Braxton Bragg

Braxton Bragg (born March 22, 1817, died September 27, 1876) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War.

Military education and service

Braxton Bragg was born in Warrenton, North Carolina. He joined West Point, graduating fifth in a class of 50 in 1837. Bragg was commissioned a second lieutenant in the US Army, serving in the 3rd Artillery. In the Second Seminole War, his unit was deployed to Florida as infantry, with Bragg commanding the army post at St. Augustine. Bragg served with distinction in the Mexican War, gaining a promotion to captain and brevet promotions to lieutenant colonel. His effort at the battle of Buena Vista saved Jefferson Davis' regiment, earnig Bragg Davis' friendship.

Post-Civil War career

After the war Bragg took several jobs in public engineering: As superintendent of the New Orleans waterworks, as chief engineer for Alabama and as a railroad inspector in Texas. He died in Galveston, Texas, on September 27, 1876.

Assessment

Bragg was known to his contemporaries as a strict disciplinarian, but also as an irritable person, with Grant recalling an anecdote where Bragg, after quarreling "with every officer in the army", even managed to get into a quarrel with himself. Worse, Bragg was quite outspoken about his negative opinion of others, making him unpopular with his subordinates and contributing to a breakdown of personal relations. His record as a general was decidedly mixed; he routinely failed to exploit the victories he won, tended to retreat after a draw, and at Chattanooga he suffered a major defeat. Yet he was often handicapped by his subordinates, and unlike Robert E. Lee, Davis would not allow Bragg a free hand at choosing them.

References

• Woodworth, Steven E., Six Armies in Tennessee: The Chickamauga and Chattanooga Campaigns, University of Nebraska Press, 1998. Takes a rather positive view of Bragg's performance.