doesnt have the land trans. The mountains are a barren waste. You cant live off the country when you go through the Appalachian Highlands because there are not enough farms there. Bragg saw nothing but problems. His subordinates saw nothing but prospects. And, again, bragg brought in Jefferson Davis to support him. The result was that bragg won the revolt against him by his generals. In october 1863, they mounted a major effort to get him ousted. He survived that. But it was a victory for bragg. Because he had very few vocal supporters. He was exhausted physically. Healthwise, he was almost a wreck. And the result was he lost control of a strategic situation, badly lost the battle of chattanooga in late november and finally offered his resignation. Davis finally said yes. In december 62, hes out. After resting, davis appointed him to what many people considered to be a higher position in the Confederate Army. Military adviser to the president in richmond. And as military adviser bragg served davis 100 faithfully. So much so that he basically stabbed joseph e. Johnson in the back and helped to get Joseph Johnson relieved as commander of his old army, the army of the tennessee, in the middle of the Atlantic Campaign in july of 64. Braggs attitude was i work for the president , not for Joseph Johnston. Finally near the end of the civil war, davis and bragg in their letters to each other. Signed themselves your friend. They el have the a personal friendship that lasted for the rest of their lives. Well, you know, i have some more things to say about bragg after the civil war too. I dont intend to go on too long here because i would like to have your questions and your viewpoints of all this. Lets look at just a couple of issues related to braggs public image during the civil war and whether or not that is true or not. And that will give us some insight into braggs problems. Number one, bragg developed in 1862 it the image in the confederacy of a man killer. A general whose obsession with discipline led him to order the execution of his own men, sometimes for trivial reasons and sometimes without due process of military law. Is this true . Well, all of this stemmed from an incident when the Confederate Army of the mississippi evacuated corin