WI: Braxton Bragg shot by his own men

Longstreet gets his desired independent command? - doubtful maybe.

Cleburne Hardee and Johnson. I mean even though he appointed Johnston in OTL, the fact that he hated him so much its not a far stretch to beleive that Davis oculd appoint himself over anyone else. ;):p
 
Couldn't it be nice semi ambigous not so friendly fire incident followed by a few "oh darns" that a few people quietly know it's murder?

As for who would be in command, it would probably be Hardee with Cleburne (who hasn't said anything controversial yet) succeeding as Corps commander.
That scenario was exactly what I was thinking. Bragg's death is purely "accidental" and we'll all miss him dearly.
 
Assuming this happens after Bragg's attempted command purge at the end of Chickamauga, who of the proper grade and rank (which eliminates candidates like Forrest and Cleburne) did Davis have to replace Bragg?

  1. Gen. Robert E. Lee: Nope, Davis asked, Lee said no.
  2. Gen. Joe Johnston: a man which Davis hated with his feud over his secrecy and petty jealousy over rank, pretty much a last resort for Davis
  3. Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard: the only man Davis hated even more than Johnston and was openly critical of the government in the press. No sell
  4. Lt. Gen. Leonidas Polk: though Davis was a close friend of Polk's, I think even he had sense that Polk was not a general. Not to mention that Polk himself advocated for Johnston.
  5. Lt. Gen. William J. Hardee: declined the post repeatedly, why would he change now?
  6. Lt. Gen. Longstreet: an outsider of the Army of Tennessee, his motive for the removal of Bragg was to get Joe Johnston in command of the Army of Tennessee, so Longstreet's not much of a contender
Not exactly a sterling set of candidates for Davis to choose from. Given that Davis sought for alternatives before finally deciding on Johnston, I think Leonidas Polk would be in command of the Army of Tennessee, and considering how the Army of Tennessee was in seemingly good condition, I don't see why Davis would have any incentive or impetus to replace Polk with Joe Johnston.

Leonidas Polk was completely lacking in tactical articulation, professionalism and proper subordination. Polk at the helm of the Army of Tennessee? Shudder the thought!
 
Last edited:
Assuming this happens after Bragg's attempted command purge at the end of Chickamauga, who of the proper grade and rank (which eliminates candidates like Forrest and Cleburne) did Davis have to replace Bragg?

  1. Gen. Robert E. Lee: Nope, Davis asked, Lee said no.
  2. Gen. Joe Johnston: a man which Davis hated with his feud over his secrecy and petty jealousy over rank, pretty much a last resort for Davis
  3. Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard: the only man Davis hated even more than Johnston and was openly critical of the government in the press. No sell
  4. Lt. Gen. Leonidas Polk: though Bragg was a close friend of Polk's, I think even he had sense that Polk was not a general. Not to mention that Polk himself advocated for Johnston.
  5. Lt. Gen. William J. Hardee: declined the post repeatedly, why would he change now?
  6. Lt. Gen. Longstreet: an outsider of the Army of Tennessee, his motive for the removal of Bragg was to get Joe Johnston in command of the Army of Tennessee, so Longstreet's not much of a contender
Not exactly a sterling set of candidates for Davis to choose from. Given that Johnston sought for alternatives before finally deciding on Johnston, I think Leonidas Polk would be in command of the Army of Tennessee, and considering how the Army of Tennessee was in seemingly good condition, I don't see why Davis would have any incentive or impetus to replace Polk with Joe Johnston.

Leonidas Polk was completely lacking in tactical articulation, professionalism and proper subordination. Polk at the helm of the Army of Tennessee? Shudder the thought!
Johnston sought alternatives before finally deciding on Johnston? What do you mean by this?
 
