John Bell Hood: The Rise, Fall, and Resurrection of a Confederate General

by Hood, Stephen

History of the Twenty-Fourth Tennessee, 43

  Holcombe, B. W., 265 Hollow Tree Gap, 147, 150

  Hood: Cavalier General, 270

  Hood Hospital, xxxii

  Hood Relief Committee, 107

  Hood, Anna Marie, xviii, 260

  Hood, Gen. John Bell, 4, 51, 60, 66, 80, 82, 86, 106, 108, 111, 125n, 150n; criticized Johnston in official report, xii-xiv; destruction of historical memory, xii, xxiv-xxv, xxxiv, xxxviii, xli; Lee Monument Association, xiii; Nashville, battle of, xiii, xxvi, xliii, 297; settled in New Orleans, xiii; Southern Historical Society, xiii, xiv, xix, xx, xxii; Franklin, battle of, xv, xvi, xvii, xxvi, xliii, 162, 243, 247-259, 261, 263, 267, 289, 297; Gettysburg, xv, xxv, 1, 8-9, 14, 237, 257; castigated by Johnston, xvi-xvii; memoirs, xvi, 70, 107, 144, 166, 170, 178, 189, 258, 210-211, 213, 216-217, 225, 293-298; Spring Hill Affair, xvi, xvii, xliii, 22, 62, 112, 114-117, 119, 120-120n, 121, 123-124, 127-129, 130-130n, 134, 136-139, 141-143, 150, 158, 182-183, 209-211, 216, 236, 242, 246, 248, 269, 274, 297-298; Anna Marie, xviii, 260; Atlanta Campaign, xviii, 64, 183, 262; stigmatized by the Lost Cause, xviii; obituary, xix-xx; Tennessee Campaign, xxi, xxxi, 84-85, 87, 89-90, 98, 102, 262, xxiii, 1, 5-8, 14, 16; death of, xxiv, xxviii, 289; history is improving, xxviii; started a new life after the war, xxviii; tenure with the Army of Tennessee, xxxi; Lost Cause “Hood the butcher,” xxxii; married Anna Marie Hennen, xxxii; postwar, xxxiii; rise and fall of, 1; enigmatic career, 1; Owingsville, Kentucky, born in, 1; father John W. Hood, 2; graduates from West Point, 2; nickname “Sam,” 2-2n; West Point, 2, 5, 251-253, 258; Fort Jones, 3; Williamson’s comment about Hood’s departure, 3; Jefferson Barracks, 4; wounded by Comanches, 4; appointed commander of the Texas brigade, 5; declined assignment to West Point, 5; offers services to Magoffin, 5; promoted to colonel, 5; resigns U.S. Army commission, 5; Eltham’s Landing, 6-7, 257; Seven Pines, 7; Gaines’s Mill, 8, 14, 231, 236, 255-257, 259; Second Manassas, 8, 14, 236, 255, 257; Sharpsburg, 8, 14, 231-232, 257; Suffolk Campaign, 8; Chickamauga, 9, 236, 256-257; promoted to lieutenant general, 9, 257; wounded at Chickamauga, 9, 215, 268, 276, 271; wounded at Gettysburg, 9, 215, 237, 271-272, 276; Nashville, 10, 75, 176-177, 182-183, 189, 191, 195, 240, 243; promoted to full general, 10; recovering from leg amputation, 10; strong relationship with Davis, 10; surrendered at Natchez, 10, 260; R. E. Lee’s opinion of, 11-12; opinion of Hood, 13; “All lion, no fox” comment, 14-18; Hood is a bold fighter, 14; R. E. Lee’s letter regarding murder of civilians, 14; John Brown’s Body poem honors Hood, 15; brave fighter, 16; “Old Woodenhead” label, 17, 288; correspondence with authorities, 19-21, 25; not scheming to replace Johnston, 19-20; ordered to keep Richmond informed, 20; called a “disloyal subordinate” by Sword, 21; “chronic liar” comment, 21; “damaging letter” to Bragg, 22; Franklin, Tennessee, 10, 22, 84, 86-87, 95, 132, 134, 136, 139-141, 150-151, 154-160, 163-166, 168, 170, 172, 182-183, 209-210, 224-225, 227, 232-236, 239; “shamelessly politicked” comment, 22; “damaging letter” to Bragg, 23; disobedience and jealousy of officers, 26-27; outnumbered two-to-one, 26; Confederate deserters, 27-28, 189; troops’ decreased fighting spirit, 30; replaces Johnston on July 17, 31, 33, 53-54; letter from G. W. Smith, 40; assigned command of Army of Tennessee, 42-43; soldiers not upset about his appointment, 42; Peter Principle, 44; successful brigade and division commander, 44-45; James Wilson’s letter, 44; Cassville, 48-49, 237; Eicher’s accusations, 51n, 52; inherits an impossible situation, 53; Peachtree Creek, 54, 56, 58, 60, 237; Peachtree Creek battle plan, 56; Ezra Church, 58-61, 63, 68, 238-239; plenty of supporters, 59; some officers opposed his replacement of Johnston, 59; open communications with high command, 60; physical condition, 62; Wheeler’s raid, 62; a hands-on combat commander, 63; casualties around Atlanta, 63; evacuates Atlanta, 63; Jonesboro, battle of, 63, 220-221, 238-239; blamed only subordinate William Hardee for defeats, 65; largely excused for defeat at Atlanta, 65; poor scholarship about, 66; onesided portrayal, 69; long account of Tennessee Campaign, 70-72; modern authors oppose, 72, 79; died in New Orleans, 73; Connelly calls a liar, 74; desertions, 75; soldiers poor morale, 77-78; Wolseley’s comments, 79; appointed to command Army of Tennessee, 81; Tennessee Campaign not impossible, 