John Bell Hood

Class of 1853 at the USMA, he was on frontier duty with the US 2nd Cavalry, and resigned in April 1861. His first Confederate commission was as a 1st Lieutenant of Cavalry on recruiting duty, and he also saw action at Yorktown, VA. In May 1862 he was appointed Brigadier General, CSA and had command of the Texas Brigade serving under G. W. Smith on the Peninsula campaign that summer. He led his own brigade in Whiting's Division at the Seven Days, and in Evans' Division at Second Manassas.

He led his division in Longstreet's Command in Maryland and his division's attack through the Miller Cornfield early on the morning of 17 September 1862 broke and pushed back the initial Federal First Corps assaults.

In (Sept ?) October 1862 he was promoted to Major General and commanded Hood's Divn/Longstreet's Corps at the battles of Fredericksburg, Gettysburg (w - lost arm), and Chickamauga (w - lost leg). In February 1864 he was appointed LGen. and commanded Hood's Corps in the Atlanta campaign. He reportedly schemed to replace Johnston, and was ordered to replace Johnston at Atlanta with the temporary rank of (full)General, and fought at Jonesboro, Franklin, and Nashville. In January 1865 he was relieved at his own request.

An unsuccessful businessman he wrote his memoirs and died of yellow fever in New Orleans on August 30 1879. With a reputation as a brave but rash fighter he is considered to have performed very well in subordinate roles but not as an army commander.

See a site dedicated to John Bell Hood, and also, America's Civil War magazine published an amusing article about Hood's romantic misfortunes.

6/1/1831; Owensville, KY

8/30/1879; New Orleans, Louisiana