I once read that the only thing that kept General John Bell Hood's Army of Tennessee from being totally destroyed at Nashville was Nathan Bedford Forest's Calvary covering the retreat, and kept it from turning into a rout. But what if the Army of Tennessee was destroyed and Hood and many of his commanders were either killed or captured, would that have given Sherman a bigger advantage while he marched through the Carolinas? Would their still be a battle at bentonville? Could Joe Johnston put up any kind of defense? Anybody have any thoughts?