He essentially mistreated his men, mistrusted his generals, retreated after every victory, and played the sycophant to Jefferson Davis. What's not to like?
BRAXTON BRAGG WAS A MURDERER AND A THIEF WHO STOLE THAT LAND AND CLAIMED IT!! KIND OF LIKE WHAT HAPPENED TO THE PILGRIMS!! This Land WAS OCCUPIED BY A FAMILY WHO REFUSED TO SELL IT!! THEY DIED DEFENDING IT!! BRAXTON BRAGG IS A MURDEROUS THIEF!! Sad you all have no clue about HIS story!! Just what you are TOLD!!
I think Grant's anecdote about Bragg charging himself the supply officer for insubordination to himself a company commander in the 1840s, and his immediate superior's exasperated reaction says it all about Bragg.
The ‘all’ is never actually said about any man. The pressing issue these days in the U.S. is whether we surrender utterly to uncritical adulation of black historical figures, whose flaws I literally never see discussed in a back-and-forth like this. Pick apart any man’s life in enough detail and he can be made to seem unworthy of commemoration; the question is upon whom we are choosing currently to train all our scrutiny. That is driven by politics.
You might want to find out WHOM this MAN TRULY WAS!!! Also the land which is currently named after this THIEF!! Yes, GENERAL BRAGG WAS A THIEF!! HIS WIFE KNEW THIS TO BE TRUE!! AMERICA TELLS THEIR STORIES THE WAY IT WANTS AMERICANS TO BELIEVE IT TO BE!! Sadly, NO WARM AND FUZZY ENDING HERE FOLKS!! FOR ALL OF HIS SO CALLED VICTORIES, WERE ATROCITIES COMMITTED AGAINST INNOCENT HUMAN BEINGS!!!
@@michaelratliff905 I'm speaking from my OWN family history. This MAN and this LAND was stolen! The people who owned it were "A Black Family who were FREE and REFUSED to sell their land".. After a lynching, burning of bodies and a little girl who unbeknownst to General Bragg, survived to tell what happened!! Now the world is calling him the worst General in History.. Smh
I am shocked i never heard that saying, next time i talk to my grand ma, i can see if that was another saying. Here is one I knew/taught by family. Braxton wasn't worth bragging about.
my former best friend hates both lee and grant and he hates every general in human and American history my former best friend thinks the people who died on titanic and its sister ships is funny and cute and adorable I always use to tell him people dying is not funny or a good thing to laugh at he thinks everybody who died in history dersved to die
Bragg starved his men and also skimped on giving clothing, food etc. Maybe you should have highlighted those as an example. It is also a fact that most under his command hated him. He only maintained his position because of 1) he was good friends with J Davis 2) he saved J Davis life years before. History shows he was one of the worst and most hated generals on either side and deservedly so. Your short video does nothing but show a few decisions and outcomes in a few battles. You need to look at the whole picture and see what Bragg was really like. He got away with a lot of things and even when complaints by other generals about him to Davis were given verbally and written, Davis just ignored them. Bragg followed no moral law of a soldier and was definitely no gentleman. Nothing you say here will convince those of us that have studied The Civil War that Bragg was misunderstood or should be seen in a more positive light.
Bragg had things deliberately withheld, for when finally he was relieved of duty and Johnston took back over, suddenly the men began getting new uniforms and food.
This wasn't all together braggs doing the war Department often forced him to send the food and other supplies to the Army of Norther Virginia . Read the Army of the heartland and the the Army of Tennessee. It explains the supply issues. Plus it kind of explains more about the back bitting between the General's in the Army of Tennesee.
@@_lumiaart_2010 The supply issues have nothing to do with Bragg losing Chattanooga after Chickamauga! Those positions were practically impregnable. He allowed Longstreet to leave (an entire corps) to go try to take Knoxville because he just wanted to get rid of him, because he was a threat to his(Bragg) command. And when his troops (dug in, on the steep slopes surrounding Chattanooga) were attacked by an inferior force (in the center) they wholeheartedly skedaddled, because Braxton Bragg couldn't inspire a virgin in a whorehouse much less his own troops!!!
Disclaimer: I have not read the book yet. I will simply point out that I am not sure the "execution every 20v17 days" is a strong argument for the simple reason of scale. If the ANV is two or three times the size, then the number of incidents is bound to be larger. I would more interested in the number of executions vs number of soldiers.
I also haven't read the book, but in support of your comment, the ANV was the larger army between the two, but it was also the more disciplined army. That means that it was more stringent on regulations than the western army. The ANV also had more officers who were disciplinarians.
My 3rd great grandfather was wounded at Murfreesboro fighting on the left side of Donelson’s Brigade. They broke through 2 lines and encounterd a 3rd Union line. They had to turn back being used up with no supporting brigades. Bragg was in command, and a great opportunity was lost. Polk was a subordinate, the army commander should have had support ready to follow up any gains. Shiloh (wing commander),Perryville, Murfreesboro, Chickamauga, he always threw troop’s in piecemeal.
