Thursday, June 14, 2007

Beauregard calling off final attack on April 6

As the Confederates prepared to attack the Dill Branch line late on April 6 an order arrived from Beauregard calling off the attack. He claimed the "battle sufficiently won," though Bragg made the very good point that no battle is ever sufficiently won.

Either Beauregard could have sent an order giving more discretion to the front line commander or rode there himself to view the situation. If the Confederates had attacked the Dill Branch line until sunset or losses caused them to stop instead of an order they probably would not have achieved much beyond lengthening the casualty lists.

It is debatable what a concerted attack on the Dill Branch line might have achieved but it is doubtful that this attack would have succeeded. There were few Confederates in the assault and the sun was setting. This is not a decision effecting the course or outcome of the battle.

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