Gettysburg: A Narrative Alternate Timeline

Good start. I agree with Lee creating a third corps if it looked like Jackson would be out for the campaign, and this scenario has a last-minute appearence. But I suspect this would be a Jackson more like the Seven Days, or worse yet, a fatigued and anemic commander like Lee at North Anna or Hooker after his concussion at Chancellorsville.

I suspect Jackson would have blinders on going into the battle, just like everyone else. There's no Stuart, and no Turnet Ashby. His scouts would be operating under others, along a broad line in hostile territory. If he did see the long line of Union forces, I think he would be less likely to push aggressively on July 1, rather organizing to hit an isolated part in force. Tighter command on either side would have resulted most likely in avoidance of the battle, maybe until late on the first.

That's my contrarian take. Also, I don't think the Union command would have feared Jackson. Meade held his own in his prior engagements with the II Corps, as did Reynolds. Howard's men would have held as well as they did, the OTL attack was hardly a sudden ebvelopment.
 
Chapter Three!

[FONT=&quot]Chapter 3. Chamberlain[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The world was hot and muggy; stuffy and suffocating. He dressed quickly, buttoning his navy blue tunic all the way to the throat, then deciding against it, leaving the top two buttons open. He attached his sword to his belt and quickly fitted the tight kepi on his blond head. Satisfied, he left the tent and went out into the considerably less oppressive air. He looked about the camp, men in blue uniforms were moving among the camp, most towards the camp kitchen for a quick breakfast. He moved towards them, walking slowly. He was still feeling the effects of heatstroke, the dryness, dizziness, the constant heat pulsing through his body. As he came to the small, opened air kitchen, he was met by his second in command, Major Ellis Spear.
[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]“Morning, Colonel,” Spear said with a salute. “Rolls been taken; 345 effectives, five men on sick call, and six prisoners.”[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]“Good, thank you, Ellis. Have you eaten?” Chamberlain replied returning the salute.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]“Yes sir.”[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]“All right, I’m going to have some coffee and then have a talk with those men” he nodded in the direction of the six men sitting under guard near a small clump of trees. The two walked over to a barrel doing duty as a table holding a percolator and several tin cups. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]“Yes, Sir. Shall I get the men moving then?” Spear asked, lighting his pipe.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]“Yes, have the men fall in by companies. I’m assuming that the Corps is moving out soon.” Chamberlain said, pouring his coffee. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]“Orders were to move at seven thirty, right sir?” Spear said around his pipe.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Chamberlain nodded. Spear saluted and moved off giving orders to the company commanders. Chamberlain sipped at the coffee, made a face; it was very bitter. He picked up a piece of hardtack from a tray and moved out towards the men. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“Morning, Lawrence!”[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]“Tom!” Chamberlain said, then in a lower voice, “How many times have I told you, huh? Not in front of the men. Especially these men.” He made a motion towards the prisoners. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]“Sorry, Sir.” Tom Chamberlain said, feigning the apology. “What are you gunna say to ‘em, that you haven’t already? Huh colonel?” Tom said inquisitively. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Chamberlain shook his head. “I’m not sure. See to your company, Tom. We’re moving out soon.”[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The younger Chamberlain sketched a salute and moved off towards his men. Chamberlain continued towards the men. He hurriedly ate the hard tack and washed it down with the bitter coffee. As he approached, the guards who had been leaning on their muskets came to attention. A short, broad, bearded Sargent walked towards Chamberlain and gave a textbook salute. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]“Good mornin’ kennel Chamberlain.” He said his voice thick with a brogue. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]“Sargent O’Donnell a report on the prisoners.”[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]“Aye sir. They’ve been fed sir and are healthy.” O’Donnell said with a grin. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]“Yes, well we are moving out soon. Have your men fall back in with their company’s”[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]“Yes sir.” O’Donnell said. He gave his orders and watched as his men moved along. He turned to Chamberlain. “The men wanta have a word with ya, Colonel.” He said looking at the six men. They were dressed in plain frock coats with no indication of rank, and only one still wore a belt. They were dirty, tired looking men, but well fed. As Chamberlain moved towards them they stayed seated. There was little respect for officers in this group, who were now the remnants of a much larger group that had been folded into the regiment. Their old unit had been disbanded and sent home. These men however had signed on for an extra year. They wanted to go home now, but the army would not allow them. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Chamberlain stood in front of them, he felt as though he was standing in front of six unruly students at Bowden College, his alma mater. He sternly stared at them each, then, taking a deep breath spoke slowly and measured his words.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]“Gentlemen, what will it be then? We’ve fed you, you’ve marched with us, and you know the Rebs are out there, maybe just up the road. You don’t want to be caught in a fight without a regiment now, do you?” He looked at the men, beholding each one. “This regiment will be sure glad to have you fellas. Your old comrades have taken to their new assignments, why not join them, join us, help win the fight that’s coming. There’s going to be a fight, I can tell you that, and gentlemen, this fight is going to be a big one, one that may change the outcome of this war. You know why we’re here, you know why you joined. You signed to fight for three years, we all have. We have set out to do something that has rarely happened, we have set out to free men in bondage, and reunite this nation. America should be free. This is not Europe. There are no monarchs here, no nobles to bow to; America is a place for freedom, freedom for all men regardless of color or creed.” [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]He took a breath now, feeling very hot. He could feel the sweat at his brow, his knees were week. He was shaking slightly. “And, if you join, I will be very thankful.” He looked away.Breathed. Sweat rolled down his back. “I spoke too much. I made NO sense! These men don’t care for Negros. They just want to go…” [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]“Colonel?” one of the men was standing now, a young man, maybe twenty. He looked scared, ashamed. “Colonel, I’ll fight.”[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Another man stood. “Me too sir. I can’t let Jake go alone.”[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Chamberlain looked at the other men. The sat there, not looking at him. They were done, they had seen enough of war. “Very well”[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]“All right. Good. Sargent O’Donnell, find these men muskets and a company. The rest of you will come with us. When this is all over I’ll see what I can do for you, but until then, you’re coming with us.”[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The men were marched off and Chamberlain returned to his regiment. They had formed up along the road at the front of the brigade. Strong Vincent, the brigade commander was sitting on his horse near the front of the column. Chamberlain saluted and it was returned quickly.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]“Colonel, we’re moving out, going north. The whole army’s going that way. Old Bobby Lee is up there somewhere and we’re going to find him.” [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]“Yes sir, we’ll move out at once then.” Chamberlain said. He mounted quickly and looking back at the regiment called out: “TWENTITH MAINE! FO’ARD! MARCH!” The regiment’s band struck a marching beat and the men began to move, followed slowly in the new days heat by the whole brigade, all moving northward. [/FONT]
 
The obligatory Killer Angels homage. Nice touch on having Chamberlain wonder if the reference to blacks would actually go over well or not after making it, though. Makes it feel more real than having him just take it for granted that setting 'em free would fire up these men.
 
heya folks!

sorry i havent posted in a while! technical difficulties and Bonnaroo have resulted in this TL failing harder than the Peninsular Campaign. anywho i'll return to writing soon and have a new and improved TL up by the middle of July. hope to see your comments!

Anthony
 
Top