American Civil War Game Club (ACWGC)

http://thismightyscourge.com/2012/01/31/review-the-confederate-heartland-by-bradley-r-clampitt/

The reviewer's bio

About Michael Noirot
I grew up in the Central Illinois farming community, of Dunlap. Growing up, I played sports, tinkered with cars and enjoyed photography. While I did well in school, I did not become passionate about history until my early 30's. I have built a large library, of books on early America, politics and the Civil War. I am an avid reader. Fortunately, I have had plenty of opportunities to travel, over the years, and have been to most of the Civil War battlefields. I work while I travel, so more often than not, I am up, in the middle of the night, to get sunrise pictures, or I will be out until well after dark, exploring Civil War battlefields.

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I have come to you from the West, where we have always seen the backs of our enemies. . . . Let us look before us, and not behind

Another author concludes that Hood's ill-planned campaign was the end of the Confederacy. The situation after the fall of Atlanta was unwinnable for Hood. Had he not wasted thousands of men trying to counterattack Sherman's armies within their trenches it may have been better.

Davis didnt want Atlanta to fall without a fight... I guess he got his wish.

Hindsight is always 20/20 though. Hood had a few opportunities to outflank Sherman but the men of the AoT were not the light infantry Stonewall Jackson led in 1862 and the men Sherman commanded were not the green volunteers of Banks and Milroy that opposed them. Nor was Hood the commander that Jackson was.

Had Jackson only lived! I can only ponder if he would have gone westward in 1863 what may have happened. I dont believe he would have declined to go west as Lee did but instead would have looked upon it as God's Will and would have gone. Having Jackson with the Valley Army (II Corps) in the summer and fall of 1863 in Tennessee instead of on the cornfields around Gettysburg... oh, what could have been in the west!

You take Stonewall and pair him with the likes Forrest to act as his eyes and ears. Throw in AP Hill, Early, and Ewell (all healthy) along with the already formidable AoT division commanders, and you have one very powerful army! Who Jackson would have chosen as his three Corps Commanders is interesting to consider as well. Hardee, Polk, and Ewell is my own guess.

I sure wish HPS would allow the editing of OOBs so we can start creating these scenarios! ... Pretty Please

I personally think Jackson would of not been the best Army Commander either. Given a competent opponent, like Sherman or even Sheridan, with the class of generally decent commanders the North had operating out there and I think Ol' Jack would have been pressed hard. He was genius in the Valley because he was able to bring larger numbers against an incompetent & poorly led force. Banks & Milroy are a far cry from pretty much most of the folks out West.

Davis' big mistake in my opinion was removing Johnston. That cost them the War & Atlanta.

It could be my general dislike of Jackson & his style of command, he was a real meat grinder on his men too, but no one compares to Hood, that was a waste of so many fine men. The Southern government should of risen above it's own prejudice & given Cleburne a try or hell even Hardee could of made a fair shot at it.

I also personally prefer Joe Wheeler over Forrest as well. Guess I am not drawn to the sensational figures of the War.

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General Scott Ludwig
4/II/ANV

The fall of Atlanta ended the Confederacy because it insured Lincoln's re-election. Only a defeat of Lincoln would save the South from what Grant planned to do.

Unfortunately for the South there was no other even close equal to Lee that could take command in the West. It required someone with the ability of Lee as well as the same level of support Davis gave Lee but no one else.

How Jackson would have done is difficult to say. Tactically and strategically he would have probably handled the Atlanta campaign much better than Johnson. Johnson new how to defend but not how to turn it into an advantage for offensive actions. In some ways he appeared afraid to fail. Jackson would have planned better with the resources he had but whether he could handle trusting subordinates which is something an Army commander must do is open to question.

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General Kennon Whitehead
Chatham Grays
AoT II/1/3 (CSA)

Cleburne, a brillant General known as "Stonewall of the West".



Staying with my campaing to increase reading about the Western battles, you might consider this book

"Joslyn, Mauriel. A Meteor Shining Brightly: Essays on the Life and Career of Major General Patrick R. Cleburne. Macon, GA: Mercer University Press, 2000"

MG Elkin

3rd Div (2nd Cav) XVIth Corps
AotT

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I have come to you from the West, where we have always seen the backs of our enemies. . . . Let us look before us, and not behind

I should of been more clear that the inopportune time of Johnston's removal & the placement of Hood allowed for the events that did unfold to happen, which caused the Fall of Atlanta & Lincoln's re-election.

Jackson would of been more aggressive, but could of also squandered too. His issues with those under him surely would of been interesting to witness. Johnston in my opinion understood the concept of trading space for time, which is all that they needed was some time. Either way anyone would of been better than Hood. Hood is even the butt of jokes in my office. A shame AS Johnston died so early.

I once did an assessment for the History Channel's ACW Discussion board because I got tired of 'stupid' people always calling Grant a butcher. It was a compilation of casualties in various different comparisons & it showed the mass loss of men that the South sustained in the early years of the war under commanders in the West & Lee in the East. Lee actually expended a lot of men in his leadership. In a way he had to. But there are just so many examples to show that the Southern leadership had no idea how to execute that war or at least the ramifications of many of the decisions it made.

I know this is all bad for a senior CSA officer in the Club to say....

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General Scott Ludwig
4/II/ANV