The FReeper Foxhole Profiles General John Bell Hood - Aug. 30, 2003

http://ngeorgia.com/people/hood.html ^ | Sam Hood

[SAMWolf]

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God Bless America
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Lieutenant General John Bell Hood
(1831 - 1879)

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Born the son of a rural doctor in Owingsville, Kentucky, John Bell Hood was raised in the bluegrass region of central Kentucky near the town of Mt. Sterling. John Bell's love for the adventure of military life is thought to have been founded in the influence of his paternal grandfather Lucas Hood, a crusty veteran of the Indian Wars who had fought under General "Mad" Anthony Wayne at the Battle of Fallen Timbers, and his maternal grandfather James French, a veteran of the Revolutionary War. Against the wishes of his father, who had urged him to pursue a medical career, John Bell employed the assistance of his uncle, U.S. Congressman Richard French, and enrolled in the United States Military Academy at West point in 1849.

Hood's four year discipline record at the academy was about average. However, in his senior year he would be reduced in rank and severely disciplined by new Superintendent Col. Robert E. Lee for accompanying a fellow cadet on an unauthorized pre-Christmas visit to nearby Benny Haven's Tavern. Accumulating 196 demerits, 4 short of expulsion at mid year, Hood would nevertheless complete his final year with no additional demerits, and ultimately graduate ranked 44th out of 52 in the class of 1853. Hood's classmate John M. Schofield [US, Army of the Ohio] and cavalry instructor George Thomas [US, Army of the Cumberland] would play major roles in Hood's fortunes in Georgia and Tennessee during the final months of the Civil War.

After receiving his commission as a brevet second lieutenant in the United States Army, Hood was assigned to duty at Fort Scott, California in February 1854. In October 1855 Hood was promoted to second lieutenant of cavalry and assigned to the newly formed elite Second Cavalry Regiment at Fort Mason, Texas, commanded by future Confederate generals Col. Albert Sydney Johnston and Lt. Col. Robert E. Lee. In a battle with Indians at Devil's River, Texas on July 20, 1857 Hood received the first of his combat wounds - his left hand was pierced by a Comanche arrow. In September 1860 he received orders to report to West Point to serve as Chief Instructor of Cavalry. However, at Hood's personal request to U. S. Adjutant General Samuel Cooper, the order was rescinded, and he remained with the Second Cavalry Regiment. On April 16, 1861, 3 days after the outbreak of the Civil War, Hood tendered his resignation from the United States Army.

Hood enlisted in the Confederate Army in Montgomery, Alabama in May 1861, receiving a commission as a lieutenant. Assigned to the Army of Northern Virginia, he received several rapid promotions, and on March 7, 1862 Hood was promoted to Brigadier General and placed in command of the renown Texas Brigade. Hood and his beloved Texans would play prominent roles in Robert E. Lee's [CS, Army of Northern Virginia] important victories at Gaines' Mill (Seven Days Battles) and Second Manassas. The Texas Brigade's heroics in Miller's Cornfield saved the Confederate left flank at Antietam in September 1862, after which Hood would be promoted to Major General by his corps commander, General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson [CS].

As a division commander under native Georgian General James Longstreet [CS], Hood was severely wounded on July 2, 1863 at Gettysburg, forever losing use of his left arm. In September, 1863, after recovering from his Gettysburg wound, Hood was assigned as part of Longstreet's Corps to Braxton Bragg's Army of Tennessee. He reported for duty at Ringgold, Georgia on September 18, 1863, and joined his division as they were positioning for the ensuing Battle of Chickamauga. Hood's division broke the Federal line at the Brotherton Cabin, which led to the rout of Union General William Rosecrans' army. Only the heroic rear guard actions of Hood's former West Point instructor General George Thomas saved the Union Army from destruction. During the battle Hood received his second serious wound of the war, resulting in the amputation of his right leg. He would be transported to the Clisby-Austin house in nearby Tunnel Hill for recuperation. Hood was so severely wounded that his amputated leg was sent with him so that it could be buried with the him in the result of his death.



