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The quarrel of the officers led to the catastrophe

In their volume "Streit um Asterix", René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo let a character appear who, within a very short time, turns all the speech bubbles in the area green.

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The quarrel of the officers led to the catastrophe

In their volume "Streit um Asterix", René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo let a character appear who, within a very short time, turns all the speech bubbles in the area green. Braxton Bragg (1817–1876), who led an entire army as a general of the Confederate States in the American Civil War, was probably one of those figures. He is said to have been in charge of the garrison as a junior officer, both for his company and as quartermaster. He is said to have had a heated argument with himself about the role in which he was entitled to a delivery. "For God's sake, Mr. Bragg," his superior commented. "You've argued with every officer in the army, and now you're even arguing with yourself."

The anecdote is handed down by none other than the 18th President of the United States, Ulysses S. Grant. A few years earlier, in the fall of 1863, both generals faced each other in the civil war. Grant won. In his memoirs, he attempted to explain why Bragg lost the Battle of Chattanooga, Tennessee, despite entrenching himself in an almost impregnable position.

The son of a North Carolina contractor, Bragg had graduated fifth in his class from West Point Military Academy. When the civil war broke out in 1861, it predestined him for higher positions, as trained officers were rare. As early as 1862 he commanded a Confederate corps at the Battle of Shiloh (which Grant also won) and in June assumed supreme command of the gray Tennessee army.

He drilled them according to his ideas. His choleric nature, unmitigated by stomach ulcers, migraines, and refusal to drink alcohol, made sure his people did what he told them to do. But one of them nailed the mood: "Not a single soldier in the whole army loved or respected him."

Nothing changed when Bragg defeated General William Rosecrans on the Chickamauga near the mouth of the Tennessee in September 1863. He lost 20,000 dead, wounded and missing through his frontal assaults, including ten generals. He blamed some corps commanders for the enemy's escape to Chattanooga. This provoked resistance from the rest. Cavalry General Nathan Bedford Forrest stated, "You behaved like a scoundrel... If you cross me again, or ever cross my path, you'll have it on your back."

Not even Jefferson Davis, as President of the Confederation, was able to clarify the situation when he visited the front. Bragg remained at his post, but the confidence that had reigned in the squad after the win was dwindling.

This was not least due to the changes on the other side. After Grant captured the Southern fortress of Vicksburg on the Mississippi in early July, President Abraham Lincoln appointed him supreme commander of all Union forces west of the Appalachian Mountains. Grant replaced Rosecrans with George Thomas and set up his own headquarters in Chattanooga. The gray encirclement around the city meant that the blue soldiers had to be put on emergency rations. But to the north there was still an open route through the Chumberlands that brought some supplies into the city.

While Bragg fortified his positions on the heights around the city, Grant organized the breakout. Another road was opened with the "Cracker Line". About them came reinforcements to Chattanooga, so that on November 23, around 60,000 men were ready to fight. They faced about 45,000 Southerners entrenched behind three lines of field fortifications on Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge.

Grant opened the fight with a bluff. Two Yankee divisions marched out of town in parade uniform. As the Southerners marveled at the unexpected spectacle, the Blues went on the offensive and seized a bluff in front of Bragg's center. Thomas marched up behind them on November 24th. Since Grant didn't trust his men after their defeat by Bragg, they should only hold the Confederates in their positions. Meanwhile, Grant's right flank pushed the enemy out of their positions on Lookout Mountain with unexpected speed, while the left advanced across the Tennessee from the north.

During the night, Bragg gathered his people on Missionary Ridge. The following day Grant again attacked from the flanks. His left hand managed to take a mountain, but found that the enemy lines stretched further behind. To prevent Bragg from sending reinforcements, Grant ordered his center a mock attack.

But things turned out differently. To atone for the shame of defeat, the men ignored their officers' orders to halt and charged up the hill with fixed bayonet. Faced with numerical superiority, the Southerners forgot the strength of their field fortifications and fled back. They blocked the field of fire for their comrades behind them.

A horrified Grant asked who was responsible for the supposed suicide mission, but received no answer. Ultimately, success justified the means. The Grays, panicking, abandoned their positions and fled. Only with difficulty was Bragg able to withdraw his army reasonably intact. At 6700, his losses were well above Grant's (5800).

Historians have identified several reasons for the attack's success. Some Southerners had been ordered to fall back after a few volleys, others not. Also, some of their trenches were designed in such a way that they only offered a limited field of fire. Above all, however, the quarrels between the officers spread among the enlisted men and depressed morale.

"I'm afraid we were both wrong in deciding that I should remain in command here despite the shouts raised against me," Bragg explained his offer of resignation to Jefferson Davis. He saw it that way and accepted. His opponent Lincoln, on the other hand, promoted Grant to supreme commander of all Union troops at the end of the year. In April 1865, Grant was to accept the surrender of the South.

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