After the fighting on May 6, at the Wilderness, Bragg was placed in command of the division's 3rd Brigade which was made up of all Pennsylvania regiments, sometimes called the Pennsylvania Bucktail Brigade, by General Lysander Cutler, who had been Bragg's original commander of the 6th Wisconsin. Lysander had become division commander with the death of General James S. Wadsworth.
Bragg was replacing the Bucktails' commander Colonel Roy Stone who had reportedly been drunk during the battle on May 5 and 6. On both days, his brigade had performed poorly, reportedly marching and firing in disorganized manner and scattering in the face of Confederate skirmishers. They even had accidentally wounded members of their own unit.
Stone had been removed after his horse fell on top of him on May 6.
Bragg led the brigade for most of the remainder of the Overland Campaign. His leadership stabilized the brigade and they performed admirably at Spotsylvania Court House, North Ana, Totopotomoy Creek and Cold Harbor. After Cold Harbor, Bragg turned command of the brigade over to Gettysburg hero Joshua Chamberlain.
--Old Secesh
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