DBWI: Jackson doesn't die at Antietam

Well, if Jackson had not been killed by a sharpshooter just south of the Miller Cornfield, he would have been able to effectively co-ordinate the commands of Lawton, JR Jones, and Hood, plus the arriving McLaws, Anderson, Walker, and DH Hill. It would have been as bloody or bloodier than in reality, but if the Union 1st and 11th corps did not immediately sweep the Confederate left, then Sumner and the 2nd corps could not follow up across the Middle Bridge and flank DH Hill and last ditch defenders at the Bloody Lane. They would have had to come from the north, so at the least the center of the Confederate line would have held.

The issue is with Burnside and the south of the line. Burnside certainly would have had no incentive to press across Antietam creek if there was no great victory to the north. Probably Benning and JR Jones could have held him by the creek until mid-afternoon, at which time AP Hill was arriving from Harper's Ferry, when, due to their unintentional 'ruse' of wearing blue uniforms, they could have stalled Burnside's inevitable advance until dark, at which point the 30,000 or so survivors of the AoNV could escape into Virginia.

In reality, as we know, Sumner swept past DH Hill and the sunken road during mid-day, then reached the Potomac and turned south, slowed only slightly by Walker, McLaws and Anderson. They might have been able to hold had not word finally reached McClellan that Jackson was mortally wounded, and he not sent in Porter and the 5th corps. They swept over the Middle Bridge, turned south, and flanked the remaining defenders. So when AP Hill arrived, he could only provide rear-guard action against the 2nd, 5th, and 9th corps, along with the remnants of Benning, Walker, Anderson, and Law's and Early's brigades, and Stuart's cavalry. And even worse, Lee went into the fray to rally his forces, and just as he line was about to hold he too was wounded, not mortally, but severely, and it looked mortal for a while.

So in reality, Longstreet took over the 15,000 survivors, who were very demoralized, disorganized, and pursued by McClellan's army. He didn't stop until the Rapahannock River, at which point he became cautious, because the final reserves were rushed from Richmond, and a line of 30,000 Confederates were assembled on Marye's heights with enough artillery to deter initial action.

As we know, McClellan never had favor with Lincoln, and so was relieved. Burnside became implicated in issues during the pursuit, so while he was the senior commanded, Lincoln turned to Hooker, the hero of the morning's fight on the right at Antietam. His Chancellorsville campaign was a masterpiece, and eventually his legions captured Richmond and Petersburg after a comparatively lengthy seige and a final battle at Five Forks on July 3rd, 1863. With Grant's capture of Vicksburg the next day, and Thomas's capture of Atlanta, the new capital, in September, Davis surrendered from Montgomery.

If Lee had been able to escape to Virginia, McClellan would have stopped even sooner, and Lee could build up his forces in the Manassas area, holding a defensive line against the new union commander (probably still Hooker, Burnside did nothing to lend himself to promotion), and Lee would have been able to, at the very least, prolong the war in the east long enough so that re-enforcements from Tenessee would not have been sent until after Stone's River, so maybe the drive in Tenessee would have been halted until at least the summer of 1863. Vicksburg still would have fallen, though, and Lee could not either capture Washington nor win a great victory north of the Potomac, so the Confederacy would survive another year, maybe two, but the outcome would never have been in doubt.
 
Well, if Jackson had not been killed by a sharpshooter just south of the Miller Cornfield, he would have been able to effectively co-ordinate the commands of Lawton, JR Jones, and Hood, plus the arriving McLaws, Anderson, Walker, and DH Hill. It would have been as bloody or bloodier than in reality, but if the Union 1st and 11th corps did not immediately sweep the Confederate left, then Sumner and the 2nd corps could not follow up across the Middle Bridge and flank DH Hill and last ditch defenders at the Bloody Lane. They would have had to come from the north, so at the least the center of the Confederate line would have held.

The issue is with Burnside and the south of the line. Burnside certainly would have had no incentive to press across Antietam creek if there was no great victory to the north. Probably Benning and JR Jones could have held him by the creek until mid-afternoon, at which time AP Hill was arriving from Harper's Ferry, when, due to their unintentional 'ruse' of wearing blue uniforms, they could have stalled Burnside's inevitable advance until dark, at which point the 30,000 or so survivors of the AoNV could escape into Virginia.

In reality, as we know, Sumner swept past DH Hill and the sunken road during mid-day, then reached the Potomac and turned south, slowed only slightly by Walker, McLaws and Anderson. They might have been able to hold had not word finally reached McClellan that Jackson was mortally wounded, and he not sent in Porter and the 5th corps. They swept over the Middle Bridge, turned south, and flanked the remaining defenders. So when AP Hill arrived, he could only provide rear-guard action against the 2nd, 5th, and 9th corps, along with the remnants of Benning, Walker, Anderson, and Law's and Early's brigades, and Stuart's cavalry. And even worse, Lee went into the fray to rally his forces, and just as he line was about to hold he too was wounded, not mortally, but severely, and it looked mortal for a while.

So in reality, Longstreet took over the 15,000 survivors, who were very demoralized, disorganized, and pursued by McClellan's army. He didn't stop until the Rapahannock River, at which point he became cautious, because the final reserves were rushed from Richmond, and a line of 30,000 Confederates were assembled on Marye's heights with enough artillery to deter initial action.

As we know, McClellan never had favor with Lincoln, and so was relieved. Burnside became implicated in issues during the pursuit, so while he was the senior commanded, Lincoln turned to Hooker, the hero of the morning's fight on the right at Antietam. His Chancellorsville campaign was a masterpiece, and eventually his legions captured Richmond and Petersburg after a comparatively lengthy seige and a final battle at Five Forks on July 3rd, 1863. With Grant's capture of Vicksburg the next day, and Thomas's capture of Atlanta, the new capital, in September, Davis surrendered from Montgomery.

If Lee had been able to escape to Virginia, McClellan would have stopped even sooner, and Lee could build up his forces in the Manassas area, holding a defensive line against the new union commander (probably still Hooker, Burnside did nothing to lend himself to promotion), and Lee would have been able to, at the very least, prolong the war in the east long enough so that re-enforcements from Tenessee would not have been sent until after Stone's River, so maybe the drive in Tenessee would have been halted until at least the summer of 1863. Vicksburg still would have fallen, though, and Lee could not either capture Washington nor win a great victory north of the Potomac, so the Confederacy would survive another year, maybe two, but the outcome would never have been in doubt.

Well it was Mac's own fault that he was relieved of command, he did virtually nothing the two months following the battle. He followed Lee but he didn't risk an attack. Hooker's quick movement down the east coast made him one of the great generals in history. Incredibly Davis wanted to continue the war even after it was completely hopeless and was finally picked up by General Sherman's troops. Fortunately for everyone the Confederate generals knew it was hopeless and said so publicly.
 
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