Alternate Battles of the Civil War

[Snake Featherston]

Battle of Pittsburg Landing, April 1862:

In this battle, the briefly promising career of General U.S. Grant came to an end when an unfortunate bullet killed the general as he rallied the Union army on the first day. The troops had been gathered in preparation for a planned surprise attack, but the troops of General Albert Sidney Johnston hit them on the first day, dealing a punishing blow that also killed the Confederate commander. The difference between the two deaths was that A.S. Johnston died while failing to execute his command. General Grant, however, died from the misfortune of an accidental burst of friendly fire in the smoke and gloom of the battlefield, the only Union officer to be thus killed. The temporary field commanders Charles F. Smith and William T. Sherman managed in conjunction with the troops of Don Carlos Buell to drive the Rebel army under its own temporary commander General Beauregard from the field. This battle would later be credited with launching the career of General Charles F. Smith to overall command of the Union army and leading it to victory and ultimately General-in-chief.

It was during this battle, too, that General Smith gained his nickname of "Howling Mad" Smith.

 

[Elfwine]

Wasn't Smith incapacitated from an earlier injury (and elsewhere) OTL?

Not that this makes that impossible, just wondering where he fits within the organizational chart of Grant's army as of Shiloh if not.

 

[Snake Featherston]

Wasn't Smith incapacitated from an earlier injury (and elsewhere) OTL?

Not that this makes that impossible, just wondering where he fits within the organizational chart of Grant's army as of Shiloh if not.

That's the POD. Essentially Smith is not injured ITTL, is at Shiloh ITTL surviving it while Grant gets Stonewalled, and becomes the Grant equivalent in the ATL Civil War.

 

[Elfwine]

That's the POD. Essentially Smith is not injured ITTL, is at Shiloh ITTL surviving it while Grant gets Stonewalled, and becomes the Grant equivalent in the ATL Civil War.

Ah, gotcha. Thought the POD was having Grant shot.

Neat choice. I don't know very much on Smith, other than that he probably deserves more attention.

I'm not sure if I want to know how he got nicknamed "Howling mad".

 

[Snake Featherston]

Ah, gotcha. Thought the POD was having Grant shot.

Neat choice. I don't know very much on Smith, other than that he probably deserves more attention.

I'm not sure if I want to know how he got nicknamed "Howling mad".

Reference to this guy: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holland_Smith though ITTL *this* Smith gets that name for sharing Grant's aggressiveness and unflappableness against the Confederates. And yes, he does deserve more attention as in any timeline where Grant gets shot *but* he lives, he had just enough in common with Grant (the one difference was he understood PR better than Grant did) that he could easily be the In Spite of a Nail that substitutes for him.

 

[Elfwine]

Reference to this guy: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holland_Smith though ITTL *this* Smith gets that name for sharing Grant's aggressiveness and unflappableness against the Confederates. And yes, he does deserve more attention as in any timeline where Grant gets shot *but* he lives, he had just enough in common with Grant (the one difference was he understood PR better than Grant did) that he could easily be the In Spite of a Nail that substitutes for him.

If wiki is right on the Smith you're using:

"Damn you, gentlemen, I see skulkers! I'll have none here! Come on, you volunteers, come on! This is your chance! You volunteered to be killed for love of country, and now you can be!" @ Fort Donelson.

That takes a special sort of character. For some reason the regulars who were fiery on the battlefield are my favorite Civil War generals to read about. The ATL Smith would probably be a perfect example with words like that OTL.

He was something of an old man - 55 - but then, Lee was the same age, so was (Joseph) Johnston.