Hood never replaces Breckinridge

Following the Battle of Missionary Ridge Confederate General Braxton Bragg gave his report of the battle to President Jefferson Davis. In this report Bragg made the accusation that John C. Breckinridge, one of his Corps Commanders in the Army of Tennessee, was drunk throughout the Battle.

General Breckinridge was one of Bragg's biggest critics and considered him an incompetant and felt that Bragg treated the Kentuckians in the Confederate forces unfairly. His ill-feelings were further hieghtened towards Bragg when at the Battle of Murfreesboro Bragg orders his division to launch a near suicidal attack on the Union lines that left his division all but shattered. Breckinridge devastated by this disaster.

General Breckinridge had been one of the many Generals in the Army of Tennessee who turned on Bragg and called for his dissmissal. Bragg, ever a man to hold a grudge, was bitter toward the whole of his army there after.

Following Bragg's report on the Battle of Missionary Ridge President Davis decided that Breckinridge was in need of a change of scene and brought him East to the Shenandoah where he put to rest all doubts about his ability.

Joe Johnston soon took command of the Army of Tennessee and found himself with only one Corps Commander at his disposal, William J. Hardee. He tried to take advantage of this opportunity to reorganise the AoT into a three Corps system but was prevented from doing so by Davis who thought a re-organisation was not required.

Instead Davis picked Johnston's second Corps Commander himself and chose John Bell Hood, returning to service after losing his leg. Hood spent the rest of his time as a Corps Commander in the AoT criticising Johnston to Davis and to Davis representative Bragg until he got Johnston's job.

The rest is history.

So what if Breckinridge was never replaced by Hood? How would the war change if Breckinridge remained in the a Corps Commander in the Army of Tennessee?
 
Leaving aside any speculation about Cassville, I'll just jump to the relief of Johnston. Instead of Hood, Hardee will probably wind up in command of the army (unless Davis brings in someone like Beauregaurd, which is not very likely). As the ultimate professional soldier, Hardee would probably move a lot more sensibly than Hood, so while we would likely see Peachtree Creek, the later assaults would be a lot more cautious.

After Sherman takes Atlanta (I don't think it could be held at that point), Hardee would probably try and keep his army between Sherman's and Savannah, so there would probably be some fighting along Sherman's march to sea. I doubt, however, that the Army of Tennessee has the manpower to stop Sherman at this point, especially since Thomas would be accompanying him instead of heading for Nashville to stop Hood.

In the east, things might look a little different. When Longstreet is wounded in the Wilderness, Hood might take command of the First Corps, or be used to replace the ailing AP Hill with the Third Corps. This could have some interesting results, because the aggressive Hood would be more likely to try to lash out at one of Grant's attacking columns, with results ranging anywhere from moderate success to a major Confederate disaster.
 
Leaving aside any speculation about Cassville, I'll just jump to the relief of Johnston. Instead of Hood, Hardee will probably wind up in command of the army (unless Davis brings in someone like Beauregaurd, which is not very likely). As the ultimate professional soldier, Hardee would probably move a lot more sensibly than Hood, so while we would likely see Peachtree Creek, the later assaults would be a lot more cautious.

After Sherman takes Atlanta (I don't think it could be held at that point), Hardee would probably try and keep his army between Sherman's and Savannah, so there would probably be some fighting along Sherman's march to sea. I doubt, however, that the Army of Tennessee has the manpower to stop Sherman at this point, especially since Thomas would be accompanying him instead of heading for Nashville to stop Hood.

So essentially your suggesting that Joe Johnston gets removed and replaced by Hardee who then proceeds to do basically what Johston would have done.

Joe Johnston, if in command at the Battle of Peachtree Creek, would have struck at Thomas' forces as they cross the river and, with a bit of luck, crush them. He then would have redeployed his forces to face Sherman at a point a bit later on. Depending on the outcome of that battle Johnston would either have advanced if he had crushed Sherman or withdrawn and and reinforced if he lost or been flanked.