Surviving his wound, on September 24, 1863 Hood was recommended for promotion to lieutenant general by Longstreet for his decisive role in the Confederate victory at Chickamauga. Longstreet's letter to Confederate Adjutant and Inspector General Samuel Cooper said,

"General- I respectfully recommend Major General J. B. Hood for promotion to the rank of Lieutenant General, for distinguished conduct and ability in the battle of the 20th inst. General Hood handled his troops with the coolness and ability that I have rarely known by any officer, on any field"

Hood developed a close personal relationship with fellow Kentuckian, President Jefferson Davis while recovering from his Chickamauga wound in Richmond during the winter of 1863-1864. During this period Davis advised Hood of his intentions to reinforce General Joseph E. Johnston [CS] at Dalton, Georgia in the spring of 1864, and to move against the Federal army of General William T. Sherman at Chattanooga, Tennessee. Hood was offered a position as a corps commander under Johnston, and was advised by Davis that an aggressive campaign would be initiated against the Federals.

On February 4, 1864 Hood arrived in Dalton, Georgia, (History of Dalton, Georgia) and assumed a corps command in the Army of Tennessee under Johnston. At this time Johnston's Army of Tennessee was combined with Lt. General Leonidas Polk's Army of Mississippi. The combined forces were under the supreme command of Johnston, and are generally referred to as the Army of Tennessee.

However, Johnston failed to attack Sherman as ordered, and in early May of 1864 Sherman began the Atlanta Campaign. Johnston's Army of Tennessee fought defensive battles against the Federals at the approaches to Dalton, which was evacuated on May 13, and then retreated 12 miles south to Resaca, where defensive positions were erected. However, after a brief battle, Johnston again yielded to Sherman, and retreated from Resaca on May 15. Johnston assembled the Confederate forces for a battle at Cassville, but on May 20 again retreated 8 miles further south to Cartersville. The month of May 1864 ended with Sherman's forces continuing their successful march toward Atlanta at the Battle of New Hope Church on May 25, the Battle of Pickett's Mill on May 27, and the Battle of Dallas on May 28.



In June the Federal forces continued maneuvers around the northern approaches to Atlanta. Battles ensued at Kolb's Farm on June 22, and the Confederates successfully repulsed Union forces at the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain on June 27. However, by this time Federal forces were within 17 miles of Atlanta, threatening the city from the west and north. Johnston had yielded almost a hundred miles of mountainous, and thus more easily defendable, territory in 60 days, while the Confederate government and high command grew more frustrated and alarmed.

In early July Braxton Bragg was sent to Atlanta by President Davis to ascertain the situation with respect to Atlanta. After several meetings with local civilian leaders and Army of Tennessee commanders, Bragg returned to Richmond and urged President Davis to replace Johnston. After seriously considering Major General William Hardee and Hood for Johnston's replacement, President Davis solicited the advise of General Robert E. Lee, who on July 12 telegrammed Davis,

"...Hood is a good fighter, very industrious on the battlefield, careless off, and I have had no opportunity of judging his action, when the whole responsibility rested upon him. I have a very high opinion of his gallantry, earnestness and zeal. General Hardee has more experience in managing an army. May God give you wisdom to decide in this momentous matter."

With the support of Bragg and various Confederate cabinet members, President Davis ultimately determined that Hood be promoted to the temporary rank of full general, and replace Johnston as commander of the Army of Tennessee. Richmond was determined to repulse Sherman, and save Atlanta. The southern populace was equally adamant about the preservation of Atlanta. The Atlanta Appeal newspaper, declaring that retreating must cease and attacks must be launched, wrote in an editorial immediately after Hood's appointment to command of the Army of Tennessee, "There is a limit to prudence. When excessive, our enemies denominate it cowardice. This war must end and the final battle be fought. Why not here, and even now?" The Augusta Constitutionalist wrote on July 20, 1864, regarding Hood's replacement of Johnston, "If it means anything it must mean this: Atlanta will not be given up without a fight."



On July 17, 1864 Johnston recieved orders that he had been relieved of command, to be replaced by General Hood. July 18th broke warm and muggy; Hood was notified that he had been promoted, and assigned command of the Army of Tennessee. Confederate Adjutant General Samuel Cooper's telegram to Hood included the directive "...be wary no less than bold."

