What if: Braxton Bragg at Atlanta

What if President Davis allowed General Bragg to remain in command of the Army of Tennessee? Would Bragg have been successful in his purge of the army and replace the discontent generals with one's loyal to him? How would he have done in defense of Georgia? Affects on the war at large?
 
It would have gone a lot better for the Confedarcy cause as he realized the limits of the confederate army and while I don't think that this would cause the Confederate States to win the war it would definitely make it last longer cause as he said in Gone With The Wind "I can hold Atlanta forever".
 
It would have gone a lot better for the Confedarcy cause as he realized the limits of the confederate army and while I don't think that this would cause the Confederate States to win the war it would definitely make it last longer cause as he said in Gone With The Wind "I can hold Atlanta forever".
Gone with the wind is of course an entirely accurate cinematic history of the Civil War
 
I sincerely hope that anyone who thinks that having Braxton Bragg remain in command is beneficial to the Confederate cause is joking.

The Army of Tennessee was in terrible condition in the aftermath of the rout of Chattanooga, and ‘Uncle’ Joe was responsible for reforming and rebuilding the army. Thousands of absentees returned to the Army of Tennessee after Johnston proclaimed a general amnesty for those who returned to the ranks. After the despair of Missionary Ridge the spirit of the Army of Tennessee was restored.

Under Braxton Bragg, the provision of food would still be irregular due to poor relationships with Governor Brown. Bragg would never be able to purge his high command, the infighting in the high command of the Army of Tennessee would not stop.

The Army of Tennessee would begin the Atlanta Campaign in a weaker state than historical. In addition, Bragg has far more toxic relationships with his subordinates. I’m fairly certain Sherman will have a far easier time of whipping Bragg than he did with Johnston.
 
What if President Davis allowed General Bragg to remain in command of the Army of Tennessee? Would Bragg have been successful in his purge of the army and replace the discontent generals with one's loyal to him? How would he have done in defense of Georgia? Affects on the war at large?

Davis allowed Bragg to remain in command after he withdrew from Perryville and surrendered Kentucky to the Federals amidst a heavy criticism of his conduct from his subordinates.

He allowed Bragg to remain in command after he withdrew from Murfreesboro amidst allegations that he mishandled the battle further alienated his subordinate leading to renewed calls for his head.

He allowed Bragg to remain in command after he was driven out of Tennessee in the Tullahoma Campaign with the Army basically at war with itself and failing to act as a cohesive unit.

There was no way he could justify retaining Bragg as Commander of the Army of Tennessee after Missionary Ridge. It was the final straw. He had outlived his usefullness as an Army General and, in truth, that had been the case since Murfreesboro concluded in January 1863.

If he had remained in charge it would been a disaster. A beaten dispirited army wracked with infighting and a commander besieged by his own subordinates intent of persuing his vendetta against all his personal enemies. The Atlanta Campaign might have ended after the first battle.
 
Perhaps he wasn't great, but he was better than Hood
This is like choosing between hanging and disembowelment. Bragg was terrible, at everything, and a martinet to boot. Hood never met a defensive work he did not want to dash his forces against, after the injury. As long as we're spotting Atlanta commanders, how about Joseph E. Johnston getting another go with Jefferson Davis not playing micro-managing middle-manager with his generals? Yeah, Johnston was not setting the world on fire against Sherman and he was a drain on morale and horrible at communicating, but with Joe you felt there was a plan at least. I still think he'd fail, but compared to Hood's lack of plan and Bragg's super-dickery, he might have had the best chance of the men available (and willing) for the job.
 
As long as we're spotting Atlanta commanders, how about Joseph E. Johnston getting another go with Jefferson Davis not playing micro-managing middle-manager with his generals?

Because the OP didn't ask about Johnston, he asked about Bragg. Between Bragg and Hood, both were pretty dumbass, but Hood managed to bungle that rather spectacularly.
 
You guys can feel free to talk about Joe Johnston as well if you like. Feel free to address your opinions on how Johnston could have done if he was kept in command at Atlanta.
 
You guys can feel free to talk about Joe Johnston as well if you like. Feel free to address your opinions on how Johnston could have done if he was kept in command at Atlanta.

OK... I think if Johnston was given more ammunition, food, and horses he could have given Sherman a good run for his money and possibly even force him back in disgrace until Sherman comes back with even more guys. Sherman's ability as a tactician don't impress me, he just had a stronger force in almost all of his ACW victories. I'd peg him just below Bragg as a tactician, but much better than Bragg, Hood, Pillow, and the other idiot generals as a general overall. If Bragg is in charge instead of Hood, south still loses and things play similarly, but with the casualty ratio being a bit more favorable to the South compared to OTL

With OTL supplies, I bet Johnston could slow Sherman down to maybe 1/3 of the march speed. He was doing a good job of harassment in OTL, and having Northern troops smack head on into prepared positions, only to retreat to a new location at the last minute. Given Sherman's uber aggressiveness, I wouldn't be surprised if most artillery pieces came too far ahead for their own good and ended up getting flanked by cavalry. the uber aggressiveness worked against Hood who can be compared to WW2 Japanese, sending men into open killing fields. Going at 1/3 of his OTL speed means Sherman is running out of supplies since he was hoping to live off the land.

In short, I think Northern casualties would be similar in a campaign as OTL, but much more casualties per mile since they aren't getting too far. Atlanta is being fought in the streets over by election time, although Lincoln still wins his reelection (McClellan was forced by his party to run on a peace platform when the war is being won by the North). The South's casualties is probably a third of that, but they are trading land for tactical advantages and they realize in 1-3 years the land will run out and their backs will be to the sea. Oh wait... a few more months Grant won the Virginia front, the Atlanta front is now a moot point.
 
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