Best Outcome for Confederacy at Battle of Wilderness?

Anaxagoras

Banned
Reasonably, what was the best outcome the Confederates could have attained in the Battle of the Wilderness? Some haev suggested that had Longstreet not been wounded at a critical juncture, or had Gordon's attack on the Union right flank been undertaken sooner, the Union Army might have been mauled much more seriously than IOTL. Lee is reported to have said after that war that he would have crushed Grant in the Wilderness had he still had Jackson in command on one of his corps.

Thoughts?
 
Reasonably, what was the best outcome the Confederates could have attained in the Battle of the Wilderness? Some haev suggested that had Longstreet not been wounded at a critical juncture, or had Gordon's attack on the Union right flank been undertaken sooner, the Union Army might have been mauled much more seriously than IOTL. Lee is reported to have said after that war that he would have crushed Grant in the Wilderness had he still had Jackson in command on one of his corps.

Thoughts?

Well, Lee's army was larger, both numerically and in relation to the strength of the opposing army, at the Wilderness than it was at Chancellorsville the previous year. So Lee might very well have been able to do that.

I think, however, the more likely "best outcome" would be a more severe mauling of the AofP, possibly with Grant being killed in the bargain. As far as actually destroying the AotP, I think the best chance Lee had to do that during the 1864 campaign was at the North Anna, not at the Wilderness.
 
I think that about the only immediate benefit that the CSA could gain is, as robert suggested, if Grant got killed. Otherwise Grant will simply dust himself off the next day & continue the offensive somewhat akin to the OTL.

If, however, Grant was killed, then Meade would take complete command. If so, well we could see a completely different 1864 wherein, in the long run, Richmond could have fallen earlier & the CSA worse off in many respects by the end of the year.
 
Top