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

The first law of the historian is that he shall never dare utter an untruth.

The second is that he shall suppress nothing that is true.

Moreover, there shall be no suspicion of partiality in his writing, or of malice.

Cicero

2013 By Stephen M. Hood

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
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Hood, Stephen M.
John Bell Hood: the Rise, Fall, and Resurrection of a Confederate General /
Stephen M. Hood. First edition.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
EPUB ISBN 978-1-61121-140-5
PRINT ISBN 978-1-61121-141-2
1. Hood, John Bell, 1831-1879. 2. GeneralsConfederate States of America
Biography. 3. United StatesHistoryCivil War, 1861-1865Biography. 4. United
StatesHistoryCivil War, 1861-1865Campaigns. I. Title.
E467.1.H58H66 2013
355.0092dc23
[B]
2013010919

First edition, first printing

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To General John Bell and Anna Hood and their descendants, living and dead, who, with dignity and grace, endured so much, for so long.

General John Bell Hood in a previously unpublished photograph, circa Richmond early 1864, before he left to command a corps in the Army of Tennessee.

John Bell Hood Personal Papers

Table of Contents

Preface
by Stephen Davis

Foreword
by Thomas J. Brown

Chapter 1
John Bell Hood: The Son and the Soldier

Chapter 2
Robert E. Lees Opinion of John Bell Hood

Chapter 3
Jeff Davis, Joe Johnston, and John Bell Hood

Chapter 4
The Cassville Controversy

Chapter 5
The Battles for Atlanta: Hood Fights

Chapter 6
Desperate Times, Desperate Measures: The Tennessee Campaign

Chapter 7
John Bell Hood: Feeding and Supplying His Army

Chapter 8
Frank Cheatham and the Spring Hill Affair

Chapter 9
John Bell Hood and the Battle of Franklin

Chapter 10
The Death of Cleburne: Resentment or Remorse?

Chapter 11
John Bell Hood and the Battle of Nashville

Chapter 12
The Army of Tennessee: Destroyed in Tennessee?

Chapter 13
Did John Bell Hood Accuse His Soldiers of Cowardice?

Chapter 14
A Callous Attitude: Did John Bell Hood Bleed His Boys?

Chapter 15
John Bell Hood and Frontal Assaults

Chapter 16
Hood to His Men: Boys, It is All My Fault

Chapter 17
John Bell Hood and Words of Reproach

Chapter 18
Words of Praise for John Bell Hood

Chapter 19
John Bell Hood: Laudanum, Legends, and Lore

Afterword
by Eric Jacobson

Appendix 1
Excerpt from Advance and Retreat

Appendix 2
An Eloquent Tribute to the Memory of the Late Gen. J. B. Hood

Appendix 3
Jefferson Davis on Joe Johnston: Excerpt to the Confederate Congress

Maps and photos have been placed throughout the book for the convenience of the reader.

Preface

The time is right for Sam Hoods book. Another way of looking at it is, my, what we have learned since the Civil Wars Centennial fifty years ago.

No, Im not thinking about Clive Cusslers discovery of the wreck of the Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley in 1995. Nor David Blights discovery, in the Harvard University archives, of African-Americans first decoration day in May 1865 for deceased Union POWs at Charlestons Race Course prison, which he announced in Race and Reunion (2001).

Im thinking about the realization that in the last fifty years Confederate General John Bell Hood deserves a better shake by Clio, our Greek muse of history. Every now and then a major figure of the past merits a re-examination and fresh appraisal by the writers of history. Thats because historiography the very act of writing historytakes on trends built by previous writers, and even the most conscientious practitioners of the art may absorb ideas and opinions expressed in earlier books and monographs. Such has been the shifting historiography of General Hood.

There is no disagreement over the first half of Hoods Confederate war record in Virginia, where he rose from first lieutenant to major general. At the time of his severe wounding at Gettysburg, Hood was widely regarded as one of Lees best division commanders. Wounded again at Chickamauga, with his right leg amputated, Hood was lionized in Southern society. At the request of General Longstreet and Secretary Seddon, and with President Davis warm approval, Hood was promoted to lieutenant general.

It was when Hood became a corps commander in the Army of Tennessee, in early 1864, that historians began to differ over his merits as Confederate general. When he was promoted to temporary rank of general and placed in charge of the Army of Tennessee, Southerners at the time and students of the war since have quarreled about Hoods qualification for this huge responsibility. The loss of Atlanta, the disastrous repulse at Franklin and humiliating rout at Nashville created such a tragic record of failure that critics of Hood have virtually taunted Jeff Davis with we told you so.

Sam Hood addresses this trendy literature here, commendably pointing out factual errors, inaccurate and misleading paraphrasing of primary sources, and apparent concealment of historical facts. On the other hand, in the past few decades there has appeared at least a small bookshelf which might be called Hoods scholarly rehabilitation/work in progress.

Whether Sams keen eye and sharper pen lead to a better shake for Hood at the bar of history will be anyones guess. For now, I invite you to join Sam in taking a fresh look at John Bells Hood historical record.

Youre in for a fine read.

Stephen Davis
Atlanta, Spring 2013

Foreword

John Bell Hood and the Lost Cause

The path to the destruction of John Bell Hoods historical memory began with his official report, submitted to Richmond a few months before the end of the war in February of 1865. In particular, Hood in his report sharply criticized Joseph Johnstons battlefield conduct, claiming it led to great waste in men and material along with a gradual demoralization of the troops. Johnstons consistent policy of strategic withdrawal in the face of the enemy, with its vain hope of luring Sherman into a trap, had worn the men down, Hood believed.

Hood declared that he was placed in command under the most trying [of] circumstances

Some of Hoods comments are open to debate. For example, Johnston undoubtedly fought battles. The distinction, later made by Hood in his memoirs, however, is that Johnston failed to fight a general battle. Writing in the aftermath of his promotion and ascension to command of the Army of Tennessee and its total defeat at Nashville, Hood may well have felt bitter about being placed in such a tenuous position and, by February 1865, with the Confederacy on the threshold of its demise, perhaps regretted that he had accepted the job. His report elicited a threat of legal action from Johnston, and more importantly it motivated the proud Virginian to begin writing his own memoirs. Historian Brian Miller writes that this event serves as the onset of Hoods postwar memory construction. Johnston attacked Hood in his postwar memoirs. When Hood wrote to defend himself, however, Lost Cause Johnston supporters (such as former generals Cadmus Wilcox and James Chalmers) joined in with negative comments of their own.