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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.
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