Lee doesn't surrender in April 1865

edit: sorry, i realize this is the wrong forum
Confederate President Davis instructed Lee that in the event that Lee felt he should surrender, he should stratigically position his men into the Virginia hills and carry out attack upon the Union Army until no longer possible. Lee instead surrendered. What if Lee had followed Davis' orders, though?
 
An insurgency for as long as supplies hold out. Much harsher reconstruction for as long as attacks go on.

More civil rights for blacks, as they are empowered to protect themselves against Confederate die hards. Possible land redistribution, giving every black family fourty acres and a mule from the property of any diehard caught fighting the US government. Possibly a black-majority state, if enough blacks become landowners in a area so they don't migrate north.
 
An insurgency for as long as supplies hold out. Much harsher reconstruction for as long as attacks go on.

More civil rights for blacks, as they are empowered to protect themselves against Confederate die hards. Possible land redistribution, giving every black family fourty acres and a mule from the property of any diehard caught fighting the US government. Possibly a black-majority state, if enough blacks become landowners in a area so they don't migrate north.

And "gun control" in the United States is virtually butterflied away...
 
I don't think The Confederacy could have held out much longer than it did in OTL. By the spring of 1865 much of The South was pretty well devestated by the war. The very longest I can see the war continuing would be through the summer of 1865, if even that long. Faced with another winter at war I think The South would have been forced to surrender, they had almost nothing to go on with when they did surrender.

Some form of guerilla warfare like that described in the opening post would have only angered The North even more and made for an even more harsh reconstruction, and it's hard to imagine it being any more harsh than it was in OTL.

One mittigating factor. Had The Civil War dragged on for a longer time, say months longer, Booth's conspiracy might have been discovered which would have butterflyed away the assassination of President Lincoln. Had he lived, I think Lincoln would have pushed for a reconstruction that bound up the nation's wounds instead of opening them even more, as he said, "With malice toward none."
 
for one thing, lee would not be remembered as the revered southern gentleman. a widespread insurgency would make it near impossible for the south to readmit to the union and maybe military rule for decades. a twisted "confederates in the attic" wet dream
 
Widespread guerilla war for at least a decade if not 5 and no real healing of the country unless attacked from the outside or put on the defensive. US stays out of WWI fearing revolt in the South. Black leaders become much more familiar with firearms and vote regularly. Retribution turns the green lands of the South red with blood as militias become de facto law agencies, the worst hit areas are MS, SC, AL, and LA.
 
If Lee was eventually captured by the Union he would be hung for sure, along with other Confederate leaders who initiated and participated in the strikes. Honestly, I can see this type of warfare last maybe one more year, which will bring the ACW to a close in 1866, before the Confederacy just decides to surrender.

Gun control in the US today would definitely be out the window, thats for sure. The USA's entry, if all, in WWI could be delayed, too.

Finally, a much harsher reconstruction would devestate the South and life in the seceeded states would just be hell. Martial Law would probably be declared in every one of those states, too, for fear of revolts.
 
I don't think The Confederacy could have held out much longer than it did in OTL. By the spring of 1865 much of The South was pretty well devestated by the war. The very longest I can see the war continuing would be through the summer of 1865, if even that long. Faced with another winter at war I think The South would have been forced to surrender, they had almost nothing to go on with when they did surrender.

Some form of guerilla warfare like that described in the opening post would have only angered The North even more and made for an even more harsh reconstruction, and it's hard to imagine it being any more harsh than it was in OTL.

One mittigating factor. Had The Civil War dragged on for a longer time, say months longer, Booth's conspiracy might have been discovered which would have butterflyed away the assassination of President Lincoln. Had he lived, I think Lincoln would have pushed for a reconstruction that bound up the nation's wounds instead of opening them even more, as he said, "With malice toward none."

Actually it is hard to imagine less harsh reconstruction. Only one person executed after the war while almost nobody lost whatever property they had and large number of pardons were given. How easier could it have been?
 

Jasen777

Donor
I don't think an insurgency would have any legs. They were beat and they knew it, I think they simply didn't have the will.
 
Agreed, after all the Union just proved that it was willing to take far more casualties then an insurgency could DREAM of doing. What Joe Johnston said to Davis about the situation after Appomattox was true and is as follows. "My views,sir is that our people are tired of war, feel themselves whipped and will not fight. Our country is overrun with its military resources greatly weakened while our enemy has never been stronger and can increase its strength to any extent desired. We can raise no more large armies and considering how we cut off from forging intercourse I don't see how we could maintain it in fighting condition even if we did have it. Daily my men are deserting in large numbers and are stealing my artillery teams to make their escape the easier, since Lee's defeat they consider the war as at an end. If I leave North Carolina all her people will drop from my ranks and the same thing will happen in Georgia and South Carolina and can count on retaining no man past the byroad or cow path that leads to home. My small force is melting like snow underneath the sun and I am hopeless of recruiting it."
 
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Typo

Banned
Insurgencies are started by an occupied people who are not psychologically defaeted, that was not the case with the south in 1865.
 
Widespread guerilla war for at least a decade if not 5 and no real healing of the country unless attacked from the outside or put on the defensive.

The best terrain for guerilla warfare was already occupied by Pro-Union types who were adamantly opposed to the Confederate government. Confederate armies were hungry and deserting in large numbers. Confederate civilians were tired of the war and would lack the material to support guerillas.

You could have sporadic guerilla warfare, but within the next five years I'd expect most of them to be killed or give up. Guerilla leaders would definitely be hanged, though Lee is old enough he probably won't survive the rigors of the life. Bedford Forrest could probably hold out for about 10 years before diabetes kills him earlier than OTL.

It could mean the French get to hang on to Mexico for another couple years, though.
 

NapoleonXIV

Banned
Actually it is hard to imagine less harsh reconstruction. Only one person executed after the war while almost nobody lost whatever property they had and large number of pardons were given. How easier could it have been?


Agreed. Reconstruction's horrors are mainly racist propaganda of the time. Read Lerone Bennett's "Before the Mayflower". The most "Radical" thing that the Republican reformers in Congress did was to enforce the Black's voting rights and ensure that Black state legislators elected actually served, whereupon they did generally exemplary work. After 1877, of course, just the fact that blacks actually had been seated at one time was cited as a main example of the insanity of "carpetbagger' government.
 
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