On the Road to Atlanta: Joe Wheeler to Braxton Bragg

Maj. Gen. Joseph Wheeler

As Confederate civilians, soldiers, and politicians grew increasingly alarmed over General Joseph Johnston’s seemingly endless retreats in the face of William T. Sherman’s Federals, many urged a change in strategy. One recurring theme was for Rebel cavalry to raid Sherman’s railroad lifeline. Usually, the name bandied for his mission was that of Nathan Bedford Forrest, but Joe Wheeler, Johnston’s Cavalry Corps commander, harbored his own ambitions. When Johnston tasked Wheeler to cover the retreat from Kennesaw Mountain at the beginning of July, this was not the duty Joe Wheeler wished to perform; he was agitating for something different.

On June 29th the cavalryman appealed to General Hood for the return of Brig. Gen. William Y. C. Humes’s cavalry division, at least one brigade of which had been stripped from Wheeler to bolster Jackson’s division on the left. Wheeler wanted Hume returned in preparation for his “proposed expedition” northward. Other preparations were already under way, as revealed on July 1st when two deserters from the 5th Georgia Cavalry (a new unit from south Georgia that had only joined Wheeler recently, arriving on June 5) entered Union lines. Interviewed by Kenner Garrard, they yielded up interesting news. “[Wheeler] has ordered four days’ rations and forage. . . . [H]e intends to go into our rear. They spoke of Cartersville as one point. . . . These deserters say the papers have been abusing Wheeler for inactivity and want of success.”[1]

However, Hood had no authority to relieve Humes and referred the matter to Johnston, who quashed the idea in no uncertain terms. To Wheeler he wrote: “There is a report this morning [June 30] coming from the top of Kenesaw, that a large body of Federal cavalry passed from the enemy’s left towards his right, followed by a wagon train. Ought not to forbid the weakening of our cavalry force on the left? I would like to see you this evening.” Though no record of that meeting remains, Just a couple days later Wheeler gloomily explained that while “I think much could be done by a strong raid in the enemy’s rear, but General Johnston feels hardly authorized under present circumstances to make the detachment.”[2]

Between July 3rd and 5th, Wheeler penned an interesting private letter to Braxton Bragg, the former commander of the Army of Tennessee – of whom Wheeler counted himself a friend and partisan.

 

 

Headquarters Cavalry Corps

Near Chattahootchie River July [3]  1864

Dear General,

We have arrived at the Chattahootchie and the enemy have pressed close to our works which extend for a short distance on both sides of the railroad. All our cavalry is guarding the flanks. The enemy run their railroad, obstructed at times by small parties of select men sent in their rear with torpedoes and other contrivances with which they have successfully run off captured and destroyed a few trains with their contents. I think much could be done by a strong raid in the enemy’s rear but General Johnston feels hardly authorized under present circumstances to make the detachment.

I was much pleased at Stewarts, Clayton & Holtzclaw’s appointments and I believe they will give very good satisfaction, particularly among your friends who are daily increasing in this army. I believe every one now sees clearly the object of the operations against you last fall.

With such men as Stewart Hood Walthall Clayton Stephenson, Bate & Walker no such treasonable designs could for a moment be tolerated in our army. We now have excellent feeling throughout the army and no one dares say one word to the disparagement of General Johnston

As long as this state of things exists we can not have disaster and will finally successfully terminate the campaign. The papers said some weeks ago that Forrest ought to be here. I wish he could be sent to this place and I sent to the enemy’s rear.

With my command in its present discipline and time to operate to advantage, I am certain I could do immense good. My intimate knowledge of the country would be of great advantage to me.

If my command or only a portion of it could be detached I could promise good results. I could prevent my men from going into towns for plunder and could devote all my time to hard work on the line of railroad. I am certain I could materially change the aspect of the campaign. Even with but a portion of my command I could accomplish a great deal and could promise proportionate success with any number of men I might be permitted to take.

Our works are being removed from Atlanta and within a week we will have nothing left for the enemy but Jew stores and speculators. Col. Wright will then be out of employment. I would like very much to have him appointed a Brigadier General and ordered to report to me. Col. Beckham, formerly of the old army, commanding General Hood’s Regiment of Artillery is another excellent officer. It would be of service to our cavalry to have him appointed also.

Graduates of West Point who are energetic, ? and honorable are much needed throughout the army. These two would do better service with me than elsewhere. I got a part of my command pretty well drilled this spring in the tactics which I had prepared and which General Johnston ordered to be used as the tactics of this army.

General Sherman has been reinforced by three or four brigades during the last week but I do not think the he numbers over the estimate in my last letter, with (67,000) sixty seven thousand infantry & (13) thirteen thousand cavalry. With three or four thousand men in his rear, I could easily draw off this large cavalry force and compel them to follow me until my return to the army.

With high regard,

Your obt servant & friend,

Jos Wheeler[3]

 

[1]OR 38, pt. 5, 11-12.

[2]OR 38, pt. 4, 805-6; “Dear General,” Joseph Wheeler to Braxton Bragg, July [3] 1864, Bragg Papers, Duke University.

[3] “Dear General,” July 1864, Bragg Papers, Duke University

 



4 Responses to On the Road to Atlanta: Joe Wheeler to Braxton Bragg

  1. Dave – Would Wheeler have really been able to disrupt Union supply lines or would have such a move had been in vain?

    1. By the time he penned this letter, Sherman had moved an entire Infantry division into place to block just such a move. I don’t believe Wheeler would have succeeded.

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