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We've had plenty of "What if Robert E. Lee accepted the offer from Lincoln to be supreme commander of the North." We also have had people wonder if Lee simply sat out.

Let's suppose Lee throws in his lot with the North, but refuses a field command at first because he deems intellectually that the union needs to be preserved, but has emotional misgivings about fighting Virginia. Lee offers to drill some troops in Maryland.

The Battle of Bull Run happens and it's a total disaster. Lincoln extends the offer for Lee to take command of the forces on the Eastern Front while McClellan as general-in-chief. Lee declines a field command. McClelland reorganizes the forces into the Army of the Potomac.

Lincoln has Lee accompany McClellan and he helps drill the cavalry while McClelland drills... everyone.

In the Peninsular Campaign, Johnston is shot and Longstreet takes over. Longstreet gets a flash of inspiration and acts like a tactician Lee did in OTL (in other words, I'm making multiple PODs, one where Lee changes his mind and a second one so that the South has good leadership). I suppose if Longstreet saw an entrenched enemy that outnumbered him, he would decide to retreat rather than force the issue (like OTL Lee did at Gettysburg, the only reason why the South had a chance was due to some North mistakes if the North played their cards right the numerically inferior South would had no chance), but other than that act like OTL Lee.

On the Northern Side, Lee is told to accompany the Peninsular Campaign. He observes the Excelsior Brigade and sees the Seven Days battles from General Sickle's perspective. The Seven Days battles proceed similarly to OTL, with McClellan acting like himself and Longstreet acting like OTL Lee. Unless you think Lee, McClellan, and McClelland's staff drilling the North cav makes them any better than OTL where just McClelland and his staff drilled them and in any event, that wouldn't change the Seven Days that much since it was mostly an infantry and artillery fight.

After Battle of Malvern Hill, many of the Northern brigade commanders want to counterattack. McClelland is worried about his supplies and asks for advise. Lee says, well first of all you're in command and I purposely don't have one. If the South is disorganized, the tactical victory at the hill provides an opportunity to counterattack their army. If it is not fully disorganized, doing so or even staying on the hill risks getting cut off and the camp isn't well stocked enough to go for weeks without supply. Attacking Richmond would surely give them enough time to reorganize and if they weren't blockheads just cut them off. McClellan sends out his scouts who return with discouraging results. The North retreats as in OTL.

Lincoln once again asks Lee to take a field command, but Lee declines, offering instead to run drills for the Washington DC garrison (the one that's not the field Army) in case of an attack on DC. Lincoln accepts instead of canning the guy.

In August of 1862, Lincoln is receiving discouraging reports from his generals. He needs fresh leadership and thinks Lee can do so, however the political sentiment is against Southerners such as Unionist Andrew Johnson and General Robert E. Lee. He once again asks Lee to take a field command, although it can't be the Army of the Potomac because that is now politically untenable. He says that he can give Lee the same pay grade as a full general even if his command is smaller. Lee decides that the Unionist cause must win and accepts, asking for a division and Lincoln instead makes him a sub-commander.

Lincoln sends Lee and some fast units to reach the Army of the Potomac. Lee is made sub-commander under McClellan. The I corps, III corps, VI corps, a skirmisher company, and all cavalry commanders answer to Lee and Lee in turns is under McClellan. He also sends an instruction list on who to take command if McClellan is killed or knocked out.

If McClellan is killed, the new leader of the Army of the Potomac would be General "fighting Joe" Joseph Hooker of the III corps. If he's incapable, General Fitz John Porter of the V corps. If he's incapable, it would be one of leading cavalry commanders (I can't remember the name). Finally, General Robert E, Lee subcommander and leader of 3 of the corps is to take command if all those are incapable.

Lee goes over to the Army of the Potomac just as General Pope gets himself into trouble and the Army of the Potomac is unable to save him. Longstreet goes on a Maryland Campaign.

Longstreet attack Harpers Ferry and successful overruns it, much like OTL. It might happen earlier than September 12 thanks to butterflies. Now Lee and McClellan have to deal with the Army of Northern Virginia.

Ok, McClellan clearly isn't going to die, so Lincoln's "succession list" is moot.

So what happens in the immediate Maryland Campaign? And what do you think are the implications for the war overall?
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