474 



HOOD, JOHN B. 



he was transferred to the 2d Cavalry, of which 

 Albert Sidney Johnston was colonel, and Rob- 

 ert E. Lee lieutenant-colonel. This regiment, 

 which gave so many officers of note to both 

 Northern and Southern armies, was then guard- 

 ing the northern and western frontiers of Texas. 

 Hood won his first laurels in a desperate fight 

 at Devil's Kun in July, 1856. With twenty- 

 five men of his company he charged a numer- 

 ous band of Oomanches and Lipans, and cap- 

 tured them. But in a hand-to-hand encounter 

 with an Indian warrior he received an arrow- 

 wound, from which he was laid up for two 

 years. At the outbreak of the civil war he 

 was cavalry instructor at West Point. On the 

 16th of April, 1861, he resigned his commission 

 in the United States Army, returned to the 

 South, and in May reported to General Lee 

 with the rank of first lieutenant. Appointed 

 to the captaincy of an irregular squadron of 

 mounted volunteers, he was ordered to the 

 Peninsula, and under General Magruder took 

 part in the fight at Big Bethel. He was called 

 to Richmond to organize a body of Texans, 

 partly recruited by Van Dorn, partly individ- 

 ual volunteers who had hurried to Richmond 

 at the first call. He was elected colonel of 

 the 5th Infantry, which with the 1st Texas was 

 brigaded under General Wigfall. In March, 

 1862, Wigfall having been elected to the Con- 

 federate Congress, Hood was appointed to the 

 vacant brigadiership. This was the famous 

 Texas Brigade, to which Hood was so strongly 

 attached, and of which he spoke with his dy- 

 ing breath. Its valor was native, its efficiency 

 was due to the drill of its commander. The 

 brigade was ordered to the Peninsula, and 

 formed part of the 11,000 troops who, under 

 Magruder and Johnston, opposed the advance 

 of McClellan. Its first fight was near West 

 Point on York River, where Hood's Texans 

 attacked Franklin's command ; and the brigade 

 bore a fair part in the seven days' battle around 

 Richmond. Perhaps the proudest day in its 

 annals was the desperate fight at Gaines's Mill. 

 Hill's assault having been repulsed, Pickett's 

 brigade attacked the formidable works and 

 was foiled. Whiting's division, to which Hood 

 was attached, was ordered to attempt the diffi- 

 cult task. Hood's Texans charged at a double- 

 quick across a ravine open to the enemy's fire, 

 and up the hillside, carrying the triple line of 

 intrenchment. They lost more than half their 

 numbers, yet on the summit they re-formed 

 their broken line and repelled a sudden onset 

 of cavalry. The following day, when Stone- 

 wall Jackson surveyed the battle-ground, he ex- 

 claimed, " These were soldiers indeed." This 

 utterance of the silent hero was the stamp of 

 fame to the Texas Brigade. Hood led them, 

 afoot and sword in hand, and was shot in the 

 body. He was made a major-general. 



With Longstreet's corps, Hood's command 

 shared the varied fortunes of the two Maryland 

 campaigns. At the second battle of Manassas, 

 Hood led the charge which resulted disastrous- 



ly for Pope. At Boonesboro, with D. H. Hill, 

 he held that pass against all opposition until 

 Lee returned with a corps and checked McClel- 

 lan. At Fredericksburg his command sup- 

 ported Jackson's left. At Antietam, on the 

 Confederate left, his men were in the thickest 

 of the fight. At Gettysburg the Texans con- 

 fronted Meade's left. At one time they fought 

 their way to a rocky eminence commanding 

 the Union lines. Too few to hold it, they fell 

 back after their leader had been wounded in 

 the left arm. A painful surgical operation, 

 two resections of the bone, preserved the shat- 

 tered limb, but it was ever after useless. 



Two months later, with this still unhealed 

 arm buckled to his side, he rejoined his com- 

 mand, which, with the rest of Longstreet's 

 corps, was ordered to Tennessee to reenforce 

 Bragg. In the battle of Chickamauga Hood's 

 division was stationed on the left of the Con- 

 federate line. In the second day's fight, per- 

 ceiving that the line wavered where his own 

 Texans were posted, he rode up to them, say- 

 ing, "Give me the colors." "Against my 

 orders, General," the young color-bearer an- 

 swered, "but I'll carry them wherever you 

 command." Just then a ball struck Hood. 

 The Texans rallied and charged. He was borne 

 off the field, but not before he heard and joined 

 in the shout of success. Amputation of the 

 right leg was the consequence of this wound. 

 While still in hospital he was offered a bureau 

 place. He refused, saying: "No bomb-proof 

 for me. I purpose to see this fight out in the 

 field." Within six months the mutilated sol- 

 dier returned to the post of duty. 



During the spring of 1864, at the head of 

 his corps, he fought through the memorable 

 retreat of Johnston from Dalton to Atlanta. 

 When the Confederate Administration decided 

 on the perilous move of changing commanders 

 in face of an advancing enemy, their choice 

 fell upon Hood, whose record was preeminent- 

 ly that of a " fighting general." Aware of the 

 deep dissatisfaction of the army at the change, 

 " reluctantly and only in obedience to orders," 

 he assumed command on the 18th of July. 

 Within two days he acted on the offensive. 

 On several successive days there were stub- 

 born engagements where he claimed the vic- 

 tory. Finally, with one division of his army 

 in Atlanta, and the other under Hardee twenty 

 miles away, near Jonesboro, he found himself 

 completely outflanked by Sherman. Hardee's 

 attack on the Union lines having failed, Hood's 

 position became untenable. He evacuated At- 

 lanta. This left Sherman in his rear, and en- 

 abled him to make that " march to the sea " 

 which proved the death-blow of the Confed- 

 eracy. Hood began his counter-movement 

 into Tennessee. This whole campaign is said 

 to have been planned hi Richmond by General 

 Bragg, with the approval of President Davis. 

 Hood executed it with vigor, if not with suc- 

 cess. In September the Army of Tennessee 

 was on its northward march. In November 



