Advance And Retreat Personal Experiences In The United States And Confederate States Armies

by Hood, General John Bell

• ISBN13: 9780306805349
• ISBN10: 0306805340
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1993-08-22
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Summary

When John Bell Hood entered into the services of the Confederate Army, he was 29 years old, a handsome man and courageous soldier, loyal to the ideal of Confederate Independence and eager to fight for it. He led his men bravely into the battles of Second Manassas, Gaines's Mill, Sharpsburg, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, and Chickamauga. He rose fast, attaining the temporary rank of full general, only to fall faster. Hood emerged from the war with his left arm shattered and uselss, his right leg missing, his face aged far beyond his 33 years, and with his military reputation in disgrace. Blamed by contemporaries for contributing to the defeat of his beloved Confederacy, Hood struggled to refute their accusations. His most vehement critic, General Johnston, charged Hood with insubordination while serving under him and, after succeeding him in command, of recklessly leading Confederate troops to their "slaughter" and "useless butchery." Sherman, too, in hisMemoirs,took a harsh view of Hood. Born of controversy,Advance and Retreatis of course a highly controversial book. It is also full of invaluable information and insights into the retreat from Dalton in early 1864, the fighting around Atlanta, and the disastrous Tennessee Campaign in winter of that year. Far from being a careful, sober, objective account, this book is the passionate, bitter attempt of a soldier to rebut history's judgment of himself as general and man.

Author Biography

John Bell Hood (1831-1879) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War. Hood had a reputation for bravery and aggressiveness that sometimes bordered on recklessness.

Table of Contents

Introduction to the Da Capo Edition	v
United States Army---California and Texas---Confederate States Army---Virginia---Yorktown---Eltham's Landing---Seven Pines, or Fair Oaks	5	(19)
Confederate States Army---Virginia---Gaines's Mills---or First Cold Harbor---Malvern Hill---Second Manassas---Boonsboro' Gap---and Sharpsburg, or Antietam	24	(24)
Confederate States Army---Virginia---Fredericksburg---Suffolk---Gettysburg---and Chickamauga	48	(21)
Reply to General Johnston---Effective Strength and Losses---Army of Tennessee---Dalton to Atlanta	69	(20)
Reply to General Johnston---Transfer from the Virginia to the Western Army---Dalton---Resaca---Adairsville---and Cassville	89	(21)
Reply to General Johnston---Cassville	110	(7)
Reply to General Johnston---New Hope Church---Kennesaw Mountain---Retreat Across the Chattahoochee---Johnston Relieved from Command	117	(12)
Reply to General Johnston---Handling of Troops---Lee and Jackson School versus The Johnston School---Johnston's Plan to Hold Atlanta ``Forever''	129	(21)
ADVANCE AND RETREAT.
Reply to General Johnston---His Intention to Abandon Atlanta---Evacuation of Richmond Contemplated in 1862---Attempt to Court Martial	150	(11)
Siege of Atlanta---Difficulties of the Situation---Battle of the 20th of July	161	(12)
Siege of Atlanta---Battle 22d of July---Hardee---General Frank Blair's Letter	173	(20)
Siege of Atlanta---Engagement of the 28th of July---Wheeler, Iverson and Jackson---Battle of Jonesboro'---Evacuation of Atlanta	193	(18)
Atlanta Untenable---Losses During the Siege Compared with Those of Sherman, and with Those of Johnston from Dalton to Atlanta	211	(18)
Correspondence with Sherman---Citations on the Rules of War	229	(14)
Campaign to the Alabama Line---Preparations---President Davis Visits the Army---Hardee Relieved---Allatoona---Resaca---Dalton---Lafayette---Sudden Determination to Enter Tennessee---Gadsden---Beauregard	243	(27)
Tennessee Campaign---Forrest---Wheeler---Deflection to Florence---Detention---President Davis---Beauregard---Columbia---Spring Hill	270	(22)
Tennessee Campaign---Franklin---Nashville---Retreat---Tupelo---Return to Richmond---Surrender at Natchez, Missouri	292	(20)
Rashness---Johnston---Fabius---Scipio	312	(5)
Appendix: Official Reports---Letter to Honorable J. A. Seddon, Secretary of War	317	(42)
Index	359