The video is a good argument in favor of Bragg. But the proof is in the pudding. One could also argue in that manner that Ambrose Burnsides bad reputation was also unwarranted, as was General Pope's. Everyone has great intentions in executing some plan and sometimes they may have one plan that works. But generals tend to get judged by their careers of failures which is why guys like Bragg and Burnsides gets trashed.
my favorite generals lost battles and yes ill name them both right now stonewall Jackson lost a battle and Robert e lee lost a battle if I want to mention a few union generals that lost battles those names are john pope and mcdowell
@@nonameyet9165 burnside lost at Fredericksburg tho didn't lee do the same thing at Gettysburg with pickets charge one of my housemates thinks that George s patton or some Nazi guy lead the charge on the third day at the battle of Gettysburg he laughs about it and im like that's not funny at all im like who are you to think about a lot of people who died at that 3 day battle its not funny but he thinks its funny
@@nonameyet9165 I omce got beat up by my former best friend when he asked me who won at Chancellorsville I said lee and jack he tied my hands behind my back after I said I lee and Jackson he punched me in my gut with brass knuckles then I finally said what he wanted to hear which hooker won the battle of Chancellorsville not lee or jackson
I don't understand why you feel the need to "debunk myths about Braxton Bragg?" First of all, these are not myths, his overall record basically proves this.Secondly, I'll ask you this. What rank would Bragg have held in the ANV ? Would Lee even consider him for division command, let alone corps command? He wouldn't have lasted past his first battle! Bragg got and kept(despite his failures) his command solely because of his close friendship with Davis. Almost all the comments made by the refuters are correct. I believe if Longstreet would have replaced Bragg after Chickamauga , Grant may have never come east!!!
I respect your opinions but I encourage you to read Earl Hess's book before you make a judgement call on Bragg. It definitely changed my opinion of Bragg.
Again I cannot subscribe. I hav e several of Mr. Hess's books. He writes well ( and I will read this one as well ) ,however citing a junior Officer who took an attack too far as an example of how those juniors undermined Bragg is rich. Bragg was well known for foot dragging and plodding habits that ended with his troops going against prepared enemy positions.
Bragg's soldiers used to joke that Bragg would never make it into heaven because once he was near the gates, and invited in, at that critical moment he would immediately "fall back".
How about abandoning the Lookout Mountain position or the failure at Chickamauga to keep his bivouac position known either to D.H.Hill or Longstreet? Or Forrest’s quote about the pursuit at Chickamauga asking what purpose a battle inferring that there was no proper pursuit? Grant might have quoted the story of Bragg’s argument with himself but Bragg’s captain first told it. I believe that was a way for Bragg to raise what he thought an important issue. Rather aggressive at least. His battles seemed always to turn into brutal, costly slug fests. I am critical of apologists for men like Bragg and Hood a little more effort and someone will turn Benjamin Butler, Dan Sickles or Ledlie into saviors of the Union, I do believe one of those tried that himself. It is good to carefully review historical perceptions they can change or be mitigated but there is a limit
I have not read Hess's book. However, I have read many others. They universally condemn Bragg for the way he handled his top officers, at a minimum. As for his tactics and strategy, I think he was competent, but not especially inspired. He was certainly not a "people person" and did not engender loyalty, fighting spirit, or friendship from his subordinates. His troublesome history only magnifies the horrendous loss of Albert Sydney Johnston at Shiloh in 1862. The Confederacy afterward suffered from a horrendous unity of command problem in the West for the rest of the war. I believe had A.S. Johnston lived and remained in supreme command in the West, he would have managed Bragg much better - maximizing his talents while minimizing his faults.
Your UA-cam channel and videos are very interesting to me. Thanks to you, I have learned a great deal. As a Civil War historian, I hold you in high regard. However, I cannot agree that Braxton Bragg is exonerated for being the most hated general of the Civil War. Due to his incompetence and that of his subordinates (with the exception of Patrick Claiborne and perhaps D.H Hill), which I believe reflects Braxton's own incompetence. My question to you (or anyone else) is, if you assigned him a grade from A to F, how would you rate him over his military career?
Thank you. I would have to give out two grades. As a tactician, either a C or C+. However, a critical component of being a general is the confidence you have from your subordinates, which would be a F. Averaged out, he would receive an overall grade of D from me.
@@HistoryGoneWilder I fully agree with you. Taking into consideration his entire career and not just his service during the Civil War. I am unable to give Bragg a grade higher than a C-.
He was a terrible leader and was hated for reason. He had a strange, difficult personality, rubbed everyone he came in contact with negatively, and as you say, "only" executed 28 of his own men. I am surprised he wasn't "fragged" by his own staff. He is the worst kind of leader and I am amazed that Davis picked him and actually liked him. That would be worth exploring as people like this deserved to lose.
There were apparently two attempts on his life in 1847 (during his US Army career), the most serious of which involved one of his subordinates exploding a 12lb artillery shell under Bragg's cot while he was lying on it. The cot was destroyed, but Bragg himself was apparently unscathed.
Great video! I always thought that Braxton Bragg was not the worst general of the American Civil War, as that honor could be bestowed upon John Bell Hood, George B. McClellan, John Chivington, or James Henry Carleton. John Bell Hood destroyed the Army of Tennessee with his reckless campaign into Tennessee and denied the Southern Heartland the veteran manpower it needed to execute a successful defense. George B. McClellan, although very bright and a gifted organizer, had either battles won by subordinates which he took credit for or was too cautious when decisive action was needed. John Chivington, who was given the task of commanding the military forces protecting Colorado, launched a horrific massacre at Sand Creek against a peaceful Cheyenne village led by Chief Black Kettle. As a result of this crime, many Cheyenne Dog Soldiers continued fighting the United States government, with the Battle of the Little Big Horn being their crowning achievement. Finally, James Henry Carleton was a man infamous for his ill-treatment of Southwestern tribes, such as the Apache and Navajo, who he forced onto one of the most horrific prison camps in American history, Fort Sumner.
Hey genius, John Chivington saved Missouri from joining the Confederacy and the so called "peaceful" Cheyenne warriors that he attacked at The Battle of Sand Creek, had been massacring real "peaceful" farming families all over Western Kansas!!! They deserved what they got, John Chivington is an American Hero, and you are an ignorant moron!!!!! Read some fckin history books!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My great grand father served under Braxton Bragg in the 58th Alabama. I have always thought Bragg was a good general. Fort Bragg, California was named after him by one of his soldiers, a man who was an admirer of his former commander.
