Samuel J. MartinCritiques

Possibly the most maligned and disliked of any Confederate General, Braxton Bragg has long been considered as an incompetent general who seriously damaged the Confederate war effort in the west. Martin argues that this flawed view of Bragg is the result of historians not challenging the self-serving accusations of prominent, disgruntled subordinates, each of whom sought to explain their own failures by assigning them to Bragg. Bragg was, argues Martin, cursed with bad luck and incompetent subordinates. Martin does a good job of arguing that Bragg’s Civil War career has been misunderstood, but you’ll have o decide for yourself.

Martin makes good use of the sources and has produced a highly readable narrative. The main thing lacking from the book, as so often is the case, are good maps. I would also have liked to have seen a little more discussion of Bragg’s post-war years.

I received this book as a part of the LT early Reader program.

General Braxton Bragg, CSA by Samuel J. Martin is indeed a well written book. Family issues have prevented me from completely reading the book but I think I have read enough to offer a few comments. This book would be especially helpfull to the Family Historian who has found a relationship to the General or a Military Historian who does well at comprehending battlefield strategy and details. Before opening the book I knew practically nothing about General Bragg except his name. The personal family stories were of particular interest such as his mother pulling out a pistol and shoting an impertinent black or his meeting Elise Ellis on that winter evening at a sparsely attended ball in Louisiana. The account of the aid he rendered Zach Taylor in the Mexican War was also of interest. The many personalities he associated with during pre Civil War days was amazing having made friendships with those from both North and South. I rather got lost in the battlefield details but I am sure those would be of interest to someone studying military history. In general I enjoyed what I was able to read but be prepared for a long read.

Few if any Confederate Generals are as maligned and misunderstood – both by their contemporaries as well as historians – as Braxton Bragg. To most today, a mention of the man’s name conjures up almost automatically an officer plagued by incompetence, bad luck, or both. But was Bragg truly the inept commander, who owed his position solely to his friendship with Jefferson Davis, that he is so often made out to be?

Author Samuel J. Martin, in his new General Braxton Bragg, CSA (2011 McFarland) argues no, and makes a very compelling case that Bragg was simply an officer whose Civil War career was cursed with bad luck and incompetent subordinates. Martin’s Bragg is not just a reappraisal of Bragg, but one also of Bragg’s personal friend and frequent battlefield enemy William T. Sherman, senior Confederate leaders in the Army of Tennessee, and Confederate strategy in the West overall. Understandably Martin is very critical of Bragg lieutenants Leonidas Polk and D.H. Hill, who were both very vocal opponents of Bragg while under his command and often disregarded his direct orders, but the author also is almost equally critical of John C. Breckinridge who was also a Bragg detractor (to the point that a duel between them was narrowly avoided). To this reviewer – an admitted fan of the former Vice President and victor at New Market – Martin’s criticism of Breckinridge’s generalship is a bit extreme. Other Bragg enemies – most notably James Longstreet and Simon Buckner – and their respective feuds with the commander of the Army of Tennessee are examined in detail as well.

The reader first finds Bragg’s family in humble beginnings in North Carolina. Martin proposes that part of Bragg’s difficulties with some officers – in particular Polk – may have stemmed from the societal class distinctions between them; that some from the Southern aristocracy just would not be made subordinate to someone who was their societal inferior, military rank and protocol be damned. After West Point Bragg was somewhat of a problem officer – one who had no qualms about writing directly to Washington or to newspapers to address perceived grievances and faulty practices, which understandably earned him some enemies among the pre-war Army’s senior officer corps, and a court martial. The Mexican War made Bragg a well-known war hero, at Buena Vista almost single-handedly giving Zachary Taylor the impetus he needed for his rise to the Presidency.

Many writers have posed that the friendship that was so evident in 1863 and ‘64 between Bragg and Jefferson Davis developed in Mexico. Martin destroys this premise – Bragg, who was never a fan of non-military men holding the office of Secretary of War, thought he would have a sympathetic ear in Washington when Davis became Franklin Pierce’s War Secretary. This notion was quickly squashed by Davis’ failure to accept some of Bragg’s policy recommendations; so brusquely was it squashed in fact that Bragg counted Davis among his enemies, and had nothing good to say about Davis in his letters to his wife Elise. In that regard, there was a strong similarity between the two men – their bluntness, ability to make enemies, and their quickness to take offense. But both were also very loyal to their friends and supporters, as shown by Davis’ continued support of Polk and later of Bragg, and Bragg’s support for commanders whose performance was often less than adequate but were reliable subordinates, like Joseph Wheeler.

