Challenging History’s Harshest Criticisms of Albert Sidney Johnston in the Civil War

General Albert Sidney Johnston has long been one of the most debated figures of the American Civil War. Serving as the Confederate commander of the Western Department from September 1861 to April 1862, he oversaw a series of stunning defeats that allowed Union forces to penetrate deep into the Southern heartland. Some prominent historians have laid the blame squarely at Johnston’s feet, painting him as an indecisive leader whose missteps doomed the Confederacy’s western war effort. But is this assessment fair?

Through a meticulous analysis of military records, contemporary accounts, and secondary sources, this book challenges history’s harshest criticisms of Johnston’s generalship and provides explanations for his most controversial decisions, such as the reinforcement of Fort Donelson and the stacked column of corps formation used in the battle of Shiloh. Here, for the first time, Johnston’s actions are interpreted in a new light – challenging long-held assumptions and inviting readers to reconsider the legacy of an important Civil War commander.

“Leigh Goggin has presented a thorough and reasonable defense of Johnston’s generalship. Instead of echoing the opinions of previous historians, he has looked at the primary sources and shown that Johnston was a gifted commander in a nearly impossible situation.”
- Sean Michael Chick, author of Dreams of Victory: General P. G. T. Beauregard in the Civil War and The Shiloh Campaign, 1862: Battle for the Heartland.

About the Author

Leigh Goggin has a PhD in Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience from the University of Western Australia. He has had multiple scientific articles published in leading academic journals such as Emerging Infectious Diseases, Eurosurveillance, The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, and The American Surgeon. He has been interested in military history, particularly the American Civil War, for over thirty years. Reckless in their Statements, a comprehensive analysis of General Albert Sidney Johnston’s performance in the Civil War, is his first book.

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