81; rationale for Tennessee Campaign, 83-84; logistics, 89-91, 95-97, 99, 109; youngest full general, 89; youngest officer to command an army, 89; kept army well supplied at Atlanta, 91; asks for railroads to be repaired, 92, 96; drawing supplies from Taylor’s department, 92; first meeting with Beauregard, 92-93, 105; keen appreciation for logistics, 92; looking for ordnance reserve, 92; plans keep evolving because of various issues, 92-93; anxious to launch the invasion, 94; requests twenty days rations from Taylor, 94; found it necessary to bypass Taylor, 95, 97; Beauregard presses to launch invasion, 96; General Order Number 37, 96; lack of cavalry, 100; miscommunication, 100-102; missing Forrest, 100; Decatur, Georgia, less defended, 101; Forrest’s whereabouts unknown, 101; did not disobey orders after Atlanta, 103; accused by Sword of being rash, 104; Beauregard appointed his superior, 104; keeps Richmond informed, 105; poor communications, 105; Wheeler’s orders, 105; relationship with Beauregard, 106; Hood Relief Committee, 107; awaits Forrest at Tuscumbia, 109-110; illness at Spring Hill, 116-117, 143; ultimately responsible for Spring Hill, 117; letter regarding Spring Hill, 121; Cheatham’s letter, 122; “natural modesty,” 123; S. D. Lee’s letter, 124-125, 127; Old’s letter, 126; accountable for Franklin, 132; Franklin decision explained, 134-135, 147, 149-150; was he upset or angry about Spring Hill, 135; Rippavilla meeting, 136; confident and robust, 143; frontal assault at Franklin comment, 143; similarities to Gaines’s Mill, 146; attempting to destroy Schofield, not occupy Franklin, 149; extensive knowledge of the cavalry, 150; Tennessee Campaign official report, 157; troop morale, 151-152; Schofield’s “Hood the butcher” comment, 159; dilemma at Franklin, 162; 17 separate attacks rumor, 164; command meeting at Franklin, 165-168; plan to renew the attack at Franklin, 165-166; valor of his soldiers, 165; “wept like a child” comment, 165; “savage in his fury” comment, 166; death of Cleburne, 169, 174-175, 232; did not blame Cleburne for Spring Hill, 169, 172-173; blames Cheatham for Spring Hill, 170-171; final meeting with Cleburne, 170; wept at Cleburne’s death, 175; refused to abandon the campaign, 176-177; not trying to conceal anything from Richmond, 177; sends results of Franklin to Beauregard, 177; size of army before Nashville, 178; looking for help from Kirby Smith, 179-180, 189-190, 192, 194; reason to capture Nashville, 179; aware of heavy odds at Nashville, 180; affection by men not lost, 181; movement to Nashville is a problem for historians, 181-182; invades Tennessee, 183; misinformation on Nashville actions, 184; sends Forrest to Murfreesboro, 184-186, 240; seeking reinforcements, 189; conscription, 195; requests Baker’s brigade, 195; retreats into Mississippi, 197, 206-207, 233, 247, 265; Nashville losses, 198; requests Beauregard visit the army, 199; Army of Tennessee not destroyed during the campaign, 202-203; casualty reports, 205, 218; resignation, 206; did not call his men cowards, 9, 213, 208-211, 214, 221, 227, 233; official report, 211; Sword is a leading critic, 211-212, 254-260; evaluation of his army, 219; Forrest sent to Murfreesboro, 222; army’s morale, 223-224; double standard, 225; loved his men, 226, 231; speech in Charleston, South Carolina, 226; Johnston thought war lostin 1863, 228; Tennessee Campaign losses, 228-229; pardoned deserters, 232; Capt. Foster’s criticisms, 233-234, 261-263; wants to furlough troops, 233; generalship, 235; advocate of offensive warfare, 236; joins the Army of Tennessee, 237; where Hood learned his craft, 237; Atlanta, battle of, 238, 256, 262-263; Franklin was last opportunity to destroy Schofield, 240; not a careless commander, 241; always accepted responsibility, 242-247; “I lost Atlanta” comment, 245; accepted responsibility for Tennessee Campaign, 247; compares Franklin troops to the Texas brigade, 247; resignation, 247; roll of honor for troops at Franklin, 247; large volume of personal attacks, 249; Fort Mason, 250; early writers were respectful, 254; postwar life in New Orleans, 260; modern books, 261; deserves well of the country, 264; Watkins’ poem, 264; Louise Wigfall Wright’s opinion of, 266; myth
about Forrest “whipping” him, 267, 268; stories lack supporting evidence, 267; use of laudanum, 268-280; spent time with Davis in Richmond, 273; Anglesey leg, 278; prosthetics, 278; gambling myth, 281; “The Yellow Rose of Texas,” 282-286; Sally Preston, 287; Ken Burn’s Civil War series, 288; tribute to, 289, 300-302; knew his career would be open to criticism, 291

