Battle of Shiloh starts 2 days early

This is perhaps an even more plausible POD than Thomas changing his mind when simply offered command replacing Buell.

Someone else is welcome to take this further, like Paul V. McNutt's Grant at Gettysburg, or maybe I'll do a short one for it myself.

April 4: Getting information that Buell's men are too far away, Albert Sydney Johnston decides to attack 2 days early at Shiloh. Buell's men not due to arrive till later - the first wouldn't arrive till almost 2 days later, and the others were marching slowly. However, the surprise does casue another butterfly that helps to defeat the Confederates.

What happens in the ATL battle is, Grant pulls up to a defensive position agaisnt the river, rather than being forced out into the swamps (as in OTL) However, because it is earlier, there is a little more confusion, and when General Lew Wallace arrives to find the army not where it should be, there is not yet any messenger there to tell him Grant is at Pittsburg Landing. (He chose a route different than Grant was thinking.)

So, iInstead, Wallace orders his troops to attack the rear of the Confederate lines. This causes the young "golden boy" to rise in esteem with the army. The Hornets Nest goes as OTL pretty much, with Albert Sydney Johnston killed, and Wallace is wounded in the attack from behind and out of action for a few weeks, though he survives. (He's the later writer of en Hur and it'd be nice to keep that:)) However, this helps even further to prevent the CSA from trying to finish Grant off that first day, as Beauregard decides not to attack further that day.

On the 5th of April, Grant is still waiting for Buell, but chooses to attack while the cSA is (he hopes) demoralized from that attack from the rear. It's not expected, and while the forces are probably about even, Grant's attack succeeds despite another very bloody day in which General Prentiss is also killed, after another high-ranking general or two are killed for the Union on the first day.

Buell arrives much too late, only after the CSA is retreating.

So, now what? Wallace pulled out a victory but only after messing up orders, which he sys were ambiguous. Buell can easily have all the blame laid on him - Grant can say that he had to wait for him becuase of halleck's orders, and many can say that Buell's presence would have meant far fewer casualties.

Does Buell lsoe his command this soon? Perhaps, if someone else is willing tot ake it. Who he's replaced by I'm not sure, but that's where I say, I might have time to continue this later, but for now, I just leave it open for discussion.
 
Is Johnston capable of launching an attack two days earlier?

OTL Shiloh was a kind of last minute preparations that should have been in place already mess prior to the battle.
 

Hyperion

Banned
The idea for the battle itself going differently is interesting, but pulling it off two days earlier is not really possible.
 
The idea for the battle itself going differently is interesting, but pulling it off two days earlier is not really possible.

Okay, how about the message not getting to Wallace in time about where the Union was, at Pittsburg Landing. Or just taking the most direct route as Grant hoped for?

Or, even better perhaps, Johnston listening to Beauregard and waiting another day till Buell shows up. Buell can't claim to have "saved" Grant if he was there int he beginning with Grant. So, perhaps that would be better yet.
 

Hyperion

Banned
Okay, how about the message not getting to Wallace in time about where the Union was, at Pittsburg Landing. Or just taking the most direct route as Grant hoped for?

Or, even better perhaps, Johnston listening to Beauregard and waiting another day till Buell shows up. Buell can't claim to have "saved" Grant if he was there int he beginning with Grant. So, perhaps that would be better yet.

I actually like the idea of Wallace taking advantage of his initial screwup and attacking from behind.

Assuming everything else stays the same up to that point, it would be a good POD to look at in and of itself.

Allow Wallace to save the situation on the first day, and have Buell come in when he did and crush the Confederate army. Even if Buell gets credit, Grant's reputation from Shiloh would be much more intact if the Confederate army collapses or takes heavier losses.
 
I actually like the idea of Wallace taking advantage of his initial screwup and attacking from behind.

Assuming everything else stays the same up to that point, it would be a good POD to look at in and of itself.

Allow Wallace to save the situation on the first day, and have Buell come in when he did and crush the Confederate army. Even if Buell gets credit, Grant's reputation from Shiloh would be much more intact if the Confederate army collapses or takes heavier losses.

Thanks; there are some excellent battle animations at http://www.historyanimated.com/newhistoryanimated/ that help one to visualize what could have taken place. Though it doesn't seem to have his army moving, my guess is he'd be ont he left of the Confederate line, around Hardee, and be throwing that part into considerable disarry.
 
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