Can Virginia become its own nation during the Civil War?

In the American Civil War OTL, Robert E Lee would not fight against his own country (Virginia). If Virginia declared neutrality what would Lee do?

OR, like I tried to get with my title:

Could Robert E Lee help build Virginia into its own country, with the help of his countrymen? I know Virginia had manpower, and it was very defendable. Is this even realistic, using any POD?

numberone said:

In the American Civil War OTL, Robert E Lee would not fight against his own country (Virginia). If Virginia declared neutrality what would Lee do?

OR, like I tried to get with my title:

Could Robert E Lee help build Virginia into its own country, with the help of his countrymen? I know Virginia had manpower, and it was very defendable. Is this even realistic, using any POD?

Click to expand...

I doubt that it would be feasible for Virginia to secede and remain separate from either the Union or the Confederacy. Virginia, by itself, did not have the manpower to defend itself for any length of time, and there is no way Lincoln would allow it to be left alone as an independent country, any more that he was going to allow the Confederacy to do so.

However, if Virginia declares itself neutral, like Kentucky, that creates all sorts of interesting possibilities. Having neutral territory stretching from the Atlantic to the Mississippi is going to make an invasion of the South by Union forces very problematic if Lincoln, as in OTL, tries to respect that neutrality in order to keep these States from going over to the Confederacy.

If Virginia declares neutrality, Lincoln may decide to alienate the neutral states altogether, as if they had seceded.

also if Virginia declares neutrality there might not be a west virginia today...

numberone said:

In the American Civil War OTL, Robert E Lee would not fight against his own country (Virginia). If Virginia declared neutrality what would Lee do?

OR, like I tried to get with my title:

Could Robert E Lee help build Virginia into its own country, with the help of his countrymen? I know Virginia had manpower, and it was very defendable. Is this even realistic, using any POD?

Click to expand...

If Viginia declared itself neutral, than there's nothing holding Lee back from becoming an American hero during the War Between the States. His one major reason for fighting for the Confederacy (he was a smart man and a good commander, he could not have possibly thought they had a chance) was that he would not raise his sword against his fellow Virginians. Instead of being reviled as a traitor, he becomes a great hero, maybe replacing Grant (who is set as a minor Western Theater general for the rest of his days) as THE hero of the War.

I doubt very much that he'd try to turn it into a nation. Lee was not a traditional Southerner in the strictest sense; again, his only objection to becoming the head of the Northern war effort (it was offered to him) was fighting Virginia. Had it declared itself neutral or joined the North, he would have become the head of the Northern army. Besides, unless I've missed something, Lee was not the most influencial son of Virginia; he wasn't even the first Southern choice for general of the Army of Norther Virginia. Of course, the Southerners had major problems about appointing politicians rather than soldiers. So did the North, but....I digress.

But yeah, I can't see a scenario where Lee tries to set up a Virginian nation. He wasn't influencial before his promotion to Commander, and was a patriot after he was a traditional Southerner. Kind of wish it had happened like this...I liked Lee....