▁in ▁the ▁West ▁was ▁the ▁fate ▁of ▁Bra xt on ▁B rag g . ▁The ▁Confeder ate ▁government ▁was ▁dis ple ased ▁with ▁B rag g ' s ▁performance ▁at ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁St ones ▁River , ▁as ▁were ▁many ▁of ▁B rag g ' s ▁senior ▁sub ordinates . ▁Jefferson ▁Davis ▁ordered ▁John ston ▁to ▁visit ▁B rag g ▁and ▁determine ▁whether ▁he ▁should ▁be ▁replaced . ▁John ston ▁realized ▁that ▁if ▁he ▁recommended ▁B rag g ' s ▁replacement , ▁he ▁would ▁be ▁the ▁logical ▁choice ▁to ▁succeed ▁him , ▁and ▁he ▁considered ▁that ▁a ▁field ▁army ▁command ▁was ▁more ▁des irable ▁than ▁his ▁current , ▁mostly ▁administrative ▁post , ▁but ▁his ▁sense ▁of ▁honor ▁prevent ed ▁him ▁from ▁ach ieving ▁this ▁personal ▁gain ▁at ▁B rag g ' s ▁exp ense . ▁After ▁interview ing ▁B rag g ▁and ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁his ▁sub ordinates , ▁he ▁produced ▁a ▁generally ▁positive ▁report ▁and ▁refused ▁to ▁rel ieve ▁the ▁army ▁commander . ▁Davis ▁ordered ▁B rag g ▁to ▁a ▁meeting ▁in ▁Richmond ▁and ▁designated ▁John ston ▁to ▁take ▁command ▁in ▁the ▁field , ▁but ▁B rag g ' s ▁wife ▁was ▁ill ▁and ▁he ▁was ▁unable ▁to ▁travel . ▁Furthermore , ▁in ▁early ▁April ▁John ston ▁was ▁forced ▁to ▁bed ▁with ▁ling ering ▁problems ▁from ▁his ▁Pen ins ula ▁w ound , ▁and ▁the ▁attention ▁of ▁the ▁Confeder ates ▁shift ed ▁from ▁Tennessee ▁to ▁Mississippi , ▁leaving ▁B rag g ▁in ▁place . ▁ ▁The ▁major ▁crisis ▁facing ▁John ston ▁was