AH Challenge: Forrest commands Army of Tennessee.

How can events play out so NBF commands the Army of Tennessee by 1864?

How does he command it? How popular is he within in it compared to Bragg, Johnston or Beauregard?
 

Anaxagoras

Banned
I don't see any realistic scenario in which Forrest could have been appointed to command the Army of Tennessee.

First, President Davis had a well-known aversion to appointing people who were not West Point graduates to high command positions. There were a few exceptions such as Benjamin Cheatham and John Gordon, but the rule was generally kept to throughout the war. Note how Patrick Cleburne was never promoted beyond the level of division command despite having arguably the best combat record in the Confederate Army. Forrest not only lacked a West Point education, but lacked an education of any kind.

Second, Forrest was a cavalryman. Army commanders were usually selected from among leaders of the various infantry corps. To my knowledge, no one ever suggested appointing Jeb Stuart or Joseph Wheeler to a high level of command. Cavalrymen were always supporting actors in the grand scheme of things.

Finally, Forrest clearly lacked the personality of an army commander and this would have been completely obvious to Davis. Imagine the Army of Tennessee under a commander with far less personal tact than Braxton Bragg, with the additional habit of occasionally shooting officers with whom he argued.

Forrest could never have been in command of the Army of Tennessee. If the ASBs intervened and put him into the position, I would expect the Army of Tennessee to disintegrate far earlier than it did IOTL.
 
I don't see any realistic scenario in which Forrest could have been appointed to command the Army of Tennessee.

First, President Davis had a well-known aversion to appointing people who were not West Point graduates to high command positions. There were a few exceptions such as Benjamin Cheatham and John Gordon, but the rule was generally kept to throughout the war. Note how Patrick Cleburne was never promoted beyond the level of division command despite having arguably the best combat record in the Confederate Army. Forrest not only lacked a West Point education, but lacked an education of any kind.

Second, Forrest was a cavalryman. Army commanders were usually selected from among leaders of the various infantry corps. To my knowledge, no one ever suggested appointing Jeb Stuart or Joseph Wheeler to a high level of command. Cavalrymen were always supporting actors in the grand scheme of things.

Finally, Forrest clearly lacked the personality of an army commander and this would have been completely obvious to Davis. Imagine the Army of Tennessee under a commander with far less personal tact than Braxton Bragg, with the additional habit of occasionally shooting officers with whom he argued.

Forrest could never have been in command of the Army of Tennessee. If the ASBs intervened and put him into the position, I would expect the Army of Tennessee to disintegrate far earlier than it did IOTL.

Good point. Forrest also didn't have that much of a high opinion of West Pointers, them disagreeing with him might yield some interesting scenarios with some Corps commanders.
 
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