Customer Reviews

The Confederacy's Last Hurrah: Spring Hill, Franklin, and Nashville (Modern War Studies)

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Of all the poor leadership decisions made by Jefferson Davis (there were many), probably his worst was the appointment of John Bell Hood to command the Army of Tennessee. At the time, Joe Johnston had fought a three-month delaying action against William Tecumseh Sherman's Federal army in the west, precipitating a standoff at the outskirts to Atlanta. While preserving the fighting strength of his army, Johnston had committed the cardinal sins (in Davis' eyes) of giving up much of the southern heartland without pitched battle and never committing to an offensive-minded strategy. Davis was looking for another R. E. Lee to command the Army of Tennessee and Joe Johnston was never going to measure up to that standard (nor was anyone else). Upon taking command of the Army of Tennessee, Hood committed to a series of pointless, bloodily repulsed, uncoordinated assaults which guaranteed Sherman's success, the loss of Atlanta, Lincoln's re-election and the Confederacy's eventual demise. Wiley Sword's excellent account of the Tennessee campaign of November/December 1864 is the story of the ultimate price paid (in their last significant campaign) by the weary, long suffering but still - miraculously - willing and valiant soldiers of the Army of Tennessee. Hood's vainglorious attempt to recover lost fortune by invading Tennessee (with the longer term goal of reaching the banks of the Ohio - there to demand terms from the, by then, reeling Federals, as this fantasy was supposed to have played out) was an exercise in human folly never exceeded in the military history of the United States. Sword's description of the Battle of Franklin, senseless, barbaric, heroic human slaughter that we can only pray we will never again experience the like of on this continent or any other, is a masterful description of the indescribable. Sword takes the time to build the characters that were the principal players - Thomas, Schofield, Hood among others - to put their deeds and words in the proper context. Reactions to the final victory before Nashville would be comic if not so tragic - on both sides. The Federals came close to cashiering one of their best generals on the eve of the most decisive Federal victory of the war. The Confederates completely deceived themselves as to the incompetence of their leaders and the hopeless condition of their western army - until the patient Thomas was good and ready to deliver the coup de grace - which he proved fully capable of skillfully administering. This is a standard on the Civil War bookshelf, a thorough and thoughtful survey of the final chapter of the Army of Tennessee.

One of the great "myths" is that a good history book is written from an "objective" point of view. In truth, this is simply not possible. Every author approaches the subject with a certain degree of bias and a certain "agenda" that they wish to push. Sword, unlike some other authors, does not seek to hide his "bias", but rather sets out his clear (and frankly rather convincing) case that Sam Hood's generalship was poor. Within this setting, he provides detail about some of the more important, but again forgotten, battles of the Civil War and sheds light on some of the more important, but again forgotten, figures such as Pat Cleburne. All in all a superb book and well worthy of the prizes that it has won and the accolades that it has received.

The Confederacy's Last Hurrah is an outstanding book that combines first rate research with a novelist's eye for vivid recreation of the brutal chaos that is battle. Sword's talent also shines in breathing life into the cast of characters involved, from the Generals to the common soldier.
This book seems to strike a nerve with those who only see the war through the romance-tinted glasses of the "Lost Cause". They blast Sword for his unapologetic scorn for Hood's leadership of his army, and seem to refuse to admit even the obvious - that Hood was advanced in rank beyond his capabilities. That Hood was a brave and gallant soldier and an outstanding fighter leading a brigade is without question. That he lacked the vision or intelligence to effectively lead an army would seem to be equally beyond question to any fair observer.
What those attacking Sword for his treatment of Hood overlook is that the target of his disgust is not just Hood, who intrigued for a job beyond his ken, but Bragg and Davis, who promoted him while repeatedly snubbing the most brilliant general in the Army of Tennessee, Patrick Cleburne. Cleburne, called by Davis the Stonewall of the West, was never the less passed by for promotion four times after he had dared to suggest a plan for saving the Confederacy by freeing and enlisting slaves. The implied question of The Confederacy's Last Hurrah is how might things have been different had those in charge been less obtuse, and Cleburne's talents were put to use for his cause commanding the army, while Hood served as he served best, leading a brigade? It is clear that Sword feels that the senseless slaughter that was the battle of Franklin, and the virtual destruction of the Army of the Tennessee at the battle of Nashville happened because of the pride, vanity, and blindness of the Southern leadership who promoted the brave but wooden Hood over the brilliant Cleburne.
Unless you become enraged when someone calls the conflict the Civil War instead of the War of Northern Aggression, you will find this book thrilling and informative

Theo Logos

I am a huge Civil War buff and have read books by such authors as Shelby Foote, Glenn Tucker, Albert Castel, Joseph Parks, Craig Symonds, William C. Davis, and Burke Davis, among others, and I can honestly say that Wiley Sword's The Confederacy's Last Hurrah is the best I've ever read. Sword presents not only detailed accounts of the military actions, but also of the people and places where they occured. His mini-biographies of the different players are excellent. I could write pages about this book, but the bottom line is that if you are interested in history of any kind you will like this book. If you are interested in the Civil War you will LOVE this book! I know I do.

