Who could lead the CSA during the Civil War besides Davis? Stephens maybe? If so could they have helped or hurt the CSA more than Davis did?
Alternate Confederate Presidents?
- Thread starter ThatOneGuy
- Start date
The most likely candidates for the presidency would be Robert Toombs and Howell Cobb.
Alexander Stephens was never going to president of the CSA; nobody seriously considered Stephens a strong candidate for the post, his recent speeches against secession were fresh in the minds of the delegates in Montgomery. The Vice Presidency was something of a sop to Georgia to prevent their delegates from being sore that neither Howell Cobb nor Toombs got the top job, though Cobb chose not to actively pursue it. Stephens had vocally opposed the secession of Georgia when it happened. In addition, Stephens had also vocally supported Stephen Douglas in the election (and continued to remain on good terms with him), and Douglas seen as a traitor by most of the South.
Toombs was something of a firebrand and also known for being a drunkard, which would eventually take his life. Being right about the bombardment of Fort Sumter doesn't necessarily mean he was competent to run the government, though he was certainly a man of some ability.
I don’t know too much about Howell Cobb to make any comprehensive analysis of him.
Alexander Stephens was never going to president of the CSA; nobody seriously considered Stephens a strong candidate for the post, his recent speeches against secession were fresh in the minds of the delegates in Montgomery. The Vice Presidency was something of a sop to Georgia to prevent their delegates from being sore that neither Howell Cobb nor Toombs got the top job, though Cobb chose not to actively pursue it. Stephens had vocally opposed the secession of Georgia when it happened. In addition, Stephens had also vocally supported Stephen Douglas in the election (and continued to remain on good terms with him), and Douglas seen as a traitor by most of the South.
Toombs was something of a firebrand and also known for being a drunkard, which would eventually take his life. Being right about the bombardment of Fort Sumter doesn't necessarily mean he was competent to run the government, though he was certainly a man of some ability.
I don’t know too much about Howell Cobb to make any comprehensive analysis of him.
It's a bit of a pity John C. Breckinridge was Kentuckian, I would say he had the best leadership capabilities and political skill of the entire Confederate government. Unfortunately I can't see a way to get him in office without your POD being either him moving to the Lower South before 1861 or the Upper South having much larger numbers of slaves.
That said, if no one minds me stretching logic here, perhaps the South could declare the election results "illegitimate" and make Breckinridge president (unlikely because Breckinridge was a unionist even in to September 1861).
That said, if no one minds me stretching logic here, perhaps the South could declare the election results "illegitimate" and make Breckinridge president (unlikely because Breckinridge was a unionist even in to September 1861).