Jeb Stuart was appointed to replace Stonewall

[Kurt_Steiner]

After Gen. Stonewall Jackson received his terrible wounds during the battle of Chancellorsville,va--Gen Lee placed Jeb Stuart in command of Jackson's 2nd Corps. By all accounts Gen. Stuart did a magnificent job of handling the 2nd corps and contributing to the Confederate Victory at Chancellorsville. What if Lee had retained Stuart as the 2nd corps commander instead of creating another corps (3rd) and promoting Richard Ewell, and A.P. Hill? --For starters the new Cavalry commander most likely would have stayed closer to the main army during the advance to Pennsylvania, providing Lee with the intelligence he needed. Also Jeb Stuart (who was a very close friend of Stonewall) would have kept a tighter rein on his corps than did Ewell or Hill during the Gettysburg Campaign. Having only two corps commanders to deal with may also have helped Lee direct the campaign.Does anyone have any other ideas on how this set-up may have helped Lee during the campaign?

 

[reformer]

I like Stuart. Such a colorful personality. Sadly he himself died pretty quickly do to Sheridan.

 

[PJ Norris]

I like'd him too, maybe with him with him in control of a corps and his strong, direct aproach to him would have won at Gettysburg or make it less of a crushing defeat to the CSA. However there were flaws in some of his tactics and with him running north when he was needed most at the battle, I would be curious of his attitude on the day if in control of a corps (lethargic, overworked, rash, etc.)

 

[DMA]

Well at least at Gettysburg, he wouldn't have taken off as he did. Whether he had done any better as corps commander is another matter, as it depends which CSA Corps he was put in charge thereof.

If it's III CSA Corps, then Stuart will have to deal with Buford's Cav then their infantry support. If so, then I'd say that Stuart wouldn't have been able to do anything better that AP Hill did as per OTL.

If it's II CSA Corps, in other words Stuart has OTL Ewell's Corps, then the Rebs could have taken at least Culp's Hill if not Cemetery Hill. If this is the case, then Gettysburg could have ended very differently.

Of course that means Meade attacks the Reb line based on Culp's Hill & Cemetery Hill. More than likely, though, he wouldn't. Instead he'll remain on the defensive as per OTL, except on a different line based on Little Round Top, on his left, to Rock Creek on his right. As a result, there may still be not the victory that the Confederacy is hoping for.

 

[Kurt_Steiner]

I must confess that, while I believe Gen. Stuart would have been pretty unhappy to be taken away from his beloved horsemen, he would likely have been a very good replacement for Jackson. Stuart was certainly as bold and possesed the same audacity as Jackson and would likely have kept moving on Culp's Hill without dithering about as Ewell did on the first day of Gettysburg. Perhaps with Stuart there would be no Gettysburg, as he would be quite ready to see the problems of the battle. He might join Longstreet and suggest to swing Meade's flank after the end of the first day of the battle. With this support, I think that Ol' Pete would manage to change Marse Robert's mind.

Who could be his replacement in the command of the cavalry?

If we go by senority in rank, Wade Hampton. He seemed to do very well as the commander of Cavalry in 1864 after Stuarts death. Fitzhugh Lee would be next in line, and he would have been a very good leader as far as obtaining intelligence-scouting and screening for the Army of northern Va. What do you think?

Before I forget, we also have Forrest and Mosby, just in case someone missed them...

(a comrade in this unending interest in the CSA would-be fate suggested John B Hood, as he had served in the cavalry before the war. He would have been aggressive (which may have worked to Lee's advantage during the Gettysburg Campaign, my mate said) and the south would have been spared the debate of Hoods Generalship later in the war in the Atlanta Campaign)

 

[DMA]

I must confess that, while I believe Gen. Stuart would have been pretty unhappy to be taken away from his beloved horsemen, he would likely have been a very good replacement for Jackson. Stuart was certainly as bold and possesed the same audacity as Jackson and would likely have kept moving on Culp's Hill without dithering about as Ewell did on the first day of Gettysburg. Perhaps with Stuart there would be no Gettysburg, as he would be quite ready to see the problems of the battle. He might join Longstreet and suggest to swing Meade's flank after the end of the first day of the battle. With this support, I think that Ol' Pete would manage to change Marse Robert's mind.

You're assuming that the same battlelines would result from a Gettysburg with Stuart in it. But if the Union line was different, as I suggested above, then it might be a different outcome. Yet, if Meade has the OTL battleline, then I'd completely agree with you where Stuart sides with Longstreet & Gettysburg isn't fought.

Who could be his replacement in the command of the cavalry?

If we go by senority in rank, Wade Hampton. He seemed to do very well as the commander of Cavalry in 1864 after Stuarts death. Fitzhugh Lee would be next in line, and he would have been a very good leader as far as obtaining intelligence-scouting and screening for the Army of northern Va. What do you think?

Yes, I'd go with what you've said here.

Before I forget, we also have Forrest and Mosby, just in case someone missed them...

They'd stay in their commands - especially Forrest.

(a comrade in this unending interest in the CSA would-be fate suggested John B Hood, as he had served in the cavalry before the war. He would have been aggressive (which may have worked to Lee's advantage during the Gettysburg Campaign, my mate said) and the south would have been spared the debate of Hoods Generalship later in the war in the Atlanta Campaign)

Hood should have stayed where he was - divisional commander. IMHO he wasn't any better than that, which, I must add, he was excellent at. Anything else is flaunting with disaster as per OTL.