Several did. The one that did the best was Patrick Cleburne’s division. An Irishman who had served in the British army before moving to Arkansas, Cleburne was a firm believer in the Confederate cause and a terrific fighter. His men had repelled Sherman’s on November 23, 1863, and it was Cleburne’s division that prevented the destruction of Bragg’s army simply by making a stand.

Thanks to Cleburne’s determination, the Army of Tennessee made it to the Georgia border more or less intact. That it still existed was beyond doubt; that it was finished as an offensive weapon also could not be questioned.