With the outbreak of the Civil War, Hood resigned his commission in the U.S. Army and entered the Confederate Army as a resident of Texas. Originally appointed a first lieutenant he served on the Virginia peninsula in 1861 and received rapid promotion. During the Peninsular Campaign, Hood actively sought opportunities for combat and established a reputation as an offensively-minded, daring combat leader. Assessment of his performance as a commander is buried in a mountain of postwar charges and recriminations. Ambition, bravery, and the use of influential friends to gain positions of high responsibility characterize Hood's career. Sustaining a series of defeats, he constantly fought with his subordinate commanders and disparaged his troops. His style of command was modeled after that of Lee, but was unsuitable to the Army of Tennessee, and he demonstrated a lack of managerial and logistical understanding. These factors, with his early successes, which carried him to a level beyond his ability, account for his defeat with the Army of Tennessee.This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
