Effecta on Army of Northern Virginia if Lee can't push north?

Let's say the Union does better at Second Bull Run becasue the whole Army of the Ptoomac is there to help, but they still can't quite get to Richmond - Lee knocked the Army of the Potomac back in 1864 at North Anna but Grant was determined to keep going, but let's say that the Union instead holds a defensive line inside Virginia a bit north in late 1862, so Lee can't eject them (because he does have a smaller force).

Supposing this butterflies away his invasion of Maryland, and probably Gettysburg, too, does he offer his resignation as he did OTL in August of 1863? Does Davis accept this time? Is he determined to fight a defensive struggle instead? Where would the Union line in Virginia be? I'm thinking the Rappahannock would be good; it would allow them to secure Washington, D.C. a little better since they'd have part of Northern Virginia that borders Washington occupied. Or, maybe a bit further south near Spotsylvania; I'm not sure what the best terrain is there for defense if the Union holds it.
 
The war is fought in southern territory, which is bad for morale. In addition vital supplies could either be destroyed or blocked from Lee, the Shenandoah Valley was vital to the Army of Northern Virginia. It will weaken outside support for the Confederacy as well.

All in all, none of this bodes well for the Confederate States of America...
 
Would Lee offer to resign? Or was that as much a function of his health after Gettysburg? I recall he suffered from some severe angina then (though that may have been from the battle) And, without the history of previous campaigns behidn him, would Davis accept?
 
How well does the Union do at second bull run exactly? Since that would pretty much change everything from that point, might allow Pope to keep his command, bloody up the Confederates more, or are you looking more of it at a point where the Union is still at Centerville?
 
I'm picturing it, since the who AotP is there, as Second Bull Run being like OTl's Antietam, bloody on both sides but the AoNV hit more, however while tehre is advancement after that, they're stopped at a point where they can't advance much further, so they go south to, say Fredericksburg and the Rappahannock becomes the new boundary. Or maybe a bit further south like Spotsylvania. So, both forces are badly bludgeoned and basically forced to go into winter quarters from there.

I'm thinking Pope might even get command of the AotP at least temporarily - Sumner's jsut really old and Porter might take charge for a while but be seen as a butcher, not brought up on charge but just sent West.
 
As bad as fighting on Southern soil is for their morale, this is probably a blessing in disguise for Lee given how OTL turned out
 
As bad as fighting on Southern soil is for their morale, this is probably a blessing in disguise for Lee given how OTL turned out

Agreed, at least he is no position to bleed the CSA white. It might well be a blessing in disguise. In the long run Lee's offensives did little more than increase the CSA's casualty lists.
 
Agreed, at least he is no position to bleed the CSA white. It might well be a blessing in disguise. In the long run Lee's offensives did little more than increase the CSA's casualty lists.

If he won at Antietam (which was a whole lot more doable), it might set back the North's efforts 10 maybe even 38 months (depending on how many railroads they demolish and food they steal) as long as Lee recognizes when to fall back. In fact, in the 1862 Maryland campaign, he was going to fall back after some undetermined point.
 
If he won at Antietam (which was a whole lot more doable), it might set back the North's efforts 10 maybe even 38 months (depending on how many railroads they demolish and food they steal) as long as Lee recognizes when to fall back. In fact, in the 1862 Maryland campaign, he was going to fall back after some undetermined point.

The North would simply relay the track and it had plenty of food. The South never was able to cut Union railroad lines for long as all the MRR trains carried track and railroad workers. It would be cut mere days, at most a week or two, not months.
 
The North would simply relay the track and it had plenty of food. The South never was able to cut Union railroad lines for long as all the MRR trains carried track and railroad workers. It would be cut mere days, at most a week or two, not months.

Not months to remake the track and feed. I meant months to finish off the Army of North Virginia. They'll be well fed and get some shoes, as well as all the nice federal armory and not have OTL massive casualties at Antietam.

Plus the mere temporary cutting of the rails would force the upper brass to construct massive fortifications around DC. This would actually be a waste of time, but their spies (which the North believed during the war) managed to triple the reported size of the rebel army.

So Lee and dudes take minor losses, get lots of supplies, and throw the North into some fear, which is probably more delaying than the material damage done. One might even see some Maryland units desert (not for the rebel cause as a Southern fantasy was, but to go to their families)
 
Not months to remake the track and feed. I meant months to finish off the Army of North Virginia. They'll be well fed and get some shoes, as well as all the nice federal armory and not have OTL massive casualties at Antietam.

Plus the mere temporary cutting of the rails would force the upper brass to construct massive fortifications around DC. This would actually be a waste of time, but their spies (which the North believed during the war) managed to triple the reported size of the rebel army.

So Lee and dudes take minor losses, get lots of supplies, and throw the North into some fear, which is probably more delaying than the material damage done. One might even see some Maryland units desert (not for the rebel cause as a Southern fantasy was, but to go to their families)

Not that long, the CSA was far from one victory away from winning. It might slow it down a couple months or so, no more.
 
One victory from winning? If Lee won at Antietam and destroyed/captured say... 3/4 (let's be generous lots of people are going to trip over their own feet in a disorganized retreat) then the South, while it starved off a Union attack for a while... is still completely screwed without outside help which they aren't going to get.
 
One victory from winning? If Lee won at Antietam and destroyed/captured say... 3/4 (let's be generous lots of people are going to trip over their own feet in a disorganized retreat) then the South, while it starved off a Union attack for a while... is still completely screwed without outside help which they aren't going to get.

Which was my point, it isn't going to slow things down that long. It needed far more than a victory at Antietam to do that. A couple months sure, even 6 months no.
 
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