Gotcha, thanks for clearing that up. Polk in charge wouldve been an absolute disaster. Something else I'd like to bring up was at one point (early '63 I think) Davis sent Johnston to check up on Bragg to see if perhaps Johnston should replace Bragg in command of the AOT. Ultimately Johnston decided not to, seeing it as dishonorable to promote himself at the expense of Bragg. What if Johnston decided that the situation required it and decided to replace Bragg with himself as theater commander?
Oh shit, I meant Davis sought alternatives before settling on Johnston.
 
Gotcha, thanks for clearing that up. Polk in charge wouldve been an absolute disaster. Something else I'd like to bring up was at one point (early '63 I think) Davis sent Johnston to check up on Bragg to see if perhaps Johnston should replace Bragg in command of the AOT. Ultimately Johnston decided not to, seeing it as dishonorable to promote himself at the expense of Bragg. What if Johnston decided that the situation required it and decided to replace Bragg with himself as theater commander?
Supposing that Joe Johnston takes over in March 1863, Johnston is at a pretty tough situation. He has to watch out for both Vicksburg and Chattanooga as theater and army commander. In early 1863 there was a lot that needed to be fixed in the Army of Tennessee. A good example in early 1863 was the Army of Tennessee's transportation system; it was on the verge of collapse, meaning that Bragg's men could not be fully fed. Johnston would have been forced to commit a lot of energy to fix the army's problems. This will hamper his performance in the relief of Vicksburg.

Johnston must send an 'Army of Relief' to lift the Siege of Vicksburg through May 22-July 4 1863, it's his responsibility as theater commander. But who does he assign to command this army? Johnston, Hardee and Polk are busy staring at Rosecrans from the safety of their entrenchments, waiting for Rosecrans to make a move. Given that Bragg is out of a job, Johnston might send him over to command the 'Army of Relief'. I can't see this ending well, Bragg was a fighter, even in unfavourable conditions, and may attempt to lift the siege by attacking Sherman's 'Army of Observation', which was heavily entrenched and alert for Confederate movement. Vicksburg ends like OTL but with more casualties on Bragg's Army of Relief.

The Tullahoma Campaign is something I can't see Johnston coming out on top of Rosecrans. Johnston's cavalry commanders (Wheeler and Forrest) were ill-suited for their jobs, and Johnston fell for Sherman's demonstrations at Rocky Face Ridge, why won't Johnston see through Rosecran's deception? What I can see changing is the Chattanooga-Chickamauga campaign. Bragg's cavalry had acted in the most brain-dead manner possible, Wheeler decided it to be a wise idea to use barely 500 troopers to watch 90 miles of the Tennessee River, and did not even attempt to contest the crossing by the Army of the Cumberland. Johnston will have a better handle of the Army of Tennessee and a less toxic command structure, I could see Johnston winning some of the Bragg's lost opportunities, like McLemore's Cove. At the very least, I could see Johnston dealing Rosecrans a more bloody nose than Bragg.
 
What is Breckenridge doing at this time?
Breckinridge was a division commander in D.H. Hill’s Corps at the time of Chickamauga. After Bragg’s command purge Breckinridge would command D.H. Hill’s Corps after Hill was sent packing for his horrid performance at Chickamauga.
 
  • Gen. Joe Johnston: a man which Davis hated with his feud over his secrecy and petty jealousy over rank, pretty much a last resort for Davis
  • Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard: the only man Davis hated even more than Johnston and was openly critical of the government in the press. No sell

Davis hates Beauregard more than Johnston? Somehow I find that impressive.....
 
Bragg was not a well liked man. More than once his own men plotted to assassinate him just to get rid of him. Let's say one day (you pick the year) one of Bragg's men gets tired of him and shoots him dead. All the officers swear up and down that it was an accident and the matter is largely laid to rest, to be talked about by later historians. What affect does this have on the war? Of course, the year in which he is killed matters loads, but I'll leave that to you. Thanks.

Bragg certainly was not well liked, but he was also the most successful commander of the Army of Tennessee. And the AoT's insubordination problems did not go away once Bragg was gone, even newcomers like Hood were infected.
 
Top