I disagree. Both sides were equally drilled. The problem was the flow of new recruits on both sides caused discipline problems. Gilliams tactics were FAR superior to Hardees (what a lousy book). I have read both and they are very interesting.
Hardee would have done a better job than Hood, whether his book sucks or not.
For one thing, I doubt that Hardee would have got half the Confederate command killed in one battle and for another, Hardee wouldn't have been stoned out on opium half the time.
Was Hood stoned on Opium? I suppose his doctors gave it to him for the constant pain he was in due to his amputated leg and arm... quite a tragic figure Hood, great Divisional comander, middling Corps commander, and indecisive and unlucky Army Commander, its actually amazing how close Hood got to destroying Schofield's Army prior to Franklin and then Thomas would have been greatly outnumbered at Nashville...
I would say Johnston should have remained in command at Atlanta his conduct during seven pines in 1862 was exemplary and had he not been wounded (when Lee took over) while he would not have demonstrated the brilliance of Lee he would probably have pushed the Federals back and then taken a defensive stand behind the Rappahannock near Fredericksburg... but perhaps Jefferson Davis' worst decision during his presidency was to remove Johnston from command of the Confederate Armies defending Atlanta, had he remained in command he planed for a series of counter attacks, that unlike Hoods may well have been better coordinated that might well have mauled Sherman's army a little and left it weakened, while a siege would still be likely it is also probable that the siege would have lasted longer and the Confederate Armies would have been in far better shape than they where after Ezra Church and so able to resist Sherman’s’ flanking of the City in September...
As for Hardee he was a good, solid Corps commander, however at Missionary Ridge he really fowled up the deployment of his Corps, but that aside he was a capable and reliable, Pat Cleburne should most defiantly have received Corps command in the Army of Tennessee (which in saved from destruction on more than one occasion) he was also a good friend of Hardee (did he not marry Hardee’s daughter?) and trusted by his Corps commander implicitly, instead Hood advanced to Corps command, and while Polk was not as bad as many like to argue, Hood did not balance the command of the army and in fact wrecked a number of Johnston’s planned attacks during the Atlanta campaign.
I always thought Johnston to be a really great person as well as a capable commander, at Sherman’s funeral he was a pawl bearing and, despite being in his 80’s, when it began to pour with rain he refused to put his hat on when friends insisted that he should saying, “where Sherman in my place and I in his he would not put on his hat” he then died shortly after from pneumonia.