  Hood: Cavalier General, xxxiv

  Hood’s Tennessee Campaign (1929), xliii, 87, 91, 127, 141, 181, 284

  Hood’s Tennessee Campaign (1941), 87

  Hooker, Gen. Joseph, 16, 47, 51

  Hood, Dr. John W., 2, 249

  Hood, Adm. Samuel, 2-2n

  Horn, Stanley, xxii, xxv, xxxiv, xl-xli, 20, 49, 63, 81, 84-85, 87, 91, 102, 127, 149, 155, 185, 189, 196-198, 209, 211, 215, 217, 220, 240, 242-243, 270, 284-286

  How the North Won the Civil War, 17

  Howard, Gen. Oliver O., 57-58, 61, 238

  Hudson, Robert, 33

  Hunter, Gen. David, 32

  Irving, Washington, 169

  It Happened in the Civil War, 213

  Iverson, Gen. Alfred, 61

  Jackson, Gen. Henry R., 186

  Jackson, Gen. Thomas J., 8, 15, 65, 78, 115, 173, 223, 228, 231, 236, 245, 259

  Jackson, Gen. William H., 100

  Jacobson, Eric, xxii, xxix, 22, 72, 81, 130n, 143, 146, 167n, 185, 203, 217, 229, 250, 284, 292

  Jamieson, Perry, 229

  Jefferson Davis and His Generals: The Failure of Confederate Command in the West, 211

