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These are the basics of a Timeline I was writing but cannot get into and will probably never write.

The situation in the West, on a grand scale, is the same as it was OTL with this exception.

Joseph E. Johnston declares himself fit to return to command in February 1863 rather than December 1862 and is actually fit and healty enough to command an Army but gets put in Department Command in stead.

Now for Mississippi, everything progresses in Mississippi as OTL up until the aftermath of the Battle of Port Gibson.

Bowen loses the battle of Port Gibson and is forced to withdraw, blowing up the Confederate stronghold at Grand Gulf as he went, with more success in TTL than OTL.

Grant is prevented from launching automatically into the Vicksburg Campaign due to Nathaniel P. Banks calling for reinforcements so he can assault Port Hudson. Grant is forced by political masters to send reinforcements to Banks only to learn two days after his forces have begun to march South that Banks has been delayed by operations on the Red River - operations that he will not be finished with until the month of May is almost over. Grant is forced to waste about a week restoring his Army to full strenght.

Meanwhile Davis has caved into political pressure from the Confederate Congress to appoint Joe Johnston to command in Mississippi and he arrives at Jackson, Mississippi May 4th. Learning that Grant has not moved since his crossing of the Mississippi, though not knowing why, Johnston orders all Confederate forces in Mississippi not already deployed in garrison work to join him at Jackson.

Pemberton initially refused but when Johnston wont be swayed he marches to Jackson with 16,000 men and reports to Johnston. He leaves 7,000 men under William W. Loring at Edwards Station to continue the defense of Vicksburg believing this will be enough to hold the Federals at least long enough for reinfrocements to arrive.

Johnston isn't happy about 7,000 men being kept behind as he believes the 8,000 man militia in Vicksburg itself is enough to hold the city but he lets it go. By May 12th he has a force of about 31,000 under his command at Jackson - 16,000 men from the Army of Mississippi, 6,000 men of John Gregg's division and the Jackson Garrison and 9,000 men from the other Confederate States as reinforcements. He is drastically short of Cavalry however and his only real Cavalry unit is William Wirt Adams cavalry brigade of a couple of hundred. He has requested more Cavalry be sent but until such a time he is forced to rely on Wirt Adams to scout.

Grant finally gets his campaign under way on May 14th. Looking to make up for lost time he deployed his Army in three different direction with his Corps acting almost independently. John A. McClernand's Corps is sent towards Edward's Station, William T. Sherman's Corps is sent towards Midway Station and James B. McPherson's Corps is sent off towards Clinton.

Grant doesn't know Johnston is in Mississippi or that there is a relatively large Confederate Army being built at Jackson or he certainly wouldn't split his Army like that.

Wirt Adams' Cavalry encounter McPherson's Corps around Raymond and engage briefly before breaking off and riding back to Johnston at Jackson with news of McPherson's Corps approaching. Johnston, despite not thinking his Army is ready, recognizes the opportunity presented to him and plans to strike at McPherson's Corps near Clinton and has high hopes of destroying it.

Johnston's plan would be to use Pemberton's 16,000 men to check the advance of McPherson's Corp's while using John Gregg's 6,000 men to succor his right flank then using the final 9,000 men(preferably under John S. Bowen but maybe under Carter L. Stevenson) of his Army to strike at McPherson's right flank, do serious damage to that corps and thus win the battle.

The potential battle of/near Clinton would be only the second time in the War that a Confederate Army outnumbered a Federal force in a major battle (the first time being Pea Ridge) but this is where my attempt to write this breaks down.

I dont know enough about the terrain around Clinton, Jackson, Raymond or the rest of Mississippi to know where a battle would take place and there are probably other factors I have overlooked. I have no idea where TTL would go after this but I felt the idea for the battle very Johston-like and presenting a good chance for Confederate victory in Mississippi against Grant - something that could really effect the War in the long run.

While this Timeline may never be written I'd like to know what other people - anyone at all really - think of this.
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