Bragg's victory produces a Confederate command crisis

Instead of consolidating the victory at Chickamauga, Bragg fought a political battle inside his own headquarters. His attempts to remove Thomas C. Hindman and Leonidas Polk prompted twelve senior generals to petition Jefferson Davis. Polk's parallel role as an Episcopal bishop illustrates how political and religious connections could place an unusually connected figure in high military command. Davis had to visit the army personally, heard complaints that often amounted to rival claims for command, and nevertheless retained Bragg. Bragg then dismissed D. H. Hill and Simon B. Buckner, leaving an already fragile command structure even less coherent during the siege. The upheaval also consumed time that could have gone into preparing the ground around Chattanooga.