Full disclosure though: that soldier, 1st Lt. Horatio G. Gibson, served under Bragg in the Mexican-American War and named the town before the American Civil War started. Seeing as how Gates served in the Union army in the Civil War I doubt he was much of an admirer of Bragg after that.
@@arkwill14 the war didn't really end old friendships lincoln maintained contact with vice president Steven's during the war, generals who served previously together on occasion even met briefly before battle
@@southron2279 True. And it's very possible Gibson still thought highly of Bragg after the war. But the initial post seems to be suggesting that Bragg was so highly thought of by some who served under him that one named a fort after him --- but leaves out the rather important detail that this fort was named after him _before_ the Civil War (where Bragg built a dubious reputation for military competency) and was named by a man who chose to remain loyal to the Union, unlike his erstwhile commander.
Phillip Nagle Hood is far from the worst. Pemberton was the worst, then Bragg, imo. Hood was a legend until he took command of an entire army. Hood would have destroyed burnside.
@@rubyait "...by traders", I don't think so. Burside wasted a lot of good men through his incompetence, at Burnside's Bridge at Antietam and at Fredricksburg. A few more generals like Burnside and the North would have lost.
After WW2 the Army formalized how it named posts, forts, and installations through a board called the Army Memorialization Board. Governed by Army regulations, this board was charged with ensuring all Army post names met at least one of five criteria. Someone who was so honored would need to be: a national hero of absolute preeminence by virtue of high position, an individual who held a position of high and extensive responsibility (Army and above) and whose death was a result of battle wounds, an individual who held a position of high and extensive responsibility and whose death was not a result of battle wounds, an individual who performed an act of heroism or who held a position of high responsibility and whose death was a result of battle wounds, and an individual who performed an act of heroism or who held a position of high responsibility and whose death was not a result of battle wounds.” The Army, evidently, concluded each C.S.A. name met at least one of these criteria. Thus Camp Bragg, North Carolina became Fort Bragg. One of Ten southern bases named after Confederate Generals.
@@rubyait Traitors means the south was a part of the nation. By all counts excluding elections they were a different nation morally invaded and put down as the prion they were
That’s not the point. He’s presenting some arguments from a single book that tend to be opposed by most other historians. The presenter is doubtless fully aware of Bragg’s detractors.
Bragg was never loved by his commanders,they did their best to have him dismissed, because of that he abused his Army., his Soldiers hated him... He was a Prick....As a Veteran myself, I know the difference.... My GGGrandfather served in The A.O.T.. with the Ky. Bde..THEY Dispised him...My Grandfather had a picture that he had in his living room wall, I have it today, ..it is NOT Bragg, ...it IS Gen. R.E.Lee....
@@samiam619 I do have a picture of Gen.George Patton Jr.on my library wall, and his grandfather Col.George Patton Sr...who was a CONFEDERATE commander and was killed in battle,..I also have a picture of another Rebel General..and his name is Gen.George Washington...soo..what unit did you SERVE in in "Sam"?..I served in the 1st United States Cavalry, Atrp 7th Sq.1st Air Cav...how about you?
Bragg was- and is- a hard man to like, a fact that seemed not to concern him at all- but at times he was very poorly served by subordinates, notably Polk.
@@carolinadog8634 You seemed very informed of General Bragg. Do you know why he was a failure and now being called a traitor? Maybe when you slaughter an entire family (or at least you've thought you had) and A SURVIVOR LIVES TO TELL THE TRUTH!! Imagine that??.. This MAN WAS A MURDERER AND A THIEF WHO STOLE THE LAND THAT IS NAMED AFTER HIM! The bible says, "Be sure your sins will find you"!! Enjoy your false and disgusting memories of this horrific man who had zero regard for ANY LIFE THAT HE WOULD KILL PEOPLE AND TAKE THEIR LAND. The truth about BRAXTON BRAGG and the way he discovered the land now called Fort Bragg will never be told truthfully!! Documentation is the only proof of the atrocities he committed!! He is not to be celebrated!! This man should have been hung like the people he hung and killed to claim their land!!
@@johnnyringo2009Oh come on, The guy literally refused to resupply or reinforce Fort Fisher because he thought it was impregnable. Basically military sense tells you to resupply and reinforce
I would also read these two books the Army of Tennessee and the Army of the Heart land. These books explain the manufacturing resources in the lower south. The back bitting between Generals and why the army of Tennesee often was under funded exc.
I love this stuff. I have a BA degree in history. It wouldn't be the first time that a historical figure was painted in a bad light only to have it proved that the figure was spot on.
Hey guys I'm currently reading the book by Sam Watkins he was in the 1st Tennessee Infantry Regiment. the description of Bragg is well described in it, whoever has such an officer needs no enemies... Greetings to the south from Germany ps can you recommend me more books like this?
Thank you so much for watching and supporting the channel. Please consider subscribing if you have not done so already and check out my other videos. One book I highly recommend is Johnny Green's Memoir.
The biggest problem with recent history is that it has a tendency to try to debunk everything that is known and twist every position that is currently held. That's the way it is because you don't become anybody unless you can offer a new position on long held theories. I don't believe that Braxton Bragg was a good leader and his record shows that. Every general has an excuse for why they failed and this is yet another ones. The general has to take the blame for his failures and the accolades for his success. Bragg does not come with many accolades
The commander is responsible for all his command succeeds or fails to do. Doesn't sound fair but another commander would amazingly not have the peculiar issues Bragg had in life and in command. Bragg was hated for a reason. It wasn't an accident or misunderstanding. Emotionally unhealthy people should not be trusted with power or given chance after chance when they have demonstrated they don't deserve it.
I’m a direct descendant of Braxton Bragg and your points where well made people blame him for others failures and have targeted his supposedly indecision on the battlefield where he knew what to do tactically and strategically
Damn your spineless ancestor! He was in good company though along with a bunch of other useless commanders in the confederacy many of whom were double agents. The confederacy was defeated from within.
