The Wilderness- Lee, Stuart, Longstreet killed

Just had this idea from a comic book on the Wilderness campaign I read on Fri at the library- there was actually 1 point towards the end of the fighting when Lee, Stuart & Ambrose Hill IIRC, during the confusion of battle, encountered a squad of Union soldiers who had them all in easy musket range- but then their officer inexplicablyordered his men to about-turn and leave the CS high-ranking gens unmolested (similarly to how Patrick Ferguson during the ARW gentlemanly decided to not shoot Washington when he had the latter in the sights of hiw new rifle). However, WI that Union officer instead had seen the benefit for his cause had he decided to order his men to open fire ? How would the rest of the ACW have progressed without Lee around anymore ? Would the war be over right afterwards ?

Also, during the same campaign, James Longstreet had been severely wounded in a friendly fire incident with Confederate pickets who accidentally shot up his party (similarly to Stonewall Jackson at Chancellorsville)- WI he'd died of his wounds, too ?
 
The ANV is now led by Ewell and AP Hill. :eek:

Or, god forbid, Braxton Bragg. Bragg's doing bugger all at this point except being Davis' yes man so he's available and has seniority. Only Beauregard could possily be an alternative.

Of course the death of the ANV's high command means that John B. Gordon and Fitzhugh Lee will rise a bit higher in the seniority rankings and that can only be a good thing. Also "Little Billy" Mahone will get a more important position.

Anyway, so long as Bragg doesn't get the job then the Confederates have a chance to see the year out, but it's not as good as it would have been under Lee.
 
Well, that would depend on how many targets were present and how many Union guns aimed at them. Because everyone knows it takes 10 Union bullets to hit 1 Confederate target.

No, really. Um, that would have 1) hastened the end of the war, 2) left hotheads in charge of the Confederate arms, possibly leading to Guerilla style combat, and 3) martyrdom for Lee (at least) and a national day of remembrance (at least in southern US).
 
Game Over

If the ANV leadership is lost during the Battle of the Wilderness, then they never get the army moving in time to Spotsylvania. Warren gets there first, and the ANV is pocketed. Maybe Gordon or some other leader can bring part of the army back to Richmond, but that city falls by July 4. I think they'll toss it in after that - I cannot imagine Johnston wanting a guerilla war any more than did Lee.
 
If the ANV leadership is lost during the Battle of the Wilderness, then they never get the army moving in time to Spotsylvania. Warren gets there first, and the ANV is pocketed. Maybe Gordon or some other leader can bring part of the army back to Richmond, but that city falls by July 4. I think they'll toss it in after that - I cannot imagine Johnston wanting a guerilla war any more than did Lee.

Joe Johnston certainly will not let there be a guerrilla war if he can help it. It doesn't speak well to his honor.

That being said however the ANV will probably lose and lose Richmond but Davis' will escape with the Confederate Government down South to Georgia while Old Joe Johnston stalls Sherman.

It'll then be the time for the ANV to pull and AoT and regroup after a major defeat, pull themselves back together and get back fighting for theSouth.

D.H. Hill will probably be call out of his forced retirement in North Carolina to help with the restoration of the ANV and Beauregard will be called up with whatever manpower he can muster to try and hold Grant.

If Gordon, A.P. Hill, Mahone and the other Generals of the ANV can get their Army back together quickly then they may well be able to keep a foot hold in Virginia before their driven back.

The only problem is that Bragg'll be sent into bring the ANV up to scratch and Brag'll command the ANV after that happens and Bragg is inflexable and not suited for command at that level.

The ANV will be beaten again and driven into the Carolina's and will fall back. Johnston will promote the idea of joining forces with the remnants of the ANV and defeating Sherman then truning to defeat Grant, if possible but even if they do unite the AoT and the ANV then there may not be enough manpower to even defeat Sherman.
 
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