Of course if he failed to crush Thomas' forces at Peachtree Creak he would have withdrawn, reinforced and regrouped.

He would defend Atlanta until such a time as doing so would be detrimental to the health of his Army. When he reached that time he would have abannoned Atlanta and withdrawn. He would make a fighting withdrawl across Georgia in front of Sherman and make a strong opposition to his march to the sea.

That is essentially what you suggest Hardee would have done.

I would suggest that the whole of the Atlanta Campaign would change at Cassville with Breckinridge still in the AoT. If we assume that the plan is still to have Hardee draw the bulk of Sherman forces one way while having Polk hold the bit that is sent into Johnston's trap then Breckinridge would be the man whose job it would be to attack the Union Armies flank.

As a courageous man as he was I would not expect Breckinridge to suddenly turn into coward as Hood did at Cassville and I would expect Breckinridge's flanking attack to strike home. Without Hood at Cassville I would fully expect Johnston's trap to work and for him to gain a victory there.
 
Leaving aside any speculation about Cassville, I'll just jump to the relief of Johnston. Instead of Hood, Hardee will probably wind up in command of the army (unless Davis brings in someone like Beauregaurd, which is not very likely). As the ultimate professional soldier, Hardee would probably move a lot more sensibly than Hood, so while we would likely see Peachtree Creek, the later assaults would be a lot more cautious.

After Sherman takes Atlanta (I don't think it could be held at that point), Hardee would probably try and keep his army between Sherman's and Savannah, so there would probably be some fighting along Sherman's march to sea. I doubt, however, that the Army of Tennessee has the manpower to stop Sherman at this point, especially since Thomas would be accompanying him instead of heading for Nashville to stop Hood.

In the east, things might look a little different. When Longstreet is wounded in the Wilderness, Hood might take command of the First Corps, or be used to replace the ailing AP Hill with the Third Corps. This could have some interesting results, because the aggressive Hood would be more likely to try to lash out at one of Grant's attacking columns, with results ranging anywhere from moderate success to a major Confederate disaster.

I would bet on major Confederate disaster as Hood was possibly the worst general in the Civil War, North or South.
 

Anaxagoras

Banned
Without Breckinridge in command at the Battle of New Market, I'd bet that the Confederates lose control of the Shenandoah Valley earlier than they did IOTL.
 
New Market was somewhat a matter of Breckenridge but Sigel was a semi-political appointee anyway. He was not at the bottom of the pack, but agaisnt anyone decent I don't think he could have a major victory in the Valley. At best, the 6,000 men in the Valley are not able to join Lee in time for North Anna River (which they weren't used in anyway).

Considering the speed of events in Georgia I don't think Breckenridge would be able to score a great victory before the TL diverges in Virginia.

If Hood does go back to Virginia under Longstreet then the Ist corps will have 2 divisions under Hood and Kershaw (there would have been no need to promote Field). Hood was the senior commander of the 2. So when Longstreet is wounded, rather than bring Anderson over from the IIIrd corps, Lee will probably appoint Hood commander. This ensures that the Confederates will reach Spotsylvania first.

However, the Ist corps had the left side of the Confederate line, where little fighting occurred during May 12th and the Mule Shoe battle. The first chance for a real break from OTL is on May 16th. For two days before this Grant had moved the Vth and VIth corps all the way across his line to strike Lee at his "vulnerable" southern flank. However, Early temporarily in charge of the IIIrd corps held strong entrenchments. Even so, while it thwarted Grant's thrust, Lee needed a stronger line on his right. So he ordered the Ist corps to mirror Warren and Wright's move.

With Hood in command, he will look for any opportunity to attack. The first one is the chance to re-re-take the Miles homestead and nearby hill, held fairly lightly by elements of the VIth corps. If Hood makes a strong attack, and he will, then the Confederates can get the hill. However, it will be a huge salient. Grant will want to attack it back. The question is whether the cautious Warren and inexperienced Wright will.
 
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