Thanks for the video. I'm reading This Terrible Sound: Battle of Chickamauga: Peter Cozzens. It's the most confusing battle Civil War battle I've read about so far. This video has helped a lot. I just ordered "Failure in the Saddle: Nathan Bedford Forrest, Joseph Wheeler, and the Confederate Cavalry in the Chickamauga Campaign: David A Powell"
Bragg had little support from subordinates because he was a proven idiot as a field commander. He should have been a supply officer, a junior supply officer not the commanding General of a field army.
Davis should have put Forrest in the lead in the West. At that time he had the name of winning. He was a Natural. He wouldn't have wasted the Victory. His small Cavalry and Infrantry captured more supplies and prisoners than any General on both sides. Bragg was not a fighter and Hood just wasted a great Army. Hood wasn't the General he was at the first of the war. He was a fighter but he didn't know how to think because he was on laudanum and a drinker. He just made one bad attack after another. Forrest would have never fought like Hood or waste good men.
@@kurtsherrick2066 yeah but Bedford didn't have that oh so necessary West Point Diploma that was Davis's requirement. I mean Van Dorn and Bragg both had one and look how well those idiots did.
@@kencarney5456 So true. Lee was asked after the war who was the best Soldier he ever had under his Command. Lee replied although I have never met the man it was Forrest. Lee also said that Forrest wasn't used to his full potential. Lee told Davis not to put Hood In Charge of the Army of the Tennessee but Davis said he would fight. Forrest would have not wasted men like Hood. Forrest would have fought but he would have fought much smarter. What he did at Brice's Crossroads was such a remarkable Victory. One third of Sturgis's men had new Cartridge and Repeating Rifles. Forrest still won being outnumbered in Cavalry 5 to 1 and Infrantry over 4 to 1. Forrest just didn't win but it was a absolute Butt Kicking. He did get some reinforcements but he had already put the Union Army on the run. Many Surrendered because they were to tired to run. Forrest used to hot weather against them. He started a squamish with the Cavalry and the Federal Infrantry was 5 miles away. They marched 4 miles and they had to run the last mile. Forrest had set the trap. He was just a amazing Leader and he actually made the war last a year longer than it would have lasted without him. He was the one that actually caused Sherman's Army to get very hungry by destroying the supply lines. After Sturgis made it back to Memphis he put in for his retirement. He told a reporter that if Forrest would leave him alone he would leave Forrest alone. A reporter asked one of the Federal Officers that survived Brice's Crossroads when they were going to attack Forrest again. The Officer replied we would not attack one of Forrest's old boots alone in the middle of a road. I believe Forrest had Lee's Confidence and that maybe would have given the West Point Officers enough respect to follow Forrest's Orders. But then again one of the biggest reasons the South lost was pompous Narcissistic Officers. Forrest was a natural at Topography.
