John Frémont: Union G-in-C

Wolfpaw

Banned
Let's say that a more radical Republican (perhaps Seward) is elected in 1860 and appoints Frémont Commanding General of the United States Army following Scott's resignation in November of 1861.

How would Johnny Pathfinder handle things?
 
He'd encourage massive slave insurrections.


To which the slaves would have more sense than to respond. As Shakespeare put it.

Glendower "I can call spirits from the vasty deep."

Percy: "Why, so can I, and so can any man. But will they come when you do call for them?"
 

Wolfpaw

Banned
Making it a war on slavery earlier is going to speed up the evaporation of what little support the CSA enjoyed in Britain and France.
 
Making it a war on slavery earlier is going to speed up the evaporation of what little support the CSA enjoyed in Britain and France.

And weaken Lincoln's position at home in the process. Not a good tradeoff.

Not at all convinced inciting servile insurrection (which is the kind of "making it a war on slavery" Fremont would do) would really be the best of ideas in regards to the positive side either.
 
And weaken Lincoln's position at home in the process. Not a good tradeoff.

Not at all convinced inciting servile insurrection (which is the kind of "making it a war on slavery" Fremont would do) would really be the best of ideas in regards to the positive side either.

The war would definitly have been more vicious, bloody and gruesome,
 
Nope, he'd not last past his first attempt to direct overland operations against Joe E. Johnston.

Agreed. As an explorer he's fine. As a combat leader he's clueless. As an organizer he's barely adequate. As General-in Chief he's an unmitigated disaster, as out of place as a pig at Mass. God help the Union if they put him in charge.

That said, he'll be quickly shoved aside as soon as he starts to bungle things; there are plenty of ambitious Union generals willing to knife him in the back and dump his body in an alley, metaphorically speaking.
 
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