I am a direct descendant of General Bragg.....on my mother's side and I hate to say it, but his temperament was handed down to some of the family which will remain un named. 4:484:48
I agree that Bragg is misconceived... For his military situation and subordinates perhaps he did the best he could.... I think Bragg had some personality issues with his officers and men, and he was just unliked.
I think southerners hate Bragg because they counted on him to keep Chattanooga and Atlanta safe and this wasn't possible.......someone has to be blamed and Bragg is it.
According to historians, he was not good at socializing which I can relate. I guess that's why he's the "most hated" man. People hated me because I didn't socialize well.
lol facts do change. Vikings landing in north america. Before, we thought vikings never made it. BUT guess what, that is now a fact. Before it was a fact that weren't here. But that changed.
Thank you HHWT I'll look at the book. Bragg was saddled with one of the worst commanders of the war, Leonides Polk, but he also had some very capable corps commanders such as DH Hill and others. Many commanders who worked with him complained bitterly about many of his decisions and it might be legendary general Nathan Bedford Forest expressing extreme frustration in what he saw as Braggs inability to follow up the victory at Chickamauga that really got the "Bragg was a bad general" ball rolling. Bragg himself did not help the situation by being prickly and hard to deal with. He was also hurt by the perception that since he and Jefferson Davis were friends the latter was keeping him in command on that account. Anyway I'll read the book but the author will need some real good arguments with Bedford Forest seeming to be one of the most critical of Bragg. A man who was there and with his abilities hard to argue with.
Whether or not general forest really threatened him or not I believe forest would have really glove slapped his ass if it came down to it. Forest knew the deal destroy the enemy not just whip them and let them leave to fight another day . Forest would have kept the scare on em , taken interior lines and brought superior forces to bear . Bragg lets them retreat and enjoys a good supper
Garry Bragg quit with the familial bias, Bragg failed to succeed on mulitple occasions. If he was a great commander then he wouldn't have failed so much. He had the most determined men in the world at his disposal with more room to maneuver than Lee as well as on many occasiond, close to the same number of men, yet never could pull off a victory and use it. He could win but he didn't have enough sense to actually commit aftwerwards, which is whh he was horrible.
He essentially mistreated his men, mistrusted his generals, retreated after every victory, and played the sycophant to Jefferson Davis. What's not to like?
Bragg and Davis were BFF from the Mexican War.
the 44 dislikes are the confederate soldiers that survived his leadership.
He had a very justified reason for lacking trust in his generals, his men like Leonidas Polk and John C Breckinridge never executed orders properly.
@@stonewalljackson5692 But most, if not all, of those orders were unimaginative, costly frontal assaults.
@@TheLoyalOfficer Not all the time, and men do have to die in order to make any progress, that's part of war.
Braxton Bragg--never has a man who has led so many actually inspired so few.
BRAXTON BRAGG WAS A MURDERER AND A THIEF WHO STOLE THAT LAND AND CLAIMED IT!! KIND OF LIKE WHAT HAPPENED TO THE PILGRIMS!! This Land WAS OCCUPIED BY A FAMILY WHO REFUSED TO SELL IT!! THEY DIED DEFENDING IT!! BRAXTON BRAGG IS A MURDEROUS THIEF!! Sad you all have no clue about HIS story!! Just what you are TOLD!!
@@shannayvette he is a confederate general
He used his subordinates as scape goats for his own incompetentance. I believe Forrest in his account of how pathetic Bragg was as a commander.
I think Grant's anecdote about Bragg charging himself the supply officer for insubordination to himself a company commander in the 1840s, and his immediate superior's exasperated reaction says it all about Bragg.
The ‘all’ is never actually said about any man. The pressing issue these days in the U.S. is whether we surrender utterly to uncritical adulation of black historical figures, whose flaws I literally never see discussed in a back-and-forth like this. Pick apart any man’s life in enough detail and he can be made to seem unworthy of commemoration; the question is upon whom we are choosing currently to train all our scrutiny. That is driven by politics.
@@ZephaniahLshut it
What are you yappin' about greyback?@@ZephaniahL
His WIFE said he was the only General that she knew who could snatch defeat from the jaws of victory!!!!
Yessir without fail..
You might want to find out WHOM this MAN TRULY WAS!!! Also the land which is currently named after this THIEF!! Yes, GENERAL BRAGG WAS A THIEF!! HIS WIFE KNEW THIS TO BE TRUE!! AMERICA TELLS THEIR STORIES THE WAY IT WANTS AMERICANS TO BELIEVE IT TO BE!! Sadly, NO WARM AND FUZZY ENDING HERE FOLKS!! FOR ALL OF HIS SO CALLED VICTORIES, WERE ATROCITIES COMMITTED AGAINST INNOCENT HUMAN BEINGS!!!
@@michaelratliff905 I'm speaking from my OWN family history. This MAN and this LAND was stolen! The people who owned it were "A Black Family who were FREE and REFUSED to sell their land".. After a lynching, burning of bodies and a little girl who unbeknownst to General Bragg, survived to tell what happened!! Now the world is calling him the worst General in History.. Smh
I am shocked i never heard that saying, next time i talk to my grand ma, i can see if that was another saying.
Here is one I knew/taught by family.
Braxton wasn't worth bragging about.
@@shannayvette I never heard that, buuut i wouldn't be surprised either.
I don't know if he was the most hated man in the Confederacy, but he did have the biggest eyebrows in the south.
Meir Solomon good looking like all Bragg's 😉
The biggest eyebrows in the world!
my former best friend hates both lee and grant and he hates every general in human and American history my former best friend thinks the people who died on titanic and its sister ships is funny and cute and adorable I always use to tell him people dying is not funny or a good thing to laugh at he thinks everybody who died in history dersved to die
Meir Solomon Awesome uni-brow.
