John Bell Hood CDV Confederate General Civil War Gettysburg Antietam Chickamauga

  

Original salt print CDV of Confederate General John Bell Hood, after the Matthew Brady image. Mounted on contemporary paper stock with gilt rule bordering. Very minor aging and spotting to blank edges and blank verso, minor spotting and aging to image.

Pencil identification writing on blank verso. Card measures 3 15/16" x 2 7/8" inches. Hood was born in Kentucky in 1831, graduating West Point in 1853, and serving in the 4th US Infantry and 2nd US Cavalry, with whom he suffered an arrow wound in action against Comanches. Resigning his commission after Fort Sumter, he served briefly as a Confederate cavalry captain and major before being commissioned Colonel of the 4th Texas Infantry in September 1861. Promoted brigadier general in March 1862, he by then commanded the Texas Brigade.

At Gaines Mill his brigade broke the Union line, but at great cost, beginning Hood's long trend of costly attacks, launched with mixed success. Given division command under Longstreet, he helped defeat Pope at Second Manassas and stabilized the Confederate right at Antietam. At Gettysburg, he urged a flanking march, but followed orders and was wounded while guiding his division forward against the Union left. At Chickamauga he led Longstreet's advance that collapsed Rosecrans' line, but at the cost of his right leg. He recovered to receive a promotion to lieutenant general and in July was given command of the Army of Tennessee to replace Johnston, whose defensive maneuvering in the Atlanta Campaign he had criticized. He launched several attacks against Sherman that failed, withdrew from Atlanta and later unsuccessfully tried to lure Sherman northwest into Tennessee, but was defeated by Thomas at Franklin and Nashville.