Reckless Bravery: The Life and Career of John Bell Hood

*Includes maps of battles Hood fought in and pictures of Hood and important people in his life.
*Includes Hood's description of his fighting at Antietam, Gettysburg, Atlanta, and more.
*Includes a Bibliography for further reading.
*Includes a Table of Contents.

€œIt could scarcely be said that any [of the officers in Longstreet's corps] ... save one had by this date displayed qualities that would dispose anyone to expect a career of eminence. The exception was Hood. ... Anyone who had followed the operations of the Army after Gaines's Mill would have said that of all the officers under Longstreet, the most likely to be a great soldier was Hood." €“ Douglas Southall Freeman, Lee€s Lieutenants

The history of war is replete with examples of men who distinguished themselves in battle only to disgrace themselves after being promoted to commands above their capabilities. During the American Civil War, that man was John Bell Hood. Hood was one of the most tenacious generals in the Confederacy, for better and worse. This quality, which made him one of the best brigade and division commanders in the Army of Northern Virginia also made him ineffective when he was promoted to higher commands, forever marring his career at Atlanta and Franklin.

The intimidating Texan began to make a name for himself as a brigade commander in the Army of Northern Virginia under new commander Robert E. Lee during the Seven Days Battles in 1862, after which he was promoted to division command. For the next several campaigns, he led a division under General James Longstreet€s I Corps., fighting at places like Antietam and Fredericksburg. Hood was in the thick of the action on Day 2 at Gettysburg, suffering a bad wound that left his left arm permanently disabled. When Longstreet€s command headed west, Hood suffered another wound at Chickamauga, leading to the amputation of his right leg.

Hood was a popular figure in the South, where he was widely viewed as both gallant and chivalrous (Mary Chesnut wrote in her famous diary that Hood was €œa beau-ideal of the wild Texans€). However, his reputation took an extreme hit in the final years of the war. In 1864, Joseph E. Johnston continued to move in the face of Sherman€s armies back toward Atlanta, eventually leading to Hood€s promotion to command of the Army of Tennessee. At this point, Hood was so damaged by his wounds that he needed assistance to even get on a horse. Nevertheless, Hood aggressively led a series of offensive attacks, failing to dislodge Sherman and only damaging his own army. Sherman eventually took Atlanta anyway.

Hood€s leadership only got worse during the final months of 1864, culminating in the Franklin-Nashville campaign in which he ordered a massive frontal attack at the Battle of Franklin that left many of his top officers, like Patrick Cleburne, dead on the field. Civil War historian Wiley Ford noted of the campaign, €œNever had there been such an overwhelming victory during the Civil War€"indeed, never in American military history.€

After losing the Battle of Nashville, Hood was relieved of command, and though he did not live long after the war, dying of yellow fever in 1879, he managed to write an account of his service in the Civil War, most of which sought to defend his record while pinning the blame for the Atlanta campaign on General Johnston. Given Hood€s position in Longstreet€s Corps and his experience in some of the Civil War€s most famous battles, his memoirs were an insightful account given by a man uniquely distinguished to provide it.

Reckless Bravery: The Life and Career of John Bell Hood looks at the life and record of a man who was both a Confederate hero and a Confederate goat during the Civil War. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about General Hood like you never have before, in no time at all.