The Original General Unibrow photo
Bragg starved his men and also skimped on giving clothing, food etc. Maybe you should have highlighted those as an example. It is also a fact that most under his command hated him. He only maintained his position because of 1) he was good friends with J Davis 2) he saved J Davis life years before. History shows he was one of the worst and most hated generals on either side and deservedly so. Your short video does nothing but show a few decisions and outcomes in a few battles. You need to look at the whole picture and see what Bragg was really like. He got away with a lot of things and even when complaints by other generals about him to Davis were given verbally and written, Davis just ignored them. Bragg followed no moral law of a soldier and was definitely no gentleman. Nothing you say here will convince those of us that have studied The Civil War that Bragg was misunderstood or should be seen in a more positive light.
Euge Coscarelli is a war bitch the South didn't have much resources what do you spect bitch fuck you
Bragg had things deliberately withheld, for when finally he was relieved of duty and Johnston took back over, suddenly the men began getting new uniforms and food.
The South has poor railroads and limited wagon trains in the Western Theatre...
This wasn't all together braggs doing the war Department often forced him to send the food and other supplies to the Army of Norther Virginia . Read the Army of the heartland and the the Army of Tennessee. It explains the supply issues. Plus it kind of explains more about the back bitting between the General's in the Army of Tennesee.
@@_lumiaart_2010 The supply issues have nothing to do with Bragg losing Chattanooga after Chickamauga! Those positions were practically impregnable. He allowed Longstreet to leave (an entire corps) to go try to take Knoxville because he just wanted to get rid of him, because he was a threat to his(Bragg) command. And when his troops (dug in, on the steep slopes surrounding Chattanooga) were attacked by an inferior force (in the center) they wholeheartedly skedaddled, because Braxton Bragg couldn't inspire a virgin in a whorehouse much less his own troops!!!
Disclaimer: I have not read the book yet.
I will simply point out that I am not sure the "execution every 20v17 days" is a strong argument for the simple reason of scale. If the ANV is two or three times the size, then the number of incidents is bound to be larger.
I would more interested in the number of executions vs number of soldiers.
I also haven't read the book, but in support of your comment, the ANV was the larger army between the two, but it was also the more disciplined army. That means that it was more stringent on regulations than the western army. The ANV also had more officers who were disciplinarians.
My 3rd great grandfather was wounded at Murfreesboro fighting on the left side of Donelson’s Brigade. They broke through 2 lines and encounterd a 3rd Union line. They had to turn back being used up with no supporting brigades. Bragg was in command, and a great opportunity was lost. Polk was a subordinate, the army commander should have had support ready to follow up any gains. Shiloh (wing commander),Perryville, Murfreesboro, Chickamauga, he always threw troop’s in piecemeal.
It's been said that Bragg "He never met a man he didn't hate nor an opportunity he couldn't fritter away."
The video is a good argument in favor of Bragg. But the proof is in the pudding. One could also argue in that manner that Ambrose Burnsides bad reputation was also unwarranted, as was General Pope's. Everyone has great intentions in executing some plan and sometimes they may have one plan that works. But generals tend to get judged by their careers of failures which is why guys like Bragg and Burnsides gets trashed.
my favorite generals lost battles and yes ill name them both right now stonewall Jackson lost a battle and Robert e lee lost a battle if I want to mention a few union generals that lost battles those names are john pope and mcdowell
Burnside was nothing short of brilliant at Fredericksburg
@@nonameyet9165 burnside lost at Fredericksburg tho didn't lee do the same thing at Gettysburg with pickets charge one of my housemates thinks that George s patton or some Nazi guy lead the charge on the third day at the battle of Gettysburg he laughs about it and im like that's not funny at all im like who are you to think about a lot of people who died at that 3 day battle its not funny but he thinks its funny
@@DarthVaderReturns1 Yea I know I was kidding. Fredericksburg ended burnside
@@nonameyet9165 I omce got beat up by my former best friend when he asked me who won at Chancellorsville I said lee and jack he tied my hands behind my back after I said I lee and Jackson he punched me in my gut with brass knuckles then I finally said what he wanted to hear which hooker won the battle of Chancellorsville not lee or jackson
LOL! Bragg won his greatest victory, Chickanauga, because of his subordinate Longstreet (plus lots of Union help from confusion over orders.)
I don't understand why you feel the need to "debunk myths about Braxton Bragg?" First of all, these are not myths, his overall record basically proves this.Secondly, I'll ask you this. What rank would Bragg have held in the ANV ? Would Lee even consider him for division command, let alone corps command? He wouldn't have lasted past his first battle! Bragg got and kept(despite his failures) his command solely because of his close friendship with Davis. Almost all the comments made by the refuters are correct. I believe if Longstreet would have replaced Bragg after Chickamauga , Grant may have never come east!!!
I respect your opinions but I encourage you to read Earl Hess's book before you make a judgement call on Bragg. It definitely changed my opinion of Bragg.
Again I cannot subscribe. I hav e several of Mr. Hess's books. He writes well ( and I will read this one as well ) ,however citing a junior Officer who took an attack too far as an example of how those juniors undermined Bragg is rich. Bragg was well known for foot dragging and plodding habits that ended with his troops going against prepared enemy positions.
Bragg's soldiers used to joke that Bragg would never make it into heaven because once he was near the gates, and invited in, at that critical moment he would immediately "fall back".
