This should be simple. What if General Robert E. Lee fought for the Union in the ACW?
President Lee.With Lee as their commander and Virginia, Tennessee, and North Carolina on the Union side, the war would probably be won by the end of 1862.
That could actually be rather interesting.President Lee.
This story is really great and would make a very good PoD.Harry Turtledove wrote a short story where this happened.
http://www.tor.com/stories/2011/09/lee-at-the-alamo
I read something once where it was said that Lee - when he was offered command of the Union Armies - actually might have accepted no matter which way Virginia went. Don't remember where. And his family were pretty split on the idea of staying loyal to the Union as well.
Perhaps the POD would actually be the night he makes the decision.
I read something once where it was said that Lee - when he was offered command of the Union Armies - actually might have accepted no matter which way Virginia went.
Lee was offered command of a Union army, not all of them. In OTL, Lee's early performance as a commander was poor. He was shuttled off to handle coastal defenses, then moved to an advisory position and would never have seen field command again if not for Jefferson Davis having no one else of sufficient rank to replace the wounded Johnston. Even then, Lee's record on the offense was not that good.
Lee in Union blue would probably have a similar career to OTL's McDowell, forced into an offensive before the army was ready, and sidelined to unimportant commands afterwards.