Old Pete's greatest victory was his role in getting Braxton Bragg removed from field command."

I offered my opinion based on this information. In a letter to Jefferson Davis it was written that Bragg "was unfit for command of an Army in the field" and "that our commander could be of greater service elsewhere", and it was signed by James Longstreet, Simon Boliver Buckner, Daniel Harvey Hill, and Leonides Polk. Davis brought Bragg before his accusers (except Bishop Polk who found pressing needs elsewhere0. Davis was no doubt swayed by the willingness of such stalwarts to put their careers and reputations on the line. Previously Davis' brother-in-law General Richard Taylor had refused to serve with Bragg (Taylor himself had a rather abrasive personality). Bragg had perhaps rightfully dismissed Davis' old crony TC Hindman from command after McLemore's Cove but Jeff reinstated his old political campaign manager in his lost bid for governor of Mississippi 1851. Davis didn't want any of the above to resign and he did the only thing he could do to keep up civilian and military morale.
A standing joke among the troops at the time was "If old Bragg found his-self at Pearly Gates and St Peter invited him in, he'd think on it a day or two, then fall back". I don't think any of the above commanders deserve commendation for their efforts at Chattanooga.
The original plan was for Longstreet to pull back but stay in striking distance of Sherman's rear to discourage the invasion of Georgia. But to do this he had to get north-east of Union held Knoxville. Porter Alexander wrote in his memior that CS troops resorted to fishing dead horses and mules out of rivers to retrive their iron shoes to shod living horses and to skin these beasts to make foot ware for the men and where palatable make use of the meat. even broken iron was saved to be used artillery projectiles (you can find this in Alexander's book and WR Carters History of the 1st Tn Cav US). At Ft Sanders it had only 180 defenders but that had 7000 loaded rifles and muskets standing by. They were at least as well armed as Longstreets entire corp.
So long as Old Pete remained in East Tennessee Uncle Billy wasn't going to Georgia. When the powers that be in Richmond
(Bragg?) ordered them back into Virginia to defend the Saltworks Sherman's Bummers went to the Sea.