Two days after finding out about his appointment to command of the Army of Tennessee, Hood launched the first of four major offensives designed to break Sherman's relentless and effective siege of Atlanta. In the July 20, 1864 Battle of Peachtree Creek the Confederates failed to crush Sherman's temporarily divided forces.

On July 21, 1864 Union forces moved onto Bald Hill, only two miles east of Atlanta, and launched a howitzer bombardment of the city. The Federal artillery also threatened the lone remaining Confederate rail line into Atlanta. To counter this, Hood devised a plan to attack the Federals near Decatur. The July 22, 1864 (Battle of Atlanta) attack failed to destroy the Federal force, but the artillery was withdrawn and the railroad remained open.

In the early morning hours of July 28, 1864 Hood learned that Federal forces had withdrawn from positions to the east, indicating that the threat to the Macon railroad had subsided. The Federals were observed moving to the west of Atlanta, and Hood launched another assault at Ezra Church on July 29, hoping to attack Sherman's forces before they had time to entrench. Disjointed attacks by separate Confederate corps' resulted in a decisive Union victory.

In early August Hood's cavalry killed or captured approximately two-thirds of Sherman's cavalry at Brown's Mill and Sunshine Church, south of Atlanta, and on August 6 Confederate defenders repulsed Union forces at Utoy Creek.


General Hood protests before the attack on the Devils Den

However, on August 29 an undaunted and impatient Sherman began another westerly movement to the south of Atlanta intended to cut the vital railroad. Federal forces succeeded in reaching positions only 600 yards from the Macon and Western Railroad depot at Jonesboro, 15 miles south of Atlanta. With Federal artillery then in a position to bombard the railroad facilities, Hood ordered an attack, again hoping to commence the assault before the Federals could construct defenses. As with the previous three major Confederate attacks, this one also failed, and with the railroad lifeline now severed, the fate of Atlanta was sealed.

Hoping to save his army, Hood evacuated Atlanta on September 2, 1864, retreating through Lovejoy's Station, into rural Georgia, finally camping in Palmetto. Hood would spend the early autumn of 1864 harassing Sherman's supply and communications lines in northwest Georgia and northeast Alabama.

In November of 1864 Hood launched his ill-fated invasion of Tennessee, suffering decisive defeats at Franklin, Tennessee on Nov. 30 (General John Schofield [US]), and at Nashville on Dec. 16 (General George Thomas [US]). Retreating with the shattered remnants of the Army of Tennessee into northern Mississippi, Hood resigned his command on January 23, 1865, reverting back to his permanent rank of lieutenant general.

During the waning days of the Confederacy, Hood was ordered by Jefferson Davis to travel to Texas and attempt to raise an army. However, learning of the capture of Davis and the surrender of Gen. Kirby Smith in Texas, Hood surrendered to Federal authorities in Natchez, Mississippi on May 31, 1865.



After the war Hood entered the cotton brokerage and insurance businesses in New Orleans. On April 30, 1868 he married native New Orleanian, Anna Marie Hennen and over the next ten years he would father eleven children, including three sets of twins. Hood would lose all of his modest fortune during the winter of 1878-1879 due to a yellow fever epidemic that closed the New Orleans Cotton Exchange, and wiped out almost every city insurance company. Later that year, on August 30, 1879, John Bell Hood died of yellow fever within days of his wife and oldest child. His ten orphaned children, all under the age of ten, were left destitute. They would ultimately be adopted by seven different families in Louisiana, New York, Mississippi, Georgia and Kentucky.

[SAMWolf]

Good Morning Iris7.

[Valin]

Benendict Arnold is going to be covered by the Foxhole in Oct.


What are you going to cover him with? :-)
I try not to do this sort of thing but Carlos (my evil twin) makes me.

That's my story and I'm stickin with it!

[Iris7]

This post reminds me of a war story, a true one, but one I read, not experienced!

The Second Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment was raised all within twenty miles of where I sit now. I have a lot of affection for those long gone guys. They became the utter spine of the Iron Brigade, the best infantry outfit in the Army of the Potomac.

In the beginning, 2nd Wisconsin was green as grass, never having any training from veterans of the war they were joining, and having no men or officers who knew anything except from books and talk.