  Jefferson Barracks, 4

  Jefferson, Thomas, 235

  Jenkins, Sally, 259

  “John Brown’s Body,” 15

  John Bell Hood and the Fight for Civil War Memory, xxix, xxxiv, 250

  John Bell Hoodand the War for Southern Independence, xxxiv

  John Bell Hood: Extracting Truth from History, xxxiv

  Johnson, Gen. Edward, 187, 123-124, 164

  Johnson, Herschel V., 64

  Johnson, Col. J. P., 199

  Johnson’s Island, Ohio, prison, 120

  Johnston and Beauregard vs. Davis and Bragg controversy, 243

  Johnston vs. Hood controversy, 243

  Johnston, Gen. Albert Sidney, 4, 173

  Johnston, Joseph E., xvii, 6, 10, 23, 24-24n, 33, 66-67, 79-80, 115, 117, 152, 162, 182, 227-228, 268, 283, 288; criticized by Hood in official report, xii-xiv, xvi; Atlanta Campaign, xviii; Southern Historical Society, xxii; memoirs, xxiv; Seven Pines, 7, 34, 37; retreats before Sherman, 10, 40; removed by Davis, 11-12; tactics not working, 13; affection of the army, 16; Hood not scheming to replace, 19; failure to keep authorities informed, 21; timidity, 21; political infighting in army, 25; handling of the army, 27; Confederate desertions, 28; always falling back, xii, 29-30, 209, 214-215, 237; Southerners maintained confidence in, 31; Davis did not trust, 34; Kennesaw Mountain, 34; Pickett’s Mill, 34; early admiration by Davis, 35; First Manassas, 35; retreats from Manassas, 36; Yorktown, 36; given command of a department, 37-38; retreats from Yorktown, 37; tight-lipped demeanor, 38, 40; going to abandon Atlanta, 41; his fault he was dismissed from command, 41-42; outnumbered by Sherman, 41; removal upset his soldiers, 42-43; no victories in last 18 months of war, 44; Cassville, 46-52; dismissed as commander, 46; Resaca, 46; removed by Davis, 53-54; some officers opposed Hood, 59; frustrates high command, 60; placed in command of the Army of Tennessee, 69; desertions, 75, 77; poor morale, 77; policy of the government for his army, 82; retreating, 84; logistics, 89-90; Bentonville, North Carolina, 178, 220, 228; long retreat, 205; restored to theater command, 206; army’s lack of initiative, 216; thought war was lost in 1863, 228; Dalton, Georgia, 232; largest mass execution of deserters, 232; army’s aggressiveness, 244; Foster a devotee, 261-262; Hood’s memoirs, 293-295; Jefferson Davis to Confederate Congress, 303-313

  Jones, Archer, 17

  Jones, Capt. A. C., 115, 117

  Jones, Capt. Bushrod, 220

  Jones, Franklin P., 69

  Jonesboro, Georgia, 62-62n, 63, 90, 216-221, 230, 238-239, 244

  Kelly, Dennis, xxi

  Kennesaw Mountain, battle of, xxi, 34, 220, 222, 230

  Knight, James R., 285

  Lanier, Robert, 64

  Law, Col. Evander, 8, 231

  Leaming, Maj. Henry, 155

  Lee Monument Association, xiii

  Lee, Gen. Fitzhugh, 12, 252

  Lee, Gen. Robert E., xvi, xxv, 1, 4-5, 10, 23, 32, 42, 64, 71, 78, 84, 90, 133, 152, 177-178, 183, 191, 214, 219, 223-224, 228-229, 231-232, 236, 245, 248, 255, 257-258; Lost Cause deity, xv; Texas brigade, xxiii; death of, xxvii-xxviii; appointed commander of the Virginia Army, 7; Seven Day’s battles, 8; Johnston’s successor, 11;opinion of Hood, 11-12, 17; Hood is a bold fighter, 12; letter to Davis regarding Hood, 12-14; did not reject Hood, 13; Johnston needs to be replaced, 13; letter regarding murder of civilians, 14; Hood’s correspondence with authorities, 20, 22-23; asks Davis to reappoint Johnston, 34; no decisive victories after Gettysburg, 44; Franklin, 154; retreat to Appomattox destroyed his army, 206-207; West Point, 253; Jefferson Davis to Confederate Congress, 304, 307-308, 310

  Lee, Gen. Stephen D., 25-26, 45, 58, 61, 65, 71, 75, 106, 110, 126, 166, 180, 185, 187, 246; Peachtree Creek, 57; Ezra Church, 58-59, 238-239; Spring Hill Affair, 113, 115, 123, 125, 128, 135; Hood’s “natural modesty” comment, 123; text of letter to Hood, 124-125; Franklin, 133, 151, 176, 187; Rippavilla meeting, 136; command meeting at Franklin, 166; death of Cleburne, 169, 174; Cheatham did not want to launch a night attack, 174; complained about Bate’s division, 187-188; official report, 217; casualty reports, 218; Jonesboro, 219-220, 230, 238; lost aggressiveness in the army, 221; Hood’s memoirs, 298

