The Chattanooga Campaign in Retrospect

This past week the Tennessee Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission held its annual Signature Event at Chattanooga. On October 11 I participated in a panel discussion on the Chattanooga campaign. William Glenn Robertson chaired the panel, and I joined Peter Cozzens and Wiley Sword in answering questions. I just came across these videos from a member of the audience on You Tube, and I present them for your edification and perhaps amusement.

Here William Glenn Robertson offers an overview, and Peter Cozzens presents his opening remarks:

Here Wiley Sword and I offer some opening remarks:

And then there’s this section from the ensuing discussion:

And here’s the concluding section:

Enjoy.

 

 

Hood in Tennessee: A Real Threat?

Mike Rogers wants to ask about Hood’s Tennessee Campaign in 1864:

If Hood had actually gotten into Tennessee on his original schedule or if the Spring Hill attack had worked as planned, would it have made a material difference in the outcome of the war? Might either of those scenarios have forced Sherman to abandon his Georgia/Carolina march? Or, would Grant have been forced to ease the siege on Petersburg?

Basically, had Spring Hill been a Confederate victory, there would have been no Franklin (at least as it took shape) and thus no Nashville (at least not the historical one). I doubt that it would have changed Sherman’s route through Georgia, because of the time it would take for Sherman to learn of what happened. But could Hood have posed a real threat?

Richmond Is a Hard Road to Travel