At Second Manassas they were marching down a road to the sound of the guns, and as far as I can figure, as if they were on Regimental parade, with no recon, no front or side security, nothing. A group of babies ready for slaughter.

The truly great Stonewall Jackson was figuring some dumb Yankees would march down this road, and he wanted to throw a scare into the Yankees, and get a whole bunch of them to run away screaming about millions of Rebs on their heels, in total panic, crying, noses running, you get the picture. Good plan, Jackson was smart. As I recall he had his brigade set up with one maneuver regiment and two in ambush position, most in a gully to the right of the road. Jackson's regiments were small compared to the 2nd Wisconsin, but he still outnumbered the Yankees maybe two to one.

Experience, skill, and numbers against totally green troops? Sounds ugly, eh?

The 2nd took up an all around defensive position right there in the road since within minutes they were under fire from all directions. Once they started to run they were going to be let go, though they didn't know this. The 2nd found the thin spots in the encirclement, and attacked, and the regiment moved under fire to a small dip with a little defilade. When night came they withdrew under complete discipline to a nearby hilltop with a sheltered crest and good all around fields of fire, taking with them all of their dead and wounded. At the time of their move there were no officers or sergents standing. Total casualties were over 30%. Deaths about one in five or six.

So you can see the 2nd was good military material.

On the first day of Gettysburg the Iron Brigade was holding a ridgeline called Seminary Ridge by most, and had repelled several attacks. Hood's Texans were called in, and overran the Iron Brigade and the 2nd Wisconsin. A diarist who was immediately behind the Texan assault said the 2nd was pushed into small round defensive positions of all around fire, then had come under heavy direct fire, and could no longer reload and shoot because of wounds, and were "howling and foaming at the mouth." Please notice that these Wisconsin boys were very fine men. Only Hood's Texans, of all of Lee's forces, I think, could have successfully made that assault that day.

(Of course, too bad the 2nd didn't have about fifty belt-feds!)

[thatdewd]

Mornin'!

Hood has the unique distinction of being on the lists of both best and worst generals. Before becoming an opiate addict after his wounds, he was without a doubt one of the best, and after, one of the absolute worst.

At Franklin, Hood was miles away from the battlefield, doped up on laudanum and drinking whiskey while holding court at the Rippavilla Plantation. He was in a drugged and drunken "mood" when he ordered that the Army attack the union's fortified positions without waiting for the artillery to arrive and soften them up. His field commanders protested such foolishness, but to no avail. Hood's decision was the same as ordering most of the Army to commit suicide, and his commanders knew it, but they did their duty and obeyed orders. Ater Hood sealed their fate, Patrick Cleburne said, "if we are to die, let us die like men", and nearly all the Generals led their own troops into the jaws of death, the main reason so many Generals were killed and wounded. They would not order their men to commit "Hoodicide" without standing beside them.

Some of the Generals actually rode their horses against the breastworks, an almost suicidal action since it made them such an easy target, and they knew it. It was a lesson learned early in the war. General John Adams was the only one to make it all the way on horseback, charging the breastworks at the front of his men. Even the yankees were in awe of his bravery, and repeatedly called out to each other "Don't shoot him! Don't shoot him! He's too brave!", and they did not, awed by such gallantry. Then, as he spurred his horse and lept into the air across their breastworks, he grabbed for their colors and they nearly all fired at the same instant in response. Horse and rider were literally stopped in mid air by the force of so many bullets hitting them at once, and they fell to rest with the horse straddling the breastworks, General Adams' torn body still sitting upright in the saddle. They were still in that position the next morining, when the burial crews came to reap the harvest of Hood's madness.

The spot where Patrick Cleburne died leading his men was originally marked by a cairn of stones, but is now unmarked and under the asphalt of a Dominoe's Pizza parking lot.