Bragg’s Civil War career occupies the majority of the book, beginning with his command at Pensacola. Had fate been somewhat kinder to him, it could have been Braxton Bragg and Ft. Pickens rather than P.G.T. Beauregard and Ft. Sumter that garnered headlines in April 1861. Despite what many have written about the opinion of the men in the ranks toward Bragg, Martin argues that his original Pensacola troops revered him, despite his strict discipline. The oft-quoted Sam Watkins of the 1st Tennessee hated Bragg and his memoirs are filled with vitriol toward the General, sentiments which have been echoed by historians of this century, most notably pre-eminent early Army of Tennessee historian Stanley Horn.

“It seems obvious,” Martin writes, “that Bragg’s current critics are biased, looking in every instance to find fault with his actions. Bragg, as Elise [his wife] pointed out, never pursued personal glory. He assumed that history would fairly judge him. He had no idea that many students of the Civil War would instead believe the self-serving claims of his subordinate enemies, and as a result, sully his record whenever possible.” (p. 147)

Yet one notion Martin concedes to Bragg’s critics is that Bragg seldom led from the front, something he did at Shiloh and that the author proposes so shook him that he had no desire to be that close to the death and destruction resultant from his orders again– very similar to George McClellan in that regard. “Leading” from the rear on nearly every battlefield after Shiloh often caused Bragg’s orders to be not in accordance with a fluid situation at the front, and also gave his subordinates – Polk, Hill, William Hardee – the opportunity to disregard his orders.

For all its excellent scholarship and the author’s very readable narrative, three major flaws are to be found with Martin’s work. First, it is plagued by a number of misspellings and word omissions, many more than one would expect in a book of this size (and cost - $55). Second, the lack of adequate maps, especially when the author recounts the major battles of the Army of Tennessee, sends the reader scurrying for other, cartographically-better works. This is not to say the book lacks maps entirely, it does have several but these are very crude area maps for each major campaign with no troop positions. This reviewer is among those who thinks a book can never have too many maps. Third, for all the detail devoted to Bragg’s pre-war career (nearly 100 pages) and more than 350 to the Civil War years, Bragg’s post-war years are covered in a scant seven pages.

These criticisms aside, Samuel Martin has produced an excellent biography of a most misunderstood figure. An impartial view of Braxton Bragg has long been needed, and Martin delivers (although his criticism of Breckinridge and Hill sometimes goes beyond what is warranted). The reader certainly gains a new appreciation for Bragg the man as well as Bragg the officer, and the root of many of the quarrels which plagued the Army of Tennessee becomes evident. One certainly cannot have a clear understanding of the inner workings of that army without Martin’s biography.

As I have really just begun this considerable work by Mr. Martin, I cannot give a recommendation to read or not. What I can review thus far is that the copy I received came in excellent condition (I cannot say that about all of my review copies), a very handsome hardcover. As far as I have read the work is very well researched with the use of many primary sources as his major resource. It reads fairly well with a flow you would expect from a book about General Bragg. The one thing that has struck me so far is, and I reserve the right to change my mind once the book is finished, is it seems a bit hagiographic in nature. The prologue seems to be almost a desperate plea to the reader to show that Bragg was a good guy and not some monster history has made him out to be. I wont say the author is trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, but we will see how well of a job Martin does representing his client. But so far his work seems to be that of a quality historian. I look forward to getting into the deep end of this one and reporting the outcome as others before me already have.

Based upon reading most Civil War literature, Braxton Bragg spent almost as much effort fighting with his officers than with the Federals, was a tyrant to and hated by his troops, and whose generalship or more accurately lack of was a leading cause of the Confederate defeat.

After reading this book of the revisionist school, one finds that there could be more to Bragg than what is commonly known. Bragg, while certainly officious, having ordered an officer in his battery during the Mexican War to return under fire to strip harnesses off dead horses because unit commanders (i.e. him) could be court-marshaled for the loss of issued equipment, was also a commander known for training and taking good care of his troops. After the slaughter he saw at Shiloh, he could not stand seeing his troops suffer so he became a behind the lines commander at almost all his subsequent battles.

However, while Martin presents the last point several times as a sign of Bragg’s, like McClellan’s, love for his troops, it also could be a sign that Bragg had not quite the stomach for battle. His chosen post resulted in him not having what the British refer to as ‘grip’, the sense of the ebb and flow of the battle. He had to depend on what others reported to him and on dependable corp, division and brigade commanders to carry out their orders. This approach might work in the Army of Northern Virginia, given Lee, but not in the Army of Tennessee. Bragg was unable to exert sufficient control over his commanders (Breckenridge, Hardee, Polk, etc.) who often refused to obey orders, and was at times unable to remove them from their position due to the refusal of Davis to allow it. Even allowing for this and his vindictive nature, Bragg was an army commander who lost control of sufficient numbers of his officers to impact the combat performance of the Army of Tennessee despite his often good plans.½

I won this book from LibraryThing and although it has taken a long time to read it, I'm very pleased with it. Enough so that I will keep it.