Sam Watkins records that Brag shot more rebel’s than any other general
Actually no. He wrote that Johnston did. Although, Bragg just seemed more cold and didn't provide rations and used fear and intimidation
How about abandoning the Lookout Mountain position or the failure at Chickamauga to keep his bivouac position known either to D.H.Hill or Longstreet? Or Forrest’s quote about the pursuit at Chickamauga asking what purpose a battle inferring that there was no proper pursuit? Grant might have quoted the story of Bragg’s argument with himself but Bragg’s captain first told it. I believe that was a way for Bragg to raise what he thought an important issue. Rather aggressive at least. His battles seemed always to turn into brutal, costly slug fests. I am critical of apologists for men like Bragg and Hood a little more effort and someone will turn Benjamin Butler, Dan Sickles or Ledlie into saviors of the Union, I do believe one of those tried that himself. It is good to carefully review historical perceptions they can change or be mitigated but there is a limit
Can you do a video on the Bushwackers .
I have not read Hess's book. However, I have read many others. They universally condemn Bragg for the way he handled his top officers, at a minimum. As for his tactics and strategy, I think he was competent, but not especially inspired. He was certainly not a "people person" and did not engender loyalty, fighting spirit, or friendship from his subordinates.
His troublesome history only magnifies the horrendous loss of Albert Sydney Johnston at Shiloh in 1862. The Confederacy afterward suffered from a horrendous unity of command problem in the West for the rest of the war. I believe had A.S. Johnston lived and remained in supreme command in the West, he would have managed Bragg much better - maximizing his talents while minimizing his faults.
An interesting video. I've never been a fan of Bragg but it is good to see a more balanced presentation of him
The guy was full of Bull. I am related to the guy and even we think he was a idiot.
He was only good as a engineer.
@@thewingedhussar4188 THE WINGED HUSSARS HAVE ARRIVED!!!
Your UA-cam channel and videos are very interesting to me. Thanks to you, I have learned a great deal. As a Civil War historian, I hold you in high regard.
However, I cannot agree that Braxton Bragg is exonerated for being the most hated general of the Civil War.
Due to his incompetence and that of his subordinates (with the exception of Patrick Claiborne and perhaps D.H Hill), which I believe reflects Braxton's own incompetence.
My question to you (or anyone else) is, if you assigned him a grade from A to F, how would you rate him over his military career?
Thank you.
I would have to give out two grades. As a tactician, either a C or C+. However, a critical component of being a general is the confidence you have from your subordinates, which would be a F. Averaged out, he would receive an overall grade of D from me.
@@HistoryGoneWilder I fully agree with you. Taking into consideration his entire career and not just his service during the Civil War. I am unable to give Bragg a grade higher than a C-.
He was a terrible leader and was hated for reason. He had a strange, difficult personality, rubbed everyone he came in contact with negatively, and as you say, "only" executed 28 of his own men. I am surprised he wasn't "fragged" by his own staff. He is the worst kind of leader and I am amazed that Davis picked him and actually liked him. That would be worth exploring as people like this deserved to lose.
I understand your view point. I highly recommend the book. It may change your mind.
There were apparently two attempts on his life in 1847 (during his US Army career), the most serious of which involved one of his subordinates exploding a 12lb artillery shell under Bragg's cot while he was lying on it. The cot was destroyed, but Bragg himself was apparently unscathed.
Bedford Forrest couldn't stand him that tells you a lot
Great video! I always thought that Braxton Bragg was not the worst general of the American Civil War, as that honor could be bestowed upon John Bell Hood, George B. McClellan, John Chivington, or James Henry Carleton. John Bell Hood destroyed the Army of Tennessee with his reckless campaign into Tennessee and denied the Southern Heartland the veteran manpower it needed to execute a successful defense. George B. McClellan, although very bright and a gifted organizer, had either battles won by subordinates which he took credit for or was too cautious when decisive action was needed. John Chivington, who was given the task of commanding the military forces protecting Colorado, launched a horrific massacre at Sand Creek against a peaceful Cheyenne village led by Chief Black Kettle. As a result of this crime, many Cheyenne Dog Soldiers continued fighting the United States government, with the Battle of the Little Big Horn being their crowning achievement. Finally, James Henry Carleton was a man infamous for his ill-treatment of Southwestern tribes, such as the Apache and Navajo, who he forced onto one of the most horrific prison camps in American history, Fort Sumner.
@Matthew Kuchinski ..I concur with your assessment of John Bell Hood, Franklin was a pointless, useless, senseless massacre.
Hey genius, John Chivington saved Missouri from joining the Confederacy and the so called "peaceful" Cheyenne warriors that he attacked at The Battle of Sand Creek, had been massacring real "peaceful" farming families all over Western Kansas!!! They deserved what they got, John Chivington is an American Hero, and you are an ignorant moron!!!!! Read some fckin history books!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The book did not help Bragg's reputation in the long run. He is still generally detested. His own men clearly preferred Johnston over Bragg.
I would have taken beauregaurd over bragg
My great grand father served under Braxton Bragg in the 58th Alabama. I have always thought Bragg was a good general.
Fort Bragg, California was named after him by one of his soldiers, a man who was an admirer of his former commander.
Full disclosure though: that soldier, 1st Lt. Horatio G. Gibson, served under Bragg in the Mexican-American War and named the town before the American Civil War started. Seeing as how Gates served in the Union army in the Civil War I doubt he was much of an admirer of Bragg after that.
@@arkwill14 the war didn't really end old friendships lincoln maintained contact with vice president Steven's during the war, generals who served previously together on occasion even met briefly before battle
@@southron2279 True. And it's very possible Gibson still thought highly of Bragg after the war. But the initial post seems to be suggesting that Bragg was so highly thought of by some who served under him that one named a fort after him --- but leaves out the rather important detail that this fort was named after him _before_ the Civil War (where Bragg built a dubious reputation for military competency) and was named by a man who chose to remain loyal to the Union, unlike his erstwhile commander.
At worst, he is second to Hood, the absolute worst general of the South, perhaps even worse than Burnside.
Burnside was a UNION general.
Phillip Nagle Hood is far from the worst. Pemberton was the worst, then Bragg, imo.
Hood was a legend until he took command of an entire army. Hood would have destroyed burnside.
