Following the Battle of Missionary Ridge Confederate General Braxton Bragg gave his report of the battle to President Jefferson Davis. In this report Bragg made the accusation that John C. Breckinridge, one of his Corps Commanders in the Army of Tennessee, was drunk throughout the Battle.
General Breckinridge was one of Bragg's biggest critics and considered him an incompetant and felt that Bragg treated the Kentuckians in the Confederate forces unfairly. His ill-feelings were further hieghtened towards Bragg when at the Battle of Murfreesboro Bragg orders his division to launch a near suicidal attack on the Union lines that left his division all but shattered. Breckinridge devastated by this disaster.
General Breckinridge had been one of the many Generals in the Army of Tennessee who turned on Bragg and called for his dissmissal. Bragg, ever a man to hold a grudge, was bitter toward the whole of his army there after.
Following Bragg's report on the Battle of Missionary Ridge President Davis decided that Breckinridge was in need of a change of scene and brought him East to the Shenandoah where he put to rest all doubts about his ability.
Joe Johnston soon took command of the Army of Tennessee and found himself with only one Corps Commander at his disposal, William J. Hardee. He tried to take advantage of this opportunity to reorganise the AoT into a three Corps system but was prevented from doing so by Davis who thought a re-organisation was not required.
Instead Davis picked Johnston's second Corps Commander himself and chose John Bell Hood, returning to service after losing his leg. Hood spent the rest of his time as a Corps Commander in the AoT criticising Johnston to Davis and to Davis representative Bragg until he got Johnston's job.
The rest is history.
So what if Breckinridge was never replaced by Hood? How would the war change if Breckinridge remained in the a Corps Commander in the Army of Tennessee?
General Breckinridge was one of Bragg's biggest critics and considered him an incompetant and felt that Bragg treated the Kentuckians in the Confederate forces unfairly. His ill-feelings were further hieghtened towards Bragg when at the Battle of Murfreesboro Bragg orders his division to launch a near suicidal attack on the Union lines that left his division all but shattered. Breckinridge devastated by this disaster.
General Breckinridge had been one of the many Generals in the Army of Tennessee who turned on Bragg and called for his dissmissal. Bragg, ever a man to hold a grudge, was bitter toward the whole of his army there after.
Following Bragg's report on the Battle of Missionary Ridge President Davis decided that Breckinridge was in need of a change of scene and brought him East to the Shenandoah where he put to rest all doubts about his ability.
Joe Johnston soon took command of the Army of Tennessee and found himself with only one Corps Commander at his disposal, William J. Hardee. He tried to take advantage of this opportunity to reorganise the AoT into a three Corps system but was prevented from doing so by Davis who thought a re-organisation was not required.
Instead Davis picked Johnston's second Corps Commander himself and chose John Bell Hood, returning to service after losing his leg. Hood spent the rest of his time as a Corps Commander in the AoT criticising Johnston to Davis and to Davis representative Bragg until he got Johnston's job.
The rest is history.
So what if Breckinridge was never replaced by Hood? How would the war change if Breckinridge remained in the a Corps Commander in the Army of Tennessee?