It looks like a textbook, 10 x 7 inches, no dust cover, shiny hard cover with a portrait of Bragg on the front, and small print with occasional illustrations inside. Minor quibble: it could have used better proof-reading and the battleground maps are hand-drawn and not very helpful.

Confederate General Bragg was a controversial man. He was abrupt, didn't take crticism or even suggestions well, and in general was difficult to get along with. He could even be cruel, but he honestly cared about his men and they knew it. In fact, he always established his headquarters well back from the front lines because after seeing the men bleeding and dying at Shiloh, hearing the screams amid the chaos of battle, he simply couldn't stand to watch it again.

As I read this book, I was amazed that anyone could win the Civil War. Obviously, someone had to win, but with officers regularly disobeying orders, and foot soldiers going AWOL, no wonder Bragg was criticized so much for mismanagement of battles. He also had enemies who were plotting against him, such as Gen. Pope (an Episcopalian Bishop), Patrick Cleburne, Joe Johnston, and many others. Fortunately, Bragg and Pres. Jefferson Davis were old friends. More than once Davis saved Bragg from going down in flames. Many of the C.S.A. officers were veterans of the Mexican War, as was Bragg, and some of the hard feelings stemmed from that war.

This author set out to give an unbiased defense of Bragg. He didn't entirely succeed because his admiration for the man does define the text. He does include Bragg's many faults though, and the reader ends up with admiration for Bragg despite his faults. The end of his life at only 59 years of age comes after a period of time when he was unable to find work. He and his devoted wife suffered much in the aftermath of the war, even living in what had been slave quarters on his brother's farm for some time. It was a sad end for an honorable man who sacrificed everything for what he thought was a just cause.

This is an interesting, balanced view of a complex and misunderstood person from the Civil War. Like many people I had a biased view of Bragg based on much of what has commonly been written about him. For example, this book set straight the apocryphal tale of Bragg writing requisitions to himself only to deny them. Martin’s book enabled me to see Bragg as a person rather than the caricature he has become. There was much to admire about Bragg as a person and military leader. He genuinely cared for the welfare and effectiveness of his men. He was courageous in battle and a genuine hero of the Mexican War. Yet throughout his career, Bragg was too quick to jump the chain of command and his overconfidence in his opinion caused him errors in judgment. He was intelligent but some of his conclusions and subsequent actions were ill-advised.

A minor complaint I have of the book is that it could have done better with a more thorough proofreading. For example the author refers to “President” Jefferson when he was actually still the Secretary of War. Still the author’s entertaining style and the interest he brings to Braxton Bragg makes this a rewarding read; it was an enjoyable book and I learned things I hadn’t known. I highly recommend this book to those interested in American history and military leadership.

This is an easy read, and provides many insights into the commands and life of one of the Confederacy’s highest ranking officers. I greatly enjoyed the work, and would recommend it to anyone interested in the lesser lights of the Civil War. Certainly, there are quite enough biographies of Lee and Jackson, Grant and Sherman.

That being said, there are deficiencies. At one point, Mr. Martin argues that Gen. Bragg’s tendency to feud with his subordinates is overstated, and is proved by the fact that not all of those subordinates disliked him. Of course, the reverse is also true. The fact that not all of his subordinates disliked him, does not prove anything. And whether or not those who held grudges against Gen. Bragg were justified or not is also irrelevant. The fact that those grudges were held hindered the Confederate command structure is relevant. (Though what the Jefferson Davis could have done is an interesting question. Except for Gen. Lee, no Confederate commander seems to have been able to run his command without being hindered by his subordinates.)

Another problem with the book is that there are no maps at either the strategic or operational level. In dealing with the Mexican War, there are maps of Monterrey and Buena Vista. A strategic map showing the route from the Rio Grande at Carmago through those towns to Saltillo would be useful. Similarly, while discussing the Kentucky campaign, a map showing the roads between Munfordville, Perryville, and the various points of entry to Kentucky would not be out of place.

A minor point of disagreement that I have with the book is that Mr. Martin is occasionally telling the reader what Gen Bragg was thinking. For all I know, he did indeed “share the awe that most experienced at their first view of” West Point. But since there is no record of this, it’s equally likely that the sixteen year old was looking for his luggage. But telling readers of the subject’s (undocumented) feelings seems to be a trend in modern biography.

An interesting account of a complex man. In modern terms, Braxton Bragg had management problems, ranging from micro-managing subordinates, reaching up and over the chain of command, and giving direct orders to troops under subordinate commands, without notifying their commanders. He also formed and retained grudges. As Mary Chestnut said of General Bragg, “He had a winning way of earning everybody’s detestation.”

When he once gave orders to a conscription officer outside of his direct command, Col. T. P. August, the response was that he was not about "to obey exceptional orders from an eccentric source." In revenge, Braxton Bragg tried to get Col. August transferred to the front, where he would most likely be killed.

