John Bell Hood |
Moving Up the RanksJohn Bell Hood was born June 1,1831 in Owingsville, Kentucky. Since he was educated at the United States Military Academy, he joined the Confederate Army as a calvary captain. Hood was unhappy that his home state of Kentucky declared neutrality, so he decided to serve his adopted state of Texas. In 1862, Hood was promoted to colonel of the 4th Texas Infantry. By March of 1862, Hood was promoted again to Brigadier General. Since Hood developed a reputation for being brave and aggressive in battle, he quickly moved through the military ranks of the Confederate Army. Failure in Command of the Army of the TennesseeHood’s bravery and fierce demeanor in battle also got him into trouble on the battlefield. After being wounded at the Battle of Gettysburg, Hood lost full use of one of his arms. Nevertheless, he returned to service in the Confederate Army and was promoted to General in 1864. Hood assumed command of the Army of Tennessee stationed in Atlanta, Georgia. Hood, however, struggled to command such a large army. He was unsuccessful in attempts to pierce the Union siege of Atlanta in 1864 and lost at least 20,000 men at failed frontal assaults. Brutal Defeats in TennesseeHe suffered a humiliating defeat with thousands of casualties at the Battle of Franklin, sometimes called the "Pickett's Charge of the West," because of the numerous unsuccessful frontal assaults he ordered into fortified Union positions. Then, Hood led his army to a second defeat to Union forces under Major General George H. Thomas at Nashville in December of 1864, essentially sealing the fate of the Army of Tennessee. He was relieved of command. After the Civil WarAfter the war, Hood worked as a cotton broken and president of an insurance company in New Orleans, Louisiana. In 1868, he married Anna Marie Hennen. They had eleven children together and three sets of twins. During the winter of 1878, a Yellow Fever epidemic broke out in New Orleans. Hood’s insurance business began to fail because of the outbreak. Both Hood and Anna (and daughter Lydia) contracted Yellow Fever and died, leaving ten of the Hood children as orphans. Discussion Questions
Moving Up the RanksJohn Bell Hood was born on June 1, 1831, in Owingsville, Kentucky. Educated at the U.S. Military Academy, he joined the Confederate Army as a cavalry captain. Disappointed by Kentucky’s decision to stay neutral in the Civil War, he chose to serve Texas instead. Hood was promoted to colonel of the 4th Texas Infantry in 1862 and quickly rose to Brigadier General due to his boldness in battle. Failure in Command of the Army of the TennesseeThough Hood was known for bravery, it sometimes led to poor decisions. After being wounded at Gettysburg and losing use of one arm, he was promoted to General in 1864 and took command of the Army of Tennessee. However, his leadership in Atlanta resulted in heavy losses, including 20,000 men during failed attacks to break the Union siege. Brutal Defeats in TennesseeHood suffered a major loss at the Battle of Franklin, where his repeated charges against fortified Union troops caused thousands of Confederate casualties. He then lost another battle at Nashville to Union General George H. Thomas in December 1864, leading to the downfall of the Army of Tennessee and his removal from command. After the Civil WarFollowing the war, Hood worked as a cotton broker and insurance company president in New Orleans. He married Anna Marie Hennen, and they had eleven children, including three sets of twins. In 1878, a Yellow Fever outbreak hit New Orleans, leading to the deaths of Hood, his wife, and one daughter. Ten of their children were left orphaned. |