Forgive me, but I must take issue with your source material regarding the impression it gives of Joe Johnston. Prior to his replacement by Hood, Johnston was not just retreating, he was maneuvering a superior enemy force into a battleground of his choosing for a decisive blow, which was to occur at Peachtree Creek. The attack had already been planned and scheduled by Johnston. He understood the big picture of the campaign, something Hood, Bragg, and the newspaper editors did not. If Hood, after he and Bragg(!) succeeded in their shameless political manipulations to remove Johnston, had followed Johnston's plan of attack for Peachtree Creek, things might have been different. Instead, Hood bastardized the attack plan and just foolishly threw men at the enemy, as he would do in Tennessee. Too many sources oversimplify the Atlanta campaign, just as they do Gettysburg. True, Johnston may not have been the most aggressive commander, but he was certainly no sloucher, just ask Sherman. It was Joe Johnston whose abilities he respected as a foe, and whose leadership he feared the enemy to have. That speaks volumes. Johnston was a victim of Richmond politics and newspaper editors, and G-d help any country who lets politicians and the press fight their wars.

After Hood lost Atlanta and then followed up by destroying the Army of Tennessee altogether, he blamed everybody else, a trait he developed as a result of the laudanum addiction. His memoirs are filled with inaccuracies and finger pointing resulting from its use. The horrific pain he suffered as a result of his wounds and which led to his addiction might have been avoided if he had not been subjected to field duty. What a pity for both Hood and the South that he was not retired from the field with the honor and dignity that he most certainly deserved following Gettysburg and Chickamauga.

[SAMWolf]

LOL! I like how your Evil Twin thinks.

[thatdewd]

Sorry if I sounded too "anti-Hood" in my post above. I haven't had my 'green coffee' yet (Mt. Dew) and I'm still in my morning mental fog...

[Valin]

Please don't encourage him! He gets me in enough trouble as it is.

[Colonel_Flagg]

Good morning, all!

Wonderful, finally cool, morning today. Hope you are all well.

Sam, I spent four hours downloading SPWaW last night and have it installed this morning. It won't run on my Win XP, P4 system, but the movie sure looks nice :)

[SAMWolf]

Thanks Iris7.

"No plan survives first contact with the enemy"
Clausewitz

He knew what he was talking about.

[SAMWolf]

General John Adams was the only one to make it all the way on horseback, charging the breastworks at the front of his men.

The spot where Patrick Cleburne died leading his men was originally marked by a cairn of stones, but is now unmarked and under the asphalt of a Dominoe's Pizza parking lot.

That's just wrong.

Johnston was a victim of Richmond politics and newspaper editors, and G-d help any country who lets politicians and the press fight their wars.

A lesson we seem to have to relearn.

Forgive me, but I must take issue with your source material regarding the impression it gives of Joe Johnston.

No problem, the author of this material seems to buy into the "Joe Johnston wouldn't fight" theory. Sometimes just keeping your forces in existance is a victory of sorts. The German Navy in WWII was in that postion. The "Fleet in being" tied up a lot of British assets.

[SAMWolf]

No problem, thatdewd.

[Soaring Feather]

Howdy SAM, short night, long day. Can't sleep these nights.

[snippy_about_it]

:)

[snippy_about_it]

1146 European leaders outlaw crossbow, intending to end war for all time(for the children)

LOL. Some folks still don't "get" it.

[snippy_about_it]

4. You wake up in the morining and the first thing you do is get online-even before you drink your cup of Java.LOL. I'm hooked!

[snippy_about_it]

Thank you Iris7.

It would seem to me that considering Hood's condition and the road he chose after his sustaining his amputation shows that he was truly committed to the cause and admirably so.

[snippy_about_it]

Hey, bluebonnets. Good choice for todays thread. They're lovely.

Thank you SAM, you're very thoughtful.

[manna]

Thanks for those kind words.

Also, thanks to everyone for your prayers. The old soldier I told you about was released from the hospital. They still don't know what was wrong, but it seems to have cleared up.

[snippy_about_it]

No dew! Yikes.

No problem, there are always two sides to a story and we find that especially when discuss the Civil War. This is the Foxhole, "we report, you decide". LOL.

In all seriousness, we learn a great deal from each other here and welcome good discussion and added information. Most often, we don't have the room to cover as much material as we'd like to in the opening and added comments by our readers is always appreciated.

[snippy_about_it]

Good Morning Colonel Flagg. All's well and glad you are too!