alternatehistory.com

The Incident at Spring Hill during the Franklin-Nashville Campaign in November of 1864 has often been held up as one of the great WIs of the American Civil War. Through a combination of bad luck, miscommunication, and sloppy administrative work, the Confederates lost an opportunity to attack and possibly cut off the Union force of General Schofield. Some have even suggested that Schofield might have been destroyed or forced to surrender, although I am highly skeptical of this.

But what if Hood had succeeded in routing Schofield's force? Thomas was still building up his forces at Nashville, and even without Schofield's men (who eventually escaped to Nashville after defeated the Rebels at Franklin), Thomas would have been more than a match for Hood in terms of combat power.

On the other hand, if Hood succeeded at Spring Hill, the AoT would have avoided the slaughter at Franklin and would have maintained a high level of morale and combat effectiveness into December of 1864. This, certainly, would have changed the equations at the time.

Any takers?
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