Author Description

This study is a historical analysis of Brigadier General Sterling Alexander Martin Wood's service in the Confederate Army. As a lawyer from Alabama who was not formally trained in the military art, he benefited from his initial training by Generals William J. Hardee and Braxton Bragg, two of the best and brightest West Point-trained officers on either side. He rose to become a distinguished regimental and brigade commander in Major General Patrick R. Cleburne's Division, arguably the best in the western theater. Wounded at the Battles of Shiloh and Perryville, he returned to lead at Murfreesboro and Chickamauga. Never able to overcome the stigma of being a political appointee, he resigned after the Battle of Chickamauga. Despite the historical portrayal as an ineffective leader, Brigadier General Wood well and faithfully employed the tactics and doctrine of the times, but ultimately did not achieve the battlefield success required to hold his command. Disenfranchised by the volatile command relationships within the Army of Tennessee, he realized his position and situation, and chose to resign quietly, rather than confront Major General Cleburne and bring discredit upon the division. The use of both primary and secondary sources will be used to set the record straight and show that Brigadier General Wood was an effective combat commander who executed his orders to the fullest. Relevant leadership lessons will be addressed inasmuch as they offer guidance for modern application.