Southern Historical Society Papers, Volume 9.
Reverend J. William Jones, Ed.

[391]

With the mention of one other name I must hasten on. The Commander of the army, Braxton Bragg, was no ordinary man. He had emerged from the Mexican war with a brilliant reputation for conduct and ability. From that day he would have been cited amongst the five or six young officers of the American army, who might be expected to play a leading part in any future contest. In the first months of the war between the States he had signalized his talents for organization and discipline, and on the field of Shiloh he had put his corps into the fight with a vigor and spirit, which gave promise of a brilliant career.

When, on the retirement of Beauregard at Tupelo, Bragg succeeded to the command of the army, there were soon many signs of sleepless activity. He promptly snatched the initiative from Buell, and the march by Chattanooga into Kentucky was a movement, which by its boldness and rich promise seemed at one moment to announce the appearance of a master in war. But hope was a little chilled by the issue of that enterprising campaign. Bragg had not attacked his enemy when that enemy was weakest, and delay would make him stronger. But he had been obliged on his own retreat to deliver an indecisive battle at Perryville, Kentucky, with only a partial concentration of his forces; and from that moment a party in his army had disputed his title to command.

At Murfreesboroa, with a resoluteness to fight and a plan of battle which displayed many of the requisites for leadership, he had struck a staggering blow; but wanting that inspired glance which spies out the enemy's real weakness behind his assured front, or the unreasoning tenacity which so often wins by mere inertia, he had thrown away the prize of victory by yielding on the third day the bloody ground which the enemy was ready to surrender. From that memorable moment opinion in the army grew more and more clamorous as to the General's title to command. Wherein then was Bragg wanting in the true quality of a commander?

A great master of speech, Cicero, has, in his praise of Pompey, briefly set forth four elements as essential to make a General: military knowledge, valour, authority, good fortune.

General Bragg had military knowledge — his gallantry cannot be questioned; but the discussions and recriminations among his subordinates growing out of the battles of Perryvilie and Murfreesboroa had sapped his authority, and it was in the decrees of fate that he should never long enjoy the smiles of Fortune.

What is authority in a General? It is love and faith on the part of the army, it is perfect abandonment of the will of the many to the one