  Lee’s Lieutenants, 224

  Lewis, Gen. Joseph H., 194

  Lexington Gazette, xxvii

  Life of Johnny Reb, The: The Common Soldier of the Confederacy, 281

  Lincoln, Abraham, 5, 9, 32-33, 65, 68, 74, 79-81, 268

  Logan, Gen. John A., 61, 66, 79, 183

  Longacre, Edward, 202

  Longstreet, Gen. James, xv-xvi, xxix, 8-9, 15, 236-237, 252, 257, 259

  Look Away, 22

  Lord Acton, 1

  Loring, Gen. William W., 26, 144, 223-224

  Losson, Christopher, 281

  Lost Cause, xiii-xvi, xviii, xx, xxiv-xxv, xxvii-xxviii, xxxii, xxxiv, 230, 288

  Love, Cpl. George, 7

  Lovejoy’s Station, 91

  Lowry, Thomas, xl

  Lundberg, John, 116, 141-142, 144, 212-213, 220, 279, 286

  MacArthur, Col. Arthur, 86, 161

  Mackall, W. W., 25, 29, 48-49

  Macon and Western Railroad, 56-57, 61, 90

  Magoffin, Beriah, 5

  Magruder, Gen. John, 36

  Mahone, Gen. William, 224

  Manarin, Louis, 11, 17

  Manassas, First battle of, 35

  Manassas, Second battle of, xxiii, 8, 14, 214, 229, 236, 255, 257

  Maney, Gen. George, 26, 112

  Marietta, Georgia, 29

  Martin, Maj. E. L., 123-124, 125-125n

  Martin, Maj. Howdy, xxiv

  Mary Chesnut’s Civil War, 280

  Maury, Gen. Dabney, xxxiv

  McClellan, Gen. George B., 6, 8, 32, 80, 214, 245

  McCook, Gen. Edward, 61

  McCullough, David, 288

  McDonough, James, xxii, xxv, xxxi, 72, 87, 128, 142, 166, 205, 269, 279

  McKay, John, 140

  McKinney, Francis F., xxvi

  McLaws, Gen. Lafayette, 8, 252

  McMicken, Col. M. B., 90-91

  McMurry, Richard, xxii-xxxiv, 27-28, 30-31, 48, 51, 57-58, 60, 68, 72, 204-205, 268-269, 271, 277, 279

  McMurray, W. J., 282-284, 286

  McNeilly, James H., 88, 139, 184, 223

  McPherson, Gen. James B., 54, 56-57, 173, 295

  McPherson, James M., 17, 72

  McWhiney, Grady, 229

  Medal of Honor:

  Arthur MacArthur, 86

  Matthias Day, 252

  Powhata
n Clarke, 252

  Medical Histories of Confederate Generals, 272

  Memphis and Charleston Railroad, 92, 95, 98

  Merrifield, Pvt. J. K., 161

  Military Division of the Mississippi, 85

  Military Division of the West, 91, 107

  Miller, Dr. Brian C., xxix, xxxiv, 243, 250, 253

  Miller, Francis, 64

  Mobile Advertiser and Register, 54

  Mobile and Ohio Railroad, 93-95, 98

  Morehead, Pvt. Henry A., 14, 265

  Morgan, Gen. G. W., 245-246

  Mosman, Lt. Chesley, 120

  The Moving Appeal, 120, 280

  Murfreesboro, Tennessee, 184-186, 188, 222, 240-241, 246-247

  Murphey, Col. Virgil S., 43, 119-120, 159, 180

  Murphree, Sgt. Joel, 31

  Muzzey, David S., 79

  Nalle, William, xxvii

  Nashville Banner, 87-88

  Nashville, Tennessee, xxxii, 85, 94, 97, 99, 101, 103, 106, 133, 135, 141, 146-147, 153-154, 156-157, 161, 166, 173, 176, 179-181, 183-184, 190, 193, 197, 216, 240, 247

  Nashville, Tennessee, battle of, xiii, xx, xxvi, xliii, 10, 64, 70-71, 74-75, 78-79, 85, 98, 178, 181-182, 185-187, 189, 192-193, 195-198, 201, 203, 205-206, 219, 222, 227, 233-234, 240, 243, 247, 259, 265, 281, 297

  Nathan Bedford Forrest: In Search of an Enigma, 15, 279

  National Tribune, 67

  Neal, Lt. Andrew, 29

  Neely, Capt. H. M., 216

  Nelson, Larry E., 32

  New Hope Church, 237

  New Orleans Daily Picayune, xiv, xx

  New Orleans Times, xix

  New York Tribune, xxvi

  Newton, Stephen, 62, 244

  Nisbet, Col. James C., 16, 288

  O’Connor, Richard, xxxiv, xliii, 270, 277

  Old Bald Head: General R. S. Ewell, 268

  Old, Maj. William W., 123-124, 126

  “Old Woodenhead,” 17

  Oliver, Capt. Paul A., 51-51n

  Opdycke, Col. Emerson, xliii, 152, 161

  Orphan Brigade, 29, 164

  Orr, A. L., 96

  Our Living and Our Dead, xv

  Owen, Dr. Urban, 75, 78, 233, 277-278

  Owen, Tine, xxiii

  Patrick, Pvt. Robert, 28

  Patterson, Gerard, 13-14