Phillip Nagle Burnside helped his country put down a rebellion by traders. What was the outcome of those two dudes efforts?
@@rubyait "...by traders", I don't think so. Burside wasted a lot of good men through his incompetence, at Burnside's Bridge at Antietam and at Fredricksburg. A few more generals like Burnside and the North would have lost.
@@phillipnagle9651 Burnside was a great division Commander, but a terrible army commander... want to know who ALSO knew that?
Burnside.
Great video. Also fun to go back, see this good video, and notice how much the production quality of this channel has gone up.
Thank you so much. This is one video I'd like to update.
@@HistoryGoneWilder that would be great! It could be longer, too. Maybe even a whole series on Bragg???
@@mjfleming319 Yes!..You could brag about Bragg!...That will be a really short, short story...
After WW2 the Army formalized how it named posts, forts, and installations through a board called the Army Memorialization Board. Governed by Army regulations, this board was charged with ensuring all Army post names met at least one of five criteria. Someone who was so honored would need to be:
a national hero of absolute preeminence by virtue of high position,
an individual who held a position of high and extensive responsibility (Army and above) and whose death was a result of battle wounds,
an individual who held a position of high and extensive responsibility and whose death was not a result of battle wounds,
an individual who performed an act of heroism or who held a position of high responsibility and whose death was a result of battle wounds,
and an individual who performed an act of heroism or who held a position of high responsibility and whose death was not a result of battle wounds.”
The Army, evidently, concluded each C.S.A. name met at least one of these criteria.
Thus Camp Bragg, North Carolina became Fort Bragg. One of Ten southern bases named after Confederate Generals.
Ameri Sor A stain on our country. We don’t even know how to treat traitors.
Thomas Knight I wonder how many Southerners were on that Board!
Bragg did prodigious service against Mexico. Just fought one war too many.
@@rubyait Bro shut the hell up dude, I'm sick and tired of this "traitor" bullshit.
@@rubyait
Traitors means the south was a part of the nation. By all counts excluding elections they were a different nation morally invaded and put down as the prion they were
My name is braxton bragg I'm related to General Braxton Bragg
dapper killer94 Sorry. We like you anyway.
How about his Shiloh linear corps formations ensuring support would be incredibly confusing? Or abandoning
I don’t like him, but am open to reading it and learning a thing or two!
Do you think that in researching and talking about history it's always enough to look at a single source and base statements on that?
That’s not the point. He’s presenting some arguments from a single book that tend to be opposed by most other historians. The presenter is doubtless fully aware of Bragg’s detractors.
Thanks for this. I somewhat revised my view of Bragg after reading "No Better Place to Die: THE BATTLE OF STONES RIVER"
by Peter Cozzens.
Bragg was never loved by his commanders,they did their best to have him dismissed, because of that he abused his Army., his Soldiers hated him... He was a Prick....As a Veteran myself, I know the difference.... My GGGrandfather served in The A.O.T.. with the Ky. Bde..THEY Dispised him...My Grandfather had a picture that he had in his living room wall, I have it today, ..it is NOT Bragg, ...it IS Gen. R.E.Lee....
Michael Ratliff As a Veteran, why not a picture of Mr. Lincoln or Patton or Grant. You know, non-traitors!
@@samiam619 I do have a picture of Gen.George Patton Jr.on my library wall, and his grandfather Col.George Patton Sr...who was a CONFEDERATE commander and was killed in battle,..I also have a picture of another Rebel General..and his name is Gen.George Washington...soo..what unit did you SERVE in in "Sam"?..I served in the 1st United States Cavalry, Atrp 7th Sq.1st Air Cav...how about you?
Bragg was- and is- a hard man to like, a fact that seemed not to concern him at all- but at times he was very poorly served by subordinates, notably Polk.
"General Bragg is going to Wilmington. Goodbye Wilmington."
@@carolinadog8634 You seemed very informed of General Bragg. Do you know why he was a failure and now being called a traitor? Maybe when you slaughter an entire family (or at least you've thought you had) and A SURVIVOR LIVES TO TELL THE TRUTH!! Imagine that??.. This MAN WAS A MURDERER AND A THIEF WHO STOLE THE LAND THAT IS NAMED AFTER HIM! The bible says, "Be sure your sins will find you"!! Enjoy your false and disgusting memories of this horrific man who had zero regard for ANY LIFE THAT HE WOULD KILL PEOPLE AND TAKE THEIR LAND. The truth about BRAXTON BRAGG and the way he discovered the land now called Fort Bragg will never be told truthfully!! Documentation is the only proof of the atrocities he committed!! He is not to be celebrated!! This man should have been hung like the people he hung and killed to claim their land!!
As a north carolinian myself just like Bragg, I can tell you, you obviously know nothing of the circumstances of that situation
@@johnnyringo2009Oh come on, The guy literally refused to resupply or reinforce Fort Fisher because he thought it was impregnable. Basically military sense tells you to resupply and reinforce
I would also read these two books the Army of Tennessee and the Army of the Heart land.
These books explain the manufacturing resources in the lower south. The back bitting between Generals and why the army of Tennesee often was under funded exc.
Bragg sure was lacking in his record on the battlefield. But I'm about to listen to this and see if my mind is changed
I love this stuff. I have a BA degree in history. It wouldn't be the first time that a historical figure was painted in a bad light only to have it proved that the figure was spot on.
*Cough* Grant *cough* *cough*
Bragg might be the worst field army commander on either side of the conflict.
My name is Bryan Bennett. My Grand Mother's name was Mittie Bragg. I have been told my entire life we are directly related.
Hey guys I'm currently reading the book by Sam Watkins he was in the 1st Tennessee Infantry Regiment. the description of Bragg is well described in it, whoever has such an officer needs no enemies... Greetings to the south from Germany
ps can you recommend me more books like this?
