John Bell Hood with crutches

John Bell Hood earned his reputation during the Civil War as a brilliant Brigade commander and an utter failure at leading a Corps. During the 1862 Seven Days Battles his Texas Brigade breaks the Union line at Gaines Mill, precipitating McClellan’s retreat on the Peninsula. Further successes at II Manassas and Antietam lead to promotion to Major General in October 1862. On Day 2 at Gettysburg he is struck in the left arm by shrapnel just as his division heads toward Little Round Top. While losing use of the arm, he returns to action at Chickamauga (8/19/63) where a minie ball shatters his right femur and his leg is amputated just below his hip. Amazingly he regains his ability to ride a horse, and in July 1864 he become a full General, replacing Joe Johnston as Corps commander of the Army of Tennessee and subsequently leading it to disaster by December 1864. The photo of Hood with his crutches is taken by Samuel Anderson at his 61 Camp Street studio which he exits on November 11, 1863. The likely date is thus sometime in October 1863 while Hood is recovering.