A conflict between Braxton Bragg and Maj. Gen. John Breckinridge may have led to the Confederacy's defeat in the Round Forest

It is a fact that a conflict between Braxton Bragg and Maj. Gen. John Breckinridge may have led to the Confederacy's defeat in the Round Forest. By 11:00 a.m., Sheridan's ammunition was depleted, and his division withdrew, leaving a breach that Hardee exploited. With reinforcements and massed artillery, Union troops regrouped and held the Nashville Pike. Repeated attacks on the Union line's left flank were stopped by Col. William B. Hazen's brigade in a craggy, 4-acre (16,000 m2) woodland area known locally as "Round Forest"; it later became known as "Hell's Half-Acre."

Bragg intended to attack the Union left, which was a section of the oval line facing southeast and guarded by Hazen's brigade. Breckinridge's forces were the only ones available for such an assault, and Bragg ordered him to cross the river, but Breckinridge moved slowly. After fighting against Sheridan, Maj. Gen. Leonidas Polk's corps began a series of piecemeal but fierce attacks that failed to dislodge the Union troops. Bragg ordered John Breckinridge's division to resume the assault, but Breckinridge was reluctant to reply. The two had been at odds since a soldier in Breckinridge's corps was hanged for desertion earlier that month. The incident reinforced Breckinridge's perception that Bragg was unconcerned about the lives of his men. Breckinridge grudgingly sent his soldiers into the Round Forest at 4 p.m., where they arrived too late to have an impact.