From the time he left West Point, Braxton Bragg gave unsolicited advice to his superiors and brother officers, which was frequently resented. Thus, Braxton Bragg accumulated hard feelings from people who held grudges for a long time. When later he would need to call upon these people for support, they were often hostile to him.

Coupled with the resentment other people fostered toward Bragg, he often would take revenge against people, especially of lower rank, who thwarted him. Petty revenge against subordinates in the Army doesn't often work well, and word about this always gets around.

The author continually makes the justifications that Bragg did poorly because he had so many enemies, and because his subordinate generals were incompetent and untrustworthy. However, many of these enemies were imaginary, and many of his subordinates did very well under other commanders, and I suspect that rather than blame the sword it is necessary to blame the wielder of the blade instead.

Braxton Bragg's lack of leadership and woeful inter-personal skills overwhelmed his remarkable capabilities as a commander and tactician.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading General Braxton Bragg CSA by Samuel J. Martin. The book is a wonderfully balanced look at one of the Confederacy’s most maligned soldiers. General Bragg’s command tenure in the western theater has, until now, been somewhat of a puzzle for me. Previous accounts I’ve read left me wondering how Bragg, if he was as incompetent as portrayed, held on to his command as long as he did. Mr. Martin’s account provides a satisfying answer
The pace and style of the writing made for relaxing and easy reading. I would have liked to see more and more detailed maps, but that may be my personal fondness for maps shining through. I highly recommend this book to anyone with the slightest interest in military/U.S. history.½

This is a comprehensive biography of Braxton Bragg. Until I received this book through the Early Reviewers program, I considered Bragg a grumpy and vindictive general. Martin's book opened my eyes to a broader picture of Bragg which makes him more human. It is full of wonderful details about Bragg and the Civil War but is easy to read and keeps your attention.

Samuel J. Martin makes a valuable contribution to our understanding of the military history of the Civil War and, in so doing, polishes the tarnished reputation of Braxton Bragg. The book is well researched and the meticulous citing of sources gives credence to his conclusion that many of Bragg’s defeats in battle were caused, at least in part, by inept subordinates.
There are two ways in which military history can be recorded. The first is to focus on the battlefield events themselves assuming that they are the result of complex interactions of circumstances including pure chance, terrain, weaponry, et al and to introduce the characteristics of individual personalities only as necessary. The second is to focus on the persons and let their actions define the events. What can be missed using this second approach is an appreciation of the context in which decisions are made and actions taken. Martin takes this approach and avoids the pitfall as it pertains to individual battles and campaigns but, in so doing, adds an enormous amount of detail that is difficult to digest; Bragg often disappears into the fog of detail.
Focusing on individual personalities and comparing their actions with dispatches between commands, correspondence with higher headquarters including directly with Jefferson Davis, and after action reports and memoirs paints a clear picture of the great weakness in the South’s cause. An important principle of war is Unity of Command. The Confederacy had none until the last few days of the war when Lee was put in overall command. Following its national model, Bragg’s army consisted of a confederation of forces each commanded by individuals with different agendas dictated by personal ambitions, quirks of character and the interests of their states rather than a united national interest. Bragg lacked the strong leadership skills to overcome this burden and Richmond failed to cover his back when it was most needed. Martin either explicitly or implicitly draws these conclusions but leaves unanswered the question of whether Bragg in particular or the South in general would have been successful if this inadequacy would have recognized and averted. Given the vast resources available to the North, I think not.
What is sorely missed in this book are adequate maps showing topographic features as well as troop dispositions and movements. The rather crude sketches that are provided show only selected features and the labels used do not always match the terminology in the text or so it seemed to me. To truly appreciate this book an atlas of battle maps should be readily available. Regardless of this flaw, reading the book is worth the effort.

Martin provides a thorough history of not only of Bragg's personal life, but his his military exploits as well. It offers an in-depth, though still readable, account of every major and minor military action he was involved throughout his long career. It seems that the less than-stellar reputation Bragg has gotten over the years is mostly due to the fact that his detractors (and there were many) were much more vocal than his supporters. Martin shows that many of the negative stories and anecdotes were made by Bragg's disgruntled subordinates (most of whom were incompetant). The book also does a good job of portraying the ideals of personal honor and loyalty that were prevalent at the time. Personal gain and professional advancement seemed at least as important to most of the military officers (Bragg included) involved as loyalty to the cause. Overall, it portrays Bragg as an above-average military officer, though not much of a people person.

The book was an interesting, entertaining read, with maps included where relevant. Martin did a good job of mixing Bragg's personal life with his military career to create a thorough picture of one of the highest ranking Confederate generals.

The opening chapter gives a brief history of the life of Braxton Bragg and his ancestors before the country entered into the Civil War. The rest of the book contains a detailed account of the battle fought by General Bragg for the four years the war was fought. It concludes with an account of his life after the war ended.