alternatehistory.com

Suppose that McClellan's angry retort at Lincoln in the early summer of 1862 - according to his Wikipedia article it was censored by the War Department - had gotten out, or even some other events had happened so that he is canned permanently after being on board a ship miles away during the Battle of Malvern Hill, with Lincoln telegraphing him, "Since you wish to impersonate Francis Scott Key by being on board a ship during a major battle, you now have all the time int he world to do so."

(This imagined quote from Lincoln is too good for me not to post; i love writing potential Lincoln humor.)

I imagine Pope would still replace him early, but who after that? Burnside early? What if he turns it down?

Because I might reopen my once Open Threat about an early Union win at Shiloh to make it more along the lines of THe Union Forever, but obviously quite different, I am thinking of having that happen, which makes me wonder something else: With Grant possibly taking Vicksburg, and with Forrest being killed rather than just wounded at Shiloh meaning there is no Murfreesboro diversion and the Union can drive on Chattanooga faster, could Rosecrans wind up getting the command?
Top