Wiley Sword has written one of the most powerful Civil War narratives I have ever read. This is one volume that should be required reading for anyone interested in the Civil War. Sword makes a conscious effort to breathe life and passion into his description of this often overlooked Civil War campaign. His descriptive passages carry the reader along in much the same way as an excellent novel. Historians and Civil War buffs will (and should) disagree with some of Sword's conclusions, but the author should be applauded for his ability to tell a good story. I have plodded through many Civil War narratives that are well-researched but focus almost exclusively on tactics, the maneuvering of troops during a battle from one point to another. This simple description of troop movements at the regimental and company levels can be exceedingly tedious and unrewarding. Sword has succeeded in writing a campaign history that strikes a proper balance between strategy and tactics. He provides useful biographical sketches of the participants and suggests reasons why they acted the way they did. At the same time, he provides a graphic description of the horrors of war and the carnage that occurred at Franklin, Tennessee, in November, 1864. It is no exaggeration to say that Sword makes the reader feel he is there, looking over the shoulders of John Bell Hood, John Schofield, Pat Cleburne, and the host of others whose roles are described in these pages. Stephen Sears, Peter Cozzens, Harold Pfanz, and other military historians can all learn a lesson from Wiley Sword. He knows how to write military history. Let me put it this way: "The Confederacy's Last Hurrah" will remain on my Civil War bookshelf for the rest of my life, except for those times when I decide to read it again...and again.

Sword's book is a marvelous written chronicle of the destruction of Hood's Confederate Army of Tennessee. The authors ability to weave the horror of war into a detailed military history is especially enticing. This is combined with a keen analysis of the triumphs and failures of the leaders on both sides of the conflict.

The Last Hurrah is the story of the Confederacy's last and probably best chance to reclaim Tennessee and Kentucky for the South and to possibly bring the war once more to Northern soil. But more than that it is also the story of poor leadership on behalf of the Confederate General Hood and the political pressure on Union General Thomas to bring the battle to Hood. Sword, chronicles the planning of Hood's offensive and his miscalculation that the supplies to feed, cloth and arm his army could be obtained through a rail link and from the land that they were invading. This mistake perhaps doomed the campaign given that this was a winter campaign and the Confederate soldiers were often without shoes and blankets.

The best part of the book focuses on the battles of Franklin and Nashville. While Sword does a fine job in detailing the battles themselves as well as the strategy and tactics utilized by the respective Generals, he shines in discussing the human effects of the battles. The slaughter at Franklin and the Confederate charge against a heavily defended Union line, without the benefit of significant supporting artillery, makes one shudder. In reading the depiction of the casualties the horror of the war and the human costs were brought home.

Where Sword also excels is in his critique of the leaders of both sides. Sword obviously is a fan of General George Thomas. On the other hand he is very critical of General Scofield's conduct at Spring Hill and latter at Franklin and Nashville. Scofield's generalship would have led to the destruction of his army during the retreat from Spring Hill to Franklin but for the ineptitude of his Confederate counterparts. His conduct at Nashville, and his failure to commit his troops, probably allowed what remained of the Confederate Army to escape.

Sword's worse criticism was justly saved for Hood. The criticism was well deserved, especially for the decision to make the frontal assault at Franklin and again at Nashville. His poor generalship and inability to take the advise of Nathan Bedford Forrest led to the loss of almost two thirds of his army.

All in all this is a fine book and a must read.

Some people who have read this book with a jaundiced eye have criticized Sword for his accurate protrayal of John Bell Hood. Davis like the present president had favorites to whom he remained faithful despite their obvious shortcommings. As Sword points out Hood was a great general as a field commander but even before his physical injuries he was not suited to command an independent army. As radical Confederate Louis Wigfall commented, "Davis has attempted to do what God couldn't; male John Hood a general." If someone wants to understand the imprortance of the West and the disaster made by Hood, this book is required reading. It is not recommended for hero worshipers.

Probably the most detailed and animated account of the Battle of Franklin that I have read. Sword paints a tragic portrait of John Bell Hood and the confederate commanders who followed him to hell in a battle destined to be lost by the confederate army of the west. Sword provides an intimate picture of Pat Cleburne's character and his devotion to the confederate cause. I agree that Hood should have never been in the position of command of this army. Perhaps another leader, perhaps Pat Cleburne, could have pulled off a victory with better coordination of the confederate troops. A great book.

I am a young civil war enthusist and have never really studied the end of the Confederate Army of the Tennessee. This book opens the door into one of the saddest few months of any army during the Civil War. Very in depth and throughly reserched. Spends ample time on the decisive Battle of Franklin and incorprates not only the eyewitness accounts from officers, but the privates in the thick of the fight. Recommened for any Civil War enthusist.

So far I've read this book twice. Usually, over the course of a year or so after aquiring a good book I read it 5 times. This is such a book. I found Mr Swords handling of General Hood to very even handed. In fact it could be said that he was at times looking for excuses for the General. In every war, expecially in the beginning it's been said the Generals are a war behind. As the war progresses some of these Generals adapt, the others are usually weeded out. Not so with Hood. He wanted to fight in the Napoleonic tradition and this was made obsolete with the advancement of weapons. With this book, I got great insite into the battle of Spring Hill, Franklin and Nashville. Not to mention I was surprised to note that a good friends G.G. Grandfather was with the 9th Texas cavalry, that gets a one line mention in the book. I enjoyed this read, I'm sure you will.