Thank you so much for watching and supporting the channel. Please consider subscribing if you have not done so already and check out my other videos. One book I highly recommend is Johnny Green's Memoir.
He was despised for a reason.
The biggest problem with recent history is that it has a tendency to try to debunk everything that is known and twist every position that is currently held. That's the way it is because you don't become anybody unless you can offer a new position on long held theories. I don't believe that Braxton Bragg was a good leader and his record shows that. Every general has an excuse for why they failed and this is yet another ones. The general has to take the blame for his failures and the accolades for his success. Bragg does not come with many accolades
The commander is responsible for all his command succeeds or fails to do. Doesn't sound fair but another commander would amazingly not have the peculiar issues Bragg had in life and in command. Bragg was hated for a reason. It wasn't an accident or misunderstanding. Emotionally unhealthy people should not be trusted with power or given chance after chance when they have demonstrated they don't deserve it.
I’m a direct descendant of Braxton Bragg and your points where well made people blame him for others failures and have targeted his supposedly indecision on the battlefield where he knew what to do tactically and strategically
I'm glad you enjoyed the video. I think he is critiqued too strongly at times.
Damn your spineless ancestor! He was in good company though along with a bunch of other useless commanders in the confederacy many of whom were double agents. The confederacy was defeated from within.
I'm enjoying how much anger and vitriol Bragg has inspired in the youtube comments section all these years later. I can respect him for that alone.
I am a direct descendant of General Bragg.....on my mother's side and I hate to say it, but his temperament was handed down to some of the family which will remain un named. 4:48 4:48
Haven't read the book, but everything I have read to this point paints a negative light on Bragg. I'll certainly put this book on my list...
I agree that Bragg is misconceived... For his military situation and subordinates perhaps he did the best he could.... I think Bragg had some personality issues with his officers and men, and he was just unliked.
It seems like he would have made a great general chief of staff if Albert S Johnston had lived
I'm actually related to Braxton Bragg on my dad's side of the family😭😭😭😭😭
I too. On my moms side.
I think southerners hate Bragg because they counted on him to keep Chattanooga and Atlanta safe and this wasn't possible.......someone has to be blamed and Bragg is it.
According to historians, he was not good at socializing which I can relate. I guess that's why he's the "most hated" man. People hated me because I didn't socialize well.
His inability to make friends or endear himself to his subordinates hurt him during the war and in the post war recounting of the war.
Braxton's Bragg, branded deserters or hung them or both. Fact. That alone tells me not to like him.
the facts in History never change the way they are viewed do.... Fantastic upload as usual!!!
lol facts do change.
Vikings landing in north america.
Before, we thought vikings never made it.
BUT guess what, that is now a fact.
Before it was a fact that weren't here. But that changed.
Why did they name a base after him wow I was stationed there for eight years
Jeff Bilbro Too many Southerners on the naming Board, I suspect.
Because of his deeds in the Mexican American war.
If Bragg was so disliked,why is there a fort named after him,to this day?
They confirmed it wasn't named for his deeds with the Confederacy, but during the Mexican American war.
I mean, even with the aforementioned explanation of the response above me, plenty of forts have been named for generals in very mocking tones.
You did this revision of Bragg three years ago. Brand's reputation hasn't risen at all.
This is about my great uncle 🤣
Hello from the smith branch. ^^
Braxton wasn't worth Bragging about.
@@thewingedhussar4188 he's the only officer in American history to charge himself with insubordination that's impressive lol.
Weather Braxton Bragg was a shitty general or not I cannot say, but I think we can all agree that he had a great name!
Bragg was strict but that’s what the Confederacy needed in the West.
What they needed was an evil grant clone with a goatee
This here is the best laugh that I've had all day. Thank ye.
Thank you HHWT I'll look at the book. Bragg was saddled with one of the worst commanders of the war, Leonides Polk, but he also had some very capable corps commanders such as DH Hill and others. Many commanders who worked with him complained bitterly about many of his decisions and it might be legendary general Nathan Bedford Forest expressing extreme frustration in what he saw as Braggs inability to follow up the victory at Chickamauga that really got the "Bragg was a bad general" ball rolling. Bragg himself did not help the situation by being prickly and hard to deal with. He was also hurt by the perception that since he and Jefferson Davis were friends the latter was keeping him in command on that account.
Anyway I'll read the book but the author will need some real good arguments with Bedford Forest seeming to be one of the most critical of Bragg. A man who was there and with his abilities hard to argue with.
Good assessment
Ft. Liberty, NC.
Thank you for the video. I am a descendant of Bragg and enjoyed it very much.
I'm so thrilled that you enjoyed it.
He was hated for a reason
Ask Sam Watkins about Bragg.
Looks kind of like R. Lee Ermey.
"Only".
Disgusting.
Way to ignore the context of the statement, Kurt. You're the kind of guy who probably would've warranted a court martial!
Thanks...
I’m a Bragg 🤔 I wonder if there’s any relation
I'm going to lay off commenting here
@GretschDog racist
It all depends on how incompetent you are
Whether or not general forest really threatened him or not I believe forest would have really glove slapped his ass if it came down to it. Forest knew the deal destroy the enemy not just whip them and let them leave to fight another day . Forest would have kept the scare on em , taken interior lines and brought superior forces to bear . Bragg lets them retreat and enjoys a good supper
They were both horrible
Johnston strengths were also his weaknesses
Ewell Richardson in some ways yes
Garry Bragg quit with the familial bias, Bragg failed to succeed on mulitple occasions. If he was a great commander then he wouldn't have failed so much. He had the most determined men in the world at his disposal with more room to maneuver than Lee as well as on many occasiond, close to the same number of men, yet never could pull off a victory and use it. He could win but he didn't have enough sense to actually commit aftwerwards, which is whh he was horrible.
long live the south
You have one hell of an imagination.
bragg a joke