On this date on the Civil War.....

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On this date on the Civil War..... - 12/15/2006 7:53:23 PM

captskillet

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From: Louisiana & the 2007 Nat Champ LSU Fightin' Tigers
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December 15, 1864

Battle of Nashville, Tennessee

The once powerful Confederate Army of Tennessee is nearly destroyed when a Union army commanded by General George Thomas swarms over the Rebel trenches around Nashville.

This was the sad finale in a disastrous year for the General John Bell Hood's Confederates. The Rebels lost a long summer campaign for Atlanta in September when Hood abandoned the city to the army of William T. Sherman. Hood then took his diminished force north into Tennessee. He hoped to draw Sherman out of the deep South, but Sherman had enough troops to split his force and send part of it to chase Hood into Tennessee. In November, Sherman took the remainder of his army on his march across Georgia. On November 30, Hood attacked the troops of General John Schofield at Franklin, Tennessee. The Confederates suffered heavy casualties and much of the army's leadership structure was destroyed: twelve generals were killed or wounded along with 60 regimental leaders. When Schofield moved north to Nashville to join Thomas, Hood followed him and dug his army in outside of Nashville's formidable defenses.

Thomas saw his chance to deal a decisive blow to Hood. More than 50,000 Yankees faced a Rebel force that now totaled less than 20,000. Historians have long questioned why Hood even approached the strongly fortified city with the odds so stacked against him. Early in the morning of December 15, Thomas sent a force under General James Steedman against the Confederates' right flank. The Union troops overran the Confederate trenches and drove the Rebels back more than a mile. The short December day halted the fighting, but Thomas struck again on December 16. This time, the entire Confederate line gave way and sent Hood's men from the field in a total rout. Only General Stephen Lee's valiant rear-guard action prevented total destruction of the Confederate army.

More than 6,000 Rebels were killed or wounded and 3,000 Yankees lost their lives. Hood and his damaged army retreated to Mississippi, the Army of Tennessee no longer a viable offensive fighting force.

PS...........Hood was a brlliant brigade (Hoods Texans) and Divisional commander who was also probably adequate at a corps level of commander (where there was still an overall higher up on site to monitor his "decsions") and no one cold question hs braverly as he was seriously wounded twice, at Gettysburg (losng the use of his left arm) and at Chickamauga (losing his right leg 4" below hip) but at the Army level of Command he failed miserably with the Army of Tenn and sadly that is what he is mostly remembered for

_____________________________

"Git thar fust with the most men" - Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest

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RE: On this date on the Civil War..... - 12/15/2006 9:35:51 PM

Mike Scholl

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From: Kansas City, MO
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Definately a victim of the "Peter Principle". By the time he reached Army command he seems to have lost his grasp on every military principle except "Charge". Joe Johnson would have accomplished more and wasted far fewer lives. Another Jefferson Davis fiasco..

(in reply to captskillet)

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RE: On this date on the Civil War..... - 12/15/2006 9:52:13 PM

chris0827

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Mike Scholl

Definately a victim of the "Peter Principle".�� By the time he reached Army command he seems to have lost his grasp on every military principle except "Charge".�� Joe Johnson would have accomplished more and wasted far fewer lives.�� Another Jefferson Davis fiasco..

I'm outnumbered nearly three to one, poorly supplied, and have just lost 13 brigade and division commanders in one battle. I think I'll park my army a few miles outside of one of the most heavily fortified cities in the world and wait to be attacked. And if I get pushed back two miles in the first day of the battle I'll reform my lines and wait to be attacked again. I'll also send Forrest and most of my cavalry away so they won't be here for the battle. And if I have to retreat to Alabama with less then half the men I took into Tennessee I'll send messages to Richmond saying that my losses were light and my army is still in good shape.

He was good at one thing. He had 11 children.

(in reply to Mike Scholl)

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RE: On this date on the Civil War..... - 12/16/2006 5:18:43 AM

Connecticut14th

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Hood was also so mentally ruined from the pain-killing drugs of the day(well, mentally they weren't much different from those of today) that he was not in a reasonable state of mind to command a latrine detail, let alone an Army.
See the battle of Franklin, where he ordered the fateful assault to punish the units involved for not cutting off the enemy at Spring Hill (waiting for the Cleburne crew on the site to chime in). By this time, Hood had lost all grasp of reality and strategic comprehension, at a time when the CSA needed a chess player rather than a gambler.
If Joe Johnston had remained in command, Sherman probably would not have secured Atlanta prior to the election, and history may have been changed...As far as the history of the Confederacy goes, this is a more realistic "what if" than the repeated 'Lee Defends at Gettysburg" questions

(in reply to chris0827)

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RE: On this date on the Civil War..... - 12/17/2006 9:25:03 AM

AU Tiger_MatrixForum

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From: Deepest Dixie
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quote:

ORIGINAL: Mike Scholl

Definately a victim of the "Peter Principle". By the time he reached Army command he seems to have lost his grasp on every military principle except "Charge". Joe Johnson would have accomplished more and wasted far fewer lives. Another Jefferson Davis fiasco..

On this, we agree.

_____________________________

"Never take counsel of your fears."

Tho. Jackson

(in reply to Mike Scholl)

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RE: On this date on the Civil War..... - 12/17/2006 9:28:16 AM

AU Tiger_MatrixForum

Posts: 1606
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From: Deepest Dixie
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quote:

ORIGINAL: Connecticut14th

If Joe Johnston had remained in command, Sherman probably would not have secured Atlanta prior to the election, and history may have been changed...As far as the history of the Confederacy goes, this is a more realistic "what if" than the repeated 'Lee Defends at Gettysburg" questions

There was a reason Reteatin' Joe was replaced, although the choice for replacement was laughable.

_____________________________

"Never take counsel of your fears."

Tho. Jackson

(in reply to Connecticut14th)

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RE: On this date on the Civil War..... - 12/17/2006 9:30:23 AM

chris0827

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Davis couldn't put his personal feelings aside when dealing with generals. His feud with Johnston started at west point where they got into a fist fight over a girl and Johnston won. Lincoln on the other hand would put up with a lot from generals. McClellan and Hooker both acted poorly towards the president but were only removed after military failures.

(in reply to AU Tiger_MatrixForum)

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RE: On this date on the Civil War..... - 12/17/2006 9:34:29 AM

chris0827

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quote:

ORIGINAL: AU Tiger

quote:

ORIGINAL: Connecticut14th

If Joe Johnston had remained in command, Sherman probably would not have secured Atlanta prior to the election, and history may have been changed...As far as the history of the Confederacy goes, this is a more realistic "what if" than the repeated 'Lee Defends at Gettysburg" questions

There was a reason Reteatin' Joe was replaced, although the choice for replacement was laughable.

Johnston understood that confederate armies were more important than confederate cities. Hood lost both the city and a third of the army. Johnston would've still had an intact army. It's hard to imagine Sherman marching to the sea with Johnston in command.

(in reply to AU Tiger_MatrixForum)

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RE: On this date on the Civil War..... - 12/17/2006 5:06:15 PM

Mike Scholl

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From: Kansas City, MO
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"If Joe Johnston had remained in command, Sherman probably would not have secured Atlanta prior to the election, and history may have been changed...As far as the history of the Confederacy goes, this is a more realistic "what if" than the repeated 'Lee Defends at Gettysburg" questions."

No, Sherman would still have secured Atlanta. Johnson was relieved when he finally fell back into it's defenses..., and Sherman had enough resources to have eventually threatened "encirclement". Joe Johnson wasn't stupid enough to "pull a Pemberton" and let the South's only remaining army in the theatre be "locked up in Atlanta" the way Pemberton had done in Vicksburg. But Sherman (having garrisoned Atlanta) wouldn't have dared to spread out all over the landscape the way he did on his "March to the Sea" with Joe Johnson and the Army of Tennessee hovering on one of his flanks. The major difference between Johnson and Hood is that a lot more Southern Boys would have been around to go home when the war ended under Johnson's command. Sherman respected Johnson..., but he pegged Hood for a fool pretty quickly and operated accordingly.

(in reply to Connecticut14th)

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All Forums >> [Current Games From Matrix.] >> [American Civil War] >> Forge of Freedom: The American Civil War 1861-1865 >> On this date on the Civil War.....

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