Home > American Civil War > Braxton Bragg Biography

Born March 22, 1817
Warrenton, North Carolina
Died September 27, 1876
Galveston, Texas

Confederate general
Was victorious at Battle of Chickamauga but
failed in two other campaigns in 1862 and 1863

General Braxton Bragg was one of the most controversial generals in the Confederate Army. In September 1863, Bragg guided the South's Army of Tennessee to victory in the Battle of Chickamauga. This was the Confederacy's only major triumph in the western theater (the region of the country between the Mississippi River and the Appalachian Mountains) during the entire Civil War. Despite this victory, however, the general is better known for his failures as commander of the Army of Tennessee. During the eighteen months that he led that army, Bragg's stormy relationship with subordinate (lower-ranking) officers greatly reduced its effectiveness. In fact, his unpopularity with his...