CONFEDERATE BIOGRAPHY: JOHN B. HOOD - New Orleans, LA

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Submitted by Mary Love Berryman - marylove@tyler.net
28 August 2001
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TEXANS WHO WORE THE GRAY by Sid S. Johnson

JOHN B. HOOD.

John B. Hood was born at Owensville. Ky., June 1, 1831.  He was 
graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1853, 
and being commissioned second lieutenant served until 1855 in 
California, and then became connected with the 2nd Cavalry under 
Albert Sidney Johnston seeing active service on the West Texas frontier 
where he was severely wounded in engagements with the Indians.  It was 
during these years that he became so attached to Texas and her people, 
always referring to it afterward as his adopted state.  In 1858 he was 
promoted first lieutenant and from 1859 till 1860 was Cavalry Instruc­tor 
at the military academy at West Point.  He resigned his commission upon 
the outbreak of the war between the states to enter the Confederate 
army and became Colonel of the 4th Texas infantry regiment and later 
brigadier-general of the immortal "Hood's Texas Brigade" of the Army 
of Northern Virgina.  He was ordered back to the peninsula, and in the 
battle of Gains' Mill in which he lost half of his men, was shot in 
the body.  His bravery on this occasion was immediately rewarded, and 
he was brevetted major-general on the field. He served in both 
campaigns in Maryland, in the second engage­ment of Bull Run, and in the 
batt es of Boonesborough, Fredricksburg, and Antietam, and at 
Gettysburg, July 1-3, 1863, was so severely wounded that he lost the 
use of his arm.  In September he rejoined his command, and was or­dered 
to Tennessee to reinforce Gen. Bragg, and in the sec­ond day's fight at 
Chickamauga fought in the most coura­geous manner, rallying the wavering 
troops, and charging at the head of the Texas troops to fall badly 
wounded in the leg.  He was removed to the hospital, where his leg was 
am­putated, but the undaunted soldier refused to leave the ser­vice to 
accept a civil position that was offered him.  After six months he 
returned to the field and was assigneed to a command in Gen. Joseph E. 
Johnston's army, and took an active part in the fighting that occurred 
during the retreat from Dalton to Atlanta.  Later he succeeded Gen. 
Johnston in command and showed heroic qualities in the desperate 
en­gagement known as the battle of Atlanta, in which there were heavy 
losses on both sides.  Gen,, Hood compelled the evacuation of Decatur 
in November and on the 30th of that month fought a fierce battle at 
Franklin and again on Dec. 16th at Nashville.  Gen. Hood was one of 
the bravest of fighters and though not always victorious history has 
justly accorded him a high rank.  After the war he engaged in business 
in New Orleans where he died of yellow fever August 30,1879, his wife 
and eldest child having died of the same disease a few weeks before.  
His son, Duncan N. Hood, after graduating from the U. S. Military 
Academy at West Point became Colonel of the 2nd U. S. Infantry 
vol­unteers, ("Hood's Immunes") during the Spanish-American war in 1898